Hiking

WALKING & RUNNING TRAILS

There are so many hikes to choose from, including many that begin from our chalets. Take a look at one of the guides on the bookshelf but please return after use. In addition there are numerous mountaintop refuges that can turn a walk into a multi-day trek.  Please note the degree of difficulty and altitude changes and keep up to date with weather reports.  Check in with the Tourist Office about specific hikes and for reservations at the refuges. Here are a few of our favourites:

La Bourgeoise

A lovely walk with panoramic views over the Giffre Valley and Mont Blanc. Only do on a clear day to best enjoy the magnificent views. Start straight from the house or drive up to the Col de Joux plane for a shorter walk.

Lac de Gers

A relatively easy couple of hours to a peaceful mountain lake (and the best wild myrtille tart). You can also ski here in winter.

Col de la Golèse

Walk towards ‘Les Allamands’ from ‘La Rosiere’ and continue following signs to the Col de la Golese. If you have a 4×4 with good ground clearance, you can even drive up for dinner in summer. Basic off-roading skills useful for this one.

Cascade du Rouget 

A 2 km hike that begins in Salvagny.

You can follow the road or a trail through the woods. This waterfall is known as the Queen of the Alps and falls a dramatic 80m.  From Cascade du Rouget, you can continue (either on the road or a path to the right of the falls) towards Lignon.

 La Pleureuse and Sauffraz Waterfalls

The trailhead is the parking of Lignon, above Cascade du Rouget.  From here you can continue to the Refuge de Sales, which is a high valley surrounded by cliffs and the site of a former ‘alpage’ for summertime grazing. The climb to the refuge is through a series of ascending valleys, each marked by waterfalls. Reservations required for overnight stays.

Refuge des Fonts

This is a day hike to one of the prettiest natural cirques in the region (not to be confused with the much larger Cirque du Fer a Cheval). The refuge offers meals (and a dormitory for overnight guests) and is situated in a traditional summertime ‘alpage’ – where farmers brought their cows for grazing.  The chalets are still in use by local families. This is also the location of the famous Eagle’s Nest built by English jurist Alfred Wills in the 1850s.

Cirque du Fer a Cheval

An easy and relatively flat path leads from the Cirque to the Fond de la Combe. You will cross the Giffre and enter a valley punctuated by a series of waterfalls. High above you extends the Ruan Glacier, where Jacques Balmat, the first man to scale Mont Blanc, disappeared in 1834, while searching for a fabled seam of gold.  From the Fond de la Combe, you can continue to the Refuge de Vogealle and, just beyond, Lac de Vogealle, but reservations are required for overnight stays.  There are two routes to access the refuge from Fond de La Combe.  Beware that the ladder route (Le Pas de Boret) is more technical and challenging, but both are quite steep.

Ancienne Gorges des Tines

The Gorges des Tines in Sixt are not to be missed and no hiking is required. There is a hike through the Anciennes Gorges des Tines which requires some climbing on ladders and passes near a cliff wall used by the climbing school.

Tour des Fiz

The massive outcropping called the Rochers des Fiz dominates the skyline. A hike to Refuge Alfred Wills will take you up to the Rochers des Fiz, and you can continue to Lac D’Anterne and/or Refuge de Sales.