Briançon is located in the high Alps, near the Italian border. It is built on a plateau centred on the confluence of the Durance and the Guisane rivers. The recording location, Verger de la Schappe, is a steep wooded escarpment beneath the ‘Fortifications of Vauban’ UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was once an ancient orchard and overlooks the River Durance, which passes through a narrow granite gorge immediately beforehand. During May, the river – heard in the background as a constant roar – is greatly increased in volume by meltwater from nearby mountains that remain snowcapped until early summer.