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This valley was hollowed out of the Jurassic limestone and marl by glaciers, and then filled in with a great thickness of glacial, fluviatile and lacustrine deposits. Without going into detail about the alternating phases of erosion and filling, we should nevertheless note that, during one of the last glacial periods (Würm II), the Valbonnais glacier covered the current location of the confluence of the Drac and the Bonne, blocking the drainage of waters from the Drac. In the lake formed by this glacial dam (Lac de Beaumont), alluvial deposits accumulated to a great depth and today form the broad Pellafol terrace.

The course of the Drac has been incised deeply into these alluvial deposits and even into the Jurassic bedrock near the rock sill that today provides structural support to the Sautet dam.

The Beaumont is a high valley (the elevation of the villages is about 850-900m/2500-3000ft) and enjoys the influence of the Mediterranean climate. The economy is divided between agriculture and tourism.

As in Trièves , the Beaumont area, between the upper and middle mountains, is marked by the local colours of the semi-Mediterranean climate. The features are also, however, influenced by the Drac, with differing landscapes on each side of the river. Once past the edges of the gorges and the reservoirs of the Drac dam, where dense woodland covers the steep slopes, the right bank features relatively hill-like topography, whereas on the left bank plateaus overlook the river, which are themselves dominated by the majestic silhouette of Obiou (2790m/9153ft).

This is an agricultural region, while higher up there are Alpine meadows. The right bank has a number of orchards and even vineyards, while the larger plateaus on the left bank are used mainly to grow grain crops.

The villages are tightly bunched, as is frequently the case in the Midi. This can be seen in Corps, on the hillside, with its typical hillside steps, as well as Pellafol-les-Payas, perched on its plateau, with its frontage of regularly shaped picturesque homes.

Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette, lying amidst its Alpine meadow landscape, is a case apart. It attracts many visitors with its mountain symbolism that evokes a place of mystical experiences. The crowds can be almost as numerous as in Lourdes, another mountain sanctuary that is the country's leading attraction for pilgrims.