Over 80 hikers and visitors to the Vanoise National Park in France have reported hearing church bells or chimes during the night, despite the fact that many of these campers were over 520 km (200 miles) from the nearest village. Visitors reported that the bells rang throughout the night and often seemed to be coming from different directions. Several hikers attempting to locate the source of the sounds were unsuccessful. Of special interest is the fact that while many people noticed the sounds, others in the same encampments (park run huts) heard nothing. Park rangers thought nothing of the first reports, but after a significant number of people mentioned the sounds, they reported their confusion to the local media.
It is possible, due to the mountainous nature of the terrain in the Vanoise National Park, that chimes from a distant village were funneled into the park’s interior. However, this does not explain the continuous nature of the sounds reported, or the inability of some to hear the chimes.