“The mountain that I love”
You will be leaving the crowds behind. From Haut Giffre to ‘’Heidi’’ country between Sixt, Samoens and Champery, this French-Swiss tour is a mix of grand panoramas and aerial passages that require our careful attention. The route is wonderfully well equipped with cables, chains and ladders.
In the early afternoon: Welcome, introduction, checking bags and the Ecolorado bus takes us to the Crêt car park where we start the walk. Leave everyday stress behind and say hello to a positive experience. We traverse the mountain which is occasionally equipped with chains, leading us down the ‘’Dalles du Tuet’’ and then to the ‘’Landes’’ stream where we begin the ascent to the Folly Refuge.
This is a warm up that will set you up for the rest of the tour.
Positive altitude difference: 550m
Duration: 2h30
Leave at 8am towards Combe aux Puaires. The landscape here is like walking on the moon! Under the watchful eye of chamois, we will gradually rise to about 700m before the slope becomes steeper to Pointe Droite and the Pas au Taureau.
Facing the Dents Blanches and overlooking Lake Vogealle we eventually reach the Taureau pass (2550m), then trek down towards the Bostan Pass (2290m) in an everchanging landscape.
There, after a short break we take a very narrow, very steep path down to the Pas de la Bide. As with all aerial passages, this one needs careful attention, taking your time, but they are well equipped and will leave you the best memories once mastered.
The end of this stage is marked when we reach the pastoral landscape of the Barmaz plateau. The sight of beautiful forests and pastures and the sound of cow bells will help us to recover from this big day.
Positive altitude difference: 1000m
Negative altitude difference: 1050m
Duration: 7h (alternative for those who want more: The Dent Blanche Occidentale)
This stage is beautiful, varied and a little shorter. At first we head for Le Signal and Les Chalets de Bonnavaux. The chamois are more numerous in this part, so have your camera ready! Then we are ready to have our daily fix of a technical passage; le Pas de l’Ancel. The trail continues with wide ledges in a remarkable setting. Look to your left and you see pastures, greenery…. look to your right and you’ll see sheer rock faces. We have the opportunity to take in the flora and fauna and you can study our maps to become familiar with the area. We cross Le Cirque de Susanfe to arrive at the refuge of the same name. If you have a little space in your backpack you can buy a delicious goats cheese to take home. The taste will transport you back to this wonderful place!
Positive altitude difference: about 700m
Duration: 4H
This is perhaps the most beautiful stage. From the refuge we briefly retrace our steps then branch off to the left to reach another steep slope. To avoid a rocky cliff we will climb along scree and finally arrive at the key passage of the day. At first we use ropes and then on to the famous ladders! Once again it can be quite intimidating but it’s very well equipped. We’ll take our time to cross this passage and reach the Col des Ottans where the view is absolutely fantastic. A short crossing will take us to the Sageroux Pass, then a long and easy crossing to la Tête de la Perua. A steep descent takes us to Lake Vogealle and not long after, to the refuge.
Positive altitude difference: about 500m (alternative for those who want more: le petit Ruan)
Duration: about 5h
We depart at 8am towards la Vogealette via the Pas de l’Ours and the Col des Chambres (2338m)
(possible variation: La Pointe de Bellegarde 2514m)
The terrain is extraordinary: Wild and dramatic between Pointe Rousse and Pointe de Bellegarde, it will not leave you cold, especially if we see some of the plentiful wildlife such as chamois, ibex and ptarmigan. A high valley, whose base is practically always under snow, leads us to the Lake des Chambres. It is frozen all year round and has a brilliant, unique colour. From there we descend to the refuge Folly (1558m).
Positive altitude difference: 430m
Negative altitude difference:780m
Duration: 4h30
We take our time to return to Samoens. By late morning or early afternoon, those who wish can go rafting on the Giffre. It will be refreshing and will wash away the fatigue of walking!!
This hike always offers varied and exceptional panoramas. It is suitable only for good walkers but bear in mind the refuge stopovers helps enormously in that we don’t have to carry our food. Being part of a group will also help you to push your limits, so don’t hesitate, book now!!
We’ll spend 5 nights in refuges. This can be reduced to 4 nights if you prefer to return to Samoens at the end of day 5. However, this is not to be advised if you have a long drive ahead of you on your return to Samoens.
Price:
Hiking package: €240/person
+ 5 night package ½ board in refuges + picnics (excluding drinks) €284/person(approximately)
Or 4 night package ½ board in refuges + picnics (excluding drinks) €242/person (approximately)
+ Rafting on the Giffre: only €34/person, for those who want it.
You need to have a good level of fitness for this programme. Some parts will be walking at a smart pace, leaving us time to spend admiring and photographing the scenery and wildlife.
