Читать книгу Walking in the Haute Savoie: North - Janette Norton - Страница 10
ОглавлениеINTRODUCTION
Most people associate the French Alps with the town of Chamonix, dominated by Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Western Europe, and the dazzling array of challenging peaks that surround it. Visitors flock to the Chamonix area to walk and explore, but they do not always realise that the Mont Blanc range is only part of the Haute Savoie. Not far away there are dozens of other interesting mountains and villages to discover, less frequented, steeped in history, and crisscrossed with delightful walking trails.
Mont Blanc and the peaks of Chablais from Mont Forchat (Walk 11): photo Richard Saynor
The Haute Savoie is located in eastern France, bordering Switzerland and Italy. To the north is Lake Geneva (known to the French as Lac Léman), to the southeast is Chamonix, and to the southwest is Lake Annecy. The area in the northeast, which extends into Switzerland, is known as the Chablais, and was originally a separate province. Running for 100km through the centre of the region is the River Arve, rising in the glaciers of the Mont Blanc range and flowing northwest through the towns of Sallanches, Cluses, Bonneville and Annemasse to join the River Rhône and the lake at Geneva. This is the major artery of the region, with the motorway known as the autoroute blanche running alongside to eventually go through the Mont Blanc Tunnel into Italy, an important link between north and south Europe. To the north of the Arve is another east–west artery, the River Giffre, rising in the snowfields of Mont Ruan and flowing through Sixt and Samoëns to join the Arve above Cluses.
This is one of the most mountainous regions in France, with the lower mountains of the Chablais in the north rising to the high peaks of the Mont Blanc range in the south. The walks all give spectacular views, and the trails are well marked and easy to follow. Walks around Chamonix are not included as they are covered in Cicerone’s Mont Blanc Walks, by Hilary Sharp.
Looking up to the Col de Foron (Walk 15)
The walks in Walking in the Haute Savoie: North are located near to Lake Geneva, beginning with those on the Salève and Vuache in the west. The remainder are all in the Chablais, a large mountainous area stretching south of the lake and eastwards into Switzerland, which has been divided into the following sections: the Vallée Verte around Boège; the Vallée du Brevon around Bellevaux; the Pré-Alpes du Léman above Evian; and the two main valleys of the River Dranse: the Val d’Abondance and Val de Morzine.
The walks in the companion volume Walking in the Haute Savoie: South are mostly located south of the Giffre and Arve rivers. They are situated along the Vallée de l’Arve and above the Plateau d’Assy nearer to Chamonix; in the Vallée du Haut Giffre near Sixt and Samoëns; in the Chaîne des Aravis near La Clusaz and Thônes; on the Plateau de la Borne near la Roche-sur-Foron; and near the shores of Lac d’ Annecy.
A short history of the Haute Savoie
The department of the Haute Savoie did not come into being until 1860 when Napoleon III and King Vittorio-Emmanuele signed the Treaty of Turin, and the Duchy of Savoie, along with Kingdom of Nice, was annexed to France. The area of the Duchy was then split into Haute Savoie, the upper or northern region, and Savoie, the southern region.
The history of the region goes back to prehistoric times when it was settled by Stone Age hunters and farmers. These were succeeded in the sixth century BC by the Celtic Allobroges, who in 121BC were conquered by the Romans. The region became part of the province of Gallia Narbonensis, and it was a Roman historian who in AD380 made the first written reference to Savoie, calling it Sabaudia, ‘land of the fir trees’. After the Fall of the Roman Empire the Germanic tribe of Burgundians moved in, and a series of chieftains governed until AD1003 when Humbert the ‘White-Handed’ was made the first count of Savoie. The counts were vassals of the Holy Roman Emperors, who in the ensuing years granted them even more territory, their lands eventually stretching from Lake Geneva in the north, including parts of western Switzerland, to the Dauphiné in the south, with their capital at Chambéry. The power of the counts was based on their control of the Alpine passes, and feudal castles were built at strategic sites to protect their lands.
The ruined castle at Chaumont (Walk 6)
In 1416 the Holy Roman Emperor made the County of Savoie an independent Duchy, with Amadée VIII as its first duke, and in 1429 this was unified with Piedmont in northwest Italy, its territory now stretching as far south as Nice. The dukes had considerable power and influence, and in an age of great religious belief had a number of abbeys and monasteries built. One of those still standing is the Abbaye d’Abondance. The remote mountain valleys provided an ideal retreat for Carthusian monks who wished for seclusion, and the Chartreuse du Reposoir in the Aravis still remains, although now it belongs to the Carmelites.
Abondance Abbey cloisters
For a time there was peace in the region, but at the start of the 16th century the Protestant Reformation under Calvin spread from Geneva and Catholicism was outlawed, resulting in many deaths. It was a young priest, François de Sales, born in 1567 near the village of Thorens-Glières, who managed to convert the population back to the Catholic faith. He has been revered by the local population as a saint ever since, and many small chapels, wayside shrines and statues have been erected in his memory, especially in the Vallée Verte and the Val d’Abondance, where a fragment of his elbow bone has recently been found.
In the following years the strategic position of Savoie meant that it continued to be a battleground for the powers of France and Austria as they fought over it, first one side and then the other gaining control. In addition, both the Chablais in the northeast and the Geneva area in the northwest were taken over for a short time by the Swiss. Then, in 1714, as a result of the War of the Spanish Succession, Savoie gained the Kingdom of Sicily, which in 1720 was exchanged for that of Sardinia. From now on the heads of the House of Savoie were known as the Kings of Piedmont-Sardinia, and their capital moved to Turin.
Although the area was still very poor and many of the peasants had emigrated, some prosperity was coming to the region as industries began to develop, with clock- and watchmaking in the Arve valley and stonemasonry in the Haut Giffre. In addition, as the beauty of the Alpine scenery was discovered by writers and painters of the Romantic movement, the area gradually opened up to tourists. The first ascent of Mont Blanc in 1786 by Balmat and Paccard was the start of the Age of Alpinism, and soon Chamonix and its glaciers were on the list of places visited by aristocratic young men on their Grand Tour of Europe.
When the French Revolution broke out in 1792 France invaded yet again, and Savoie, including Geneva, became part of the department of Mont Blanc, later known as the department of Mont Blanc-Léman. But after the defeat of Napoleon in 1815 the Congress of Vienna ruled that Savoie be given back to the King of Piedmont-Sardinia, although this time the people of Geneva decided to join the Confederation of Swiss States and cut themselves off irrevocably.
This was followed by a relatively prosperous economic and cultural period. Many churches and other buildings date from this time, and the clock-making industry and agriculture became firmly established. French culture and language continued to flourish, until in 1860 Savoie was finally ceded to France and Vittorio-Emmanuele, the last Duke of Savoie, became the first King of Italy.
Today the Haute Savoie is one of the richest and most developed areas of France. Industry has expanded, the Arve valley being well known for its precision and mechanical engineering, with 1200 companies in a 30km radius. There are many other businesses, such as the manufacture of ski equipment, and wood related industries such as forestry and furniture making. Since 1965 the Mont Blanc road tunnel has provided an important link between France in the north and Italy in the south, thus placing the Haute Savoie on one of the greatest trade routes in Europe.
More importantly, tourism has grown exponentially in the last 50 years, especially since the 1960s when skiing became popular and new resorts such as Flaine and Morzine–Avoriaz were constructed, opening up hundreds of kilometres of ski runs, those of the Portes du Soleil linking with Switzerland. Climbing and walking have also become increasingly popular activities, aided by the building of refuges for overnight stays and the construction of long-distance footpaths that run through the area. The creation of nature reserves has ensured that the beauty of the environment, with its rich wildlife and flora, is protected for posterity.
The Alpine Museum at the Chalets de Bise (Walk 21)
Wildlife
Thanks to the ecology movement and the creation of nature reserves, the animal population of the Alps has increased in recent years. A good example of this is in the Réserve des Aravis, where chamois had been hunted almost to extinction. When the park was created in 1972 there were only six left, whereas now there are over a thousand.
The various species which can be glimpsed, if you are lucky and there are not too many people, are deer, ibex, chamois, moufflons, mountain hares, wild boar, marmots, grouse, buzzards, eagles, ptarmigan and bearded vultures. There are also the more widespread rodents such as foxes, dormice, stoats, weasels, pine martens and squirrels. Both lynx and wolves have recently made a re-appearance in the Haute Savoie, the lynx coming across from Switzerland, where it was re-introduced, and the wolf from the Italian Alps. Both are protected animals, and farmers are concerned about implications for their livestock.
If you are interested in finding out more about the wildlife of the area, the following books are recommended:
Wild Animals of Britain and Europe (Collins Nature Guide)
Birds of Britain & Europe (Collins Pocket Guide)
Butterflies of Europe, Tristan Lafranchis (Diatheo)
Animals
Ibex are mountain goats with beautifully curved ridged horns, sometimes more than a metre long. Sturdy, passive animals, the ibex has no natural enemies, although the babies have been known to make an eagle’s meal. They are usually to be found at an altitude of about 2000m, the females with their young in small family groups, and the males joining them during the rutting season at the end of the year, when they use their long horns to fight off other contenders for their females. The ibex was hunted to extinction in the Alps and only reintroduced in the 1960s, but unfortunately it was discovered in 2013 and again in 2015 that some of the animals had contracted brucellosis, a disease that can be transmitted to livestock and humans. Farmers were concerned about their cattle and about cheese production, and as a result an enormous cull took place, amid much controversy.
Ibex on the Cornettes de Bise (Walk 21): photo Philip Jenkins
The chamois is a daintier, lighter and more agile animal than the ibex, being the alpine representative of the antelope family. With a pretty, striped brown and cream face, the males having two small curving horns, they are often to be seen in large herds leaping from rock to rock in the most inhospitable places, but you will rarely get near them as they are timid and nervous. Their speed and agility is due to their hooves which, like small cushions on normal terrain, have the ability to widen and become like crampons on precipitous rocky slopes. Although chamois can still be hunted, quotas have been strictly controlled since 1982, and hunting is restricted to a few weeks in the autumn.
The moufflon is a species of mountain sheep with thick, scroll-shaped horns. It was first introduced to the alpine regions from Corsica in the 1950s so that it could be hunted and thus solve a food problem. In 1969 about 60 animals were installed in different areas of the Haute Savoie, including in the Réserve Naturelle du Mont de Grange in the Val d’Abondance, and in 1978 a herd was released on the slopes of the Tournette near Annecy. At present there are about 300 in the Haute Savoie, although some ecologists are against animals being introduced into a region where they were never endemic. They are passive, slow animals that spend at least eight hours a day peacefully grazing on the higher slopes.
If you come across a large patch of meadowland where the grass has been churned up and the earth turned over, you know that there are wildboar in the vicinity. This is not an animal one would choose to meet face to face – which fortunately is unlikely – since they can weigh as much as 150kg and be very aggressive if cornered. They are really just wild pigs that like to live in small herds, mainly in forest areas, and are more numerous in the wooded Jura mountains than the Alps. They have no enemies other than hunters, and their meat, rich and gamey, is considered a great delicacy.
The most charming of all the alpine animals is the marmot, which live in colonies above 1000m. If you hear a piercing whistle echoing across the slopes, stop dead in your tracks and keep your eyes peeled for one of these enchanting creatures, which are usually to be found in rocky grasslands. The whistle is the alarm call from the marmot on sentry duty telling his fellows that there is danger in the vicinity so that they can rush back into their burrows – a single cry warns of an airborne predator, and a series of cries of one on the ground. But they are not really shy creatures, and if you stay quiet, curiosity will overcome their fear and you will see a furry head pop out again to look around and survey the slopes.
During the winter months marmots hibernate in their deep, grass-lined burrows, living off accumulated fat until they emerge thin and hungry in mid-April. The marmot has few enemies, except for eagles who like to snatch the babies, and they have never been seriously hunted for food. They are prolific in the Alps and the walker has a good chance of seeing them on many occasions.
Marmots emerging from their burrow: photo Carol Saynor
Birds
Of all the alpine birds of prey, the most impressive is the golden eagle, which, having been protected for a number of years, can be seen more frequently. A more recent newcomer is the bearded vulture, which was reintroduced into the Alps in 1978 and of which there are now around 100 couples. In 1987, 19 young birds were introduced into the Haute Savoie, where they are heavily protected. With a wing span of three metres they are an awe-inspiring sight as they circle majestically among the high peaks.
One of the most interesting of birds to be found at around 2000m is the shy ptarmigan. The size of a pigeon, the ptarmigan can only fly for short bursts, preferring to stay on the ground pecking around for grass and berries. In summer its plumage is brown, a perfect camouflage against the rock and scree where between May and July the females will raise from four to eight chicks in a nest in a rocky hollow or long grass.
In winter ptarmigans turn white, merging with the snowy environment, and they protect themselves against the arctic cold by building an igloo in the snow with their claws, where they can remain for days without food. Unfortunately their numbers have been much reduced as they are often disturbed by skiers or caught in the overhead wires of ski lifts. The black grouse, renowned for its mating displays, is another bird that is fast disappearing due to ski installations and being hunted for the pot. It prefers bushy areas at altitudes between 1400m and 2600m.
Alpine choughs are to be found at the top of many a mountain, especially those frequented by picnickers. They are distinguished from the chough by their red legs and short yellow bill rather than a curved red one. They make a sinister, high-pitched screech that is in complete harmony with the precipitous rocky summits they favour. Look out too for falcons, buzzards, hawks, larks and the smaller birds such as the dipper, which loves to run along the bottom of rushing Alpine torrents at high altitude.
Butterflies
Butterflies can still be found in the meadows, and even at higher altitudes, including those that are now rare in Britain, such as the graceful, creamy yellow and brown swallowtails and the purple Camberwell beauty with its striking cream border. Among the commoner species there are plenty of red admirals, tortoiseshells, yellow brimstones and tiny meadow blues.
Plants and flowers
Clockwise from top right: fragrant orchid, yellow bellflower, alpenrose, soldanella, fairy foxgloves, alpine daffodils
One of the joys of walking in the mountains, especially in spring and early summer, is the abundance and variety of flowers growing in the Alpine pastures, among rock crevices, and in places where you would think no plant life could possibly take hold. The type of mountain terrain affects the species you will find, some thriving on granite, for example, while others prefer limestone. If you are interested in identifying and knowing the names of the individual species, buy a good flower book and a magnifying lens and keep them permanently in your rucksack, and remember to leave extra time for flower identification.
Some of the first flowers you will see in the year, pushing through the melting snow, are members of the bulb and corm family – thousands of little white and purple alpine crocuses, scillas, snowflakes and gageas. These are closely followed by soldanellas, spring gentians, alpine daffodils, sweet smelling narcissi, alpine anemones, violets, rockroses and the deep blue trumpet gentians.
In May and June come the small, delicate field orchids. The earliest of these are the early purple, which flower in April, and elderflower, the yellow and purple varieties growing side by side. Later you will find fragrant, common spotted, burnt, round-headed, pyramidal, butterfly and military, and in August the black vanilla, which actually smells of vanilla. Rarer ones are the lady orchid, which usually grows further south, the tiny green frog and the lady’s slipper, which can be found in isolated places. Most orchids have a spike of flowers, often with a sort of helmet behind, and the lower petal is in the shape of a lip.
In June look out for lilies, the delicate white paradise lily growing on the higher slopes, and the striking deep pink martagon or turk’s cap lily in woods or grassland. Common on high-altitude moorland is the well-known alpenrose (alpine rhododendron), a bushy evergreen shrub with clusters of pale pink to deep pinkish-red flowers, and of course every walker hopes one day to come across the rare edelweiss.
Yellow cowslips, oxlips and primulas are also in abundance, and you will find the pretty, lilac-pink bird’s eye primula farinosa growing beside streams and in damp places. The prolific creamy and yellow pulsatilla anemones and yellow globe flowers strike a vivid note on the green slopes, and the banks of the swollen rivulets cascading down the mountainsides are sprinkled with bright yellow marsh marigolds.
Brightening up bare crevices and clinging to inaccessible rock faces are dozens of different creeping, cushiony rock plants which have lots of tiny blooms, such as saxifrages, moss campion, globularia, toadflax and rock jasmines.
As the slopes are warmed by spring sunshine and the snows start to melt in earnest, more and more flowers appear. July and August are the time for taller plants, with lesser known varieties of gentians coming into flower, such as the great yellow gentian, from whose root the gentian liqueur is made, and a little later, spotted and willow-leaved. There are tall purple monkshood and delphiniums, graceful columbines, rose-bay willow herb, meadow cranesbills, and various types of the carrot family, including cow parsley and the star-like astrantia. There are endless varieties of daisies, including the orange splash of the golden hawksbeard, purple asters and fluffy lilac adenostyles, and dozens of different white and purple thistles with their prickly, silvery leaves. The white false helleborine, a tall yellowish-green starred flower, is frequently found around alpine chalets as it likes the nitrogen-enriched soil. Cattle never touch its poisonous leaves, although these were formerly picked and made into a potion to be used against lice and horseflies.
Many flowers continue to bloom until the end of September and even into October. In these months you will still find harebells and other varieties of the campanula family, and if you are lucky you may spot the rare yellow bellflower (campanula thyrsoides). Small purple field gentians and bright blue fringed gentians now cover the slopes, both distinguished from the earlier spring flowering variety by having only four petals instead of five. Look out for tiny delicate cyclamens in the woods, autumn crocuses (colchicum) in the fields, and heather higher up.
In many tourist offices and mountain refuges there are posters indicating which alpine flowers are rare and therefore protected, and in the nature reserves there are signs stating clearly that it is forbidden to pick any flowers, and certainly not to dig them up. There is nothing more beautiful than a meadow of wildflowers, especially the alpine daffodils or narcissi that can cover an entire mountainside, and nothing more heart breaking than seeing people walking along with bunches of wilted flowers in their hands.
Autumn colours below the Pointe des Mattes (Walk 26)
In late autumn the flowers die away, but the colour continues with bright red rowan berries and the changing leaves, with some magnificent displays of reds and yellows from beech, maple and larch. There are wild raspberries and bilberries for the picking, and in wooded areas there is also a fascinating range of fungi, the edible ones being a real French delicacy. Some of these are quite unlike any found in Britain – they are white, black, grey, purple and even a chilling green – and can normally be seen clinging to the roots of trees or hidden under mounds of dead leaves. There is also the big round red variety with white spots that reminds one of fairytales. Many of these fungi are highly poisonous and should never be eaten without checking first at a local pharmacie (chemist), where there is usually an expert who will do this willingly.
For more information about the plants and flowers of the area, consult Alpine Flowers of Britain & Europe, by Christopher Grey-Wilson and Marjorie Blamey (Collins). You might also like Alpine Flowers by Gillian Price (Cicerone), a useful pocket guide.
Getting there
By car
Many of the walks in this book cannot be reached without a car. If you come by train or air, all the main car hire firms operate from stations and airports, and information about rental can be obtained before you leave.
If you bring your own car, it is better to avoid Paris and take the motorway from Calais via Reims, Chalons, Troyes and Dijon to either Geneva or Annecy. For detailed travel itineraries and route planners, see www.theaa.com, www.rac.co.uk and www.viamichelin.com.
The Dents du Midi from the Col de Cou (Walk 30)
By air
With the increase of cheap flights, flying and then hiring a car can be a more convenient way to travel. The nearest airport to the Haute Savoie is Geneva, and many of the walks in this guide are within an hour’s drive of the city. EasyJet flies to Geneva several times a day from various UK airports (www.easyjet.co.uk), as do British Airways (www.britishairways.com), Swiss (www.swiss.com) and Flybe (www.flybe.com).
If you hire a car from Geneva Airport, check the situation with your rental company or arrange to do so from the French side as recently introduced regulations may prohibit cars hired in Switzerland from being taken into EU countries.
By rail
If you contact the English office of the French Railways at RailEurope (www.raileurope.com), they will send an informative brochure outlining the different ways to get to France by rail, including timetables, cost, car hire and so on.
There are frequent high-speed trains with Eurostar to Lille or Paris, where you can catch a TGV train to arrive in Geneva in three hours or Annecy in four hours. For further information, including online booking, timetables, destinations and costs contact www.eurostar.com. Another useful website for European train travel is www.seat61.com (just click on France).
When to go
Snow lingering into springtime at the Col d’Ubine (Walk 23): photo Richard Saynor
The Haute Savoie climate is more continental than temperate Britain, which means the winters are colder and the summers hotter. However, mountains generate their own weather, and you can be in brilliant sunshine lower down and climb up into dense cloud and even rain as you get higher. It is always important to check the local weather forecast before setting off on a walk.
Since some of the walks in this guide are at lower altitudes, they can be done as early as May or June, when the weather can be warm and sunny and the days start to lengthen. Another advantage to this time is that many of the alpine flowers are in full bloom, and there are fewer tourists. However, be careful to choose a suitable walk as there can still be snow on the northern slopes or at higher altitudes until the beginning of July in some years.
The best time for walking anywhere in the Alps is from mid-June to mid-September, when it is often hot and sunny and the days are longer. The snow will have melted from the upper trails, the lifts are working, the mountain refuges are open, and the slopes are covered with flowers. However, the weather cannot be relied on to be always sunny, and you can have day after day of rain, and sometimes heavy thunderstorms, especially in the afternoons. The busiest holiday period is mid-July to mid-August, and it is wise to book accommodation in advance at this time.
Another good period is September and October, when the school holidays are over and there are fewer tourists. The weather can still be warm and sunny and is often more stable, with a clarity in the air that makes the views even more magnificent. The glory of the spring flowers may be over, but you are compensated by the trees turning an autumn gold, with a variety of brightly coloured berries.
Cloud inversion in late autumn (Walk 19)
Often the sunny weather continues into November, and if the snow has not come early, it is still possible to do many of these walks. However, remember that the days are drawing in so there is less walking time, and that rocks can be slippery in the morning if the sun has only just reached them. There is something particularly magical about walking in late autumn for, with the cloud inversion over Lake Geneva, you can drive up out of the gloom into brilliant sunshine and be looking down on to a mass of ‘cotton wool’ covering the valley below. Other peaks stick up like islands, and the permanently snow-covered higher ranges such as Mont Blanc look even more impressive with their lower slopes cloaked in fog. If you are walking at this time, be careful to find out where the cloud level is as sometimes it can be quite high and you can be walking all day with the sunshine just a few metres above, if you but knew it.
Accommodation
There is plenty of accommodation all over the Haute Savoie, ranging from four-star hotels to campsites and mountain refuges. July and August are high season, so if you plan to walk then it is advisable to book in advance. The local tourist offices will often provide a list of available accommodation and help you to book. See Appendix B for a list of websites.
Hotels
The larger towns such as Geneva or Annecy have numerous hotels of all categories to choose from, whereas the smaller villages will have just a few. In addition, ski resorts have begun to keep their hotels open in the summer months as well, widening the choice of where to stay. A reliable chain of hotels offering comfortable accommodation at reasonable prices is Logis de France, which has about 200 hotels in the Haute Savoie (www.logishotels.com).
Gîtes and chambres d’hôtes
There is also plenty of self-catering accommodation to rent in gîtes (www.gites-de-france-haute-savoie.com), and the same website gives information on chambres d’hôtes, the French equivalent of bed and breakfast. Gîtes d’étape offer basic lodging, often in dormitory accommodation, and provide meals (www.gites-refuges.com).
Camping
Campsites are graded from one to five stars and range from those offering shop, hot showers and swimming pool to sites with basic washing facilities. A list is available at www.campingsavoie.com/liste/haute-savoie.htm.
Refuges (mountain huts)
Details of the refuges on specific walks are given in the route descriptions. Some are run by the French Alpine Club, but many are privately owned. These refuges are often above 2000m and are mainly used by serious walkers and climbers as a base for tackling higher peaks. Most have only communal dormitories, but some provide rooms for two or four. There are always toilets and running water, and some even provide hot showers.
Most huts are open from mid-June to mid-September when there will be a guardian in residence who provides an evening meal and breakfast for a reasonable price. The days when climbers carried up their own food to cook are long gone! If you intend to spend an overnight in a hut, it is essential to make a booking in advance as there is limited space.
Mountain café at the Col de Bassachaux (Walk 28)
Savoyard food and drink
The food of the Haute Savoie is centred round its local products, the most important of these being cheese. The lush grass of the alpine pastures provides excellent grazing for dairy cattle, the best known being the brown and white Abondance cows. Now found throughout the Haute Savoie, they originated in the valley of the same name, and their cheese has been made since the 14th century. Taking three months to ripen, it is a fairly hard, golden coloured cheese, with a nutty flavour.
Tomme de Savoie is a popular cheese made everywhere in Savoie. It is mild and semi-firm, with a low fat content, made from skimmed milk.
Chevrotin is a soft cheese made from goat’s milk and has been produced in the Aravis area for generations. It is formed in small rounds, and is ripe and ready to eat after only three weeks of maturing in a cellar.
Reblochon cheese is a speciality of the Aravis region around Thônes and le Grand Bornand, and was first mentioned in the 16th century when it was much appreciated by the court of Piedmont-Sardinia, as it could travel all the way to Turin without getting spoilt. The name comes from the French word la rôblosse, meaning second milking, and dates back to the time when all the land and cattle belonged to the church, and the peasants were taxed on the amount of milk they produced. They used to trick the monks by pretending they had finished milking the cows and then, as soon as the monks were out of sight, they would do a second milking, which was the richest and creamiest, producing a smooth, mild cheese.
Cheese can also be melted to make fondue or raclette, frequently served on ski holidays in the French Alps, but a less well-known dish is tartiflette. Made from Reblochon cheese, it consists of layers of cooked potatoes garnished with onion and slivers of bacon and then covered with a whole cheese, the rind uppermost. It is then put under the grill until the cheese is crusty and bubbling – worth trying. Cheese platters are often accompanied by dried or smoked meats, and by nuts or locally grown fruit such as apples, pears and figs.
There are several varieties of freshwater fish to be found, such as trout, pike, crayfish, perch and the omble chevalier, a species of arctic char found mainly in deep mountain waters such as Lac d’Annecy, but now also artificially farmed near Thonon.
In autumn you will often see locals collecting mushrooms and picking berries, and tarte aux myrtilles, a delicious bilberry tart, is sometimes on offer in a mountain refuge. Another local speciality is matafan, a thick pancake which can be eaten with salt or sugar.
The white wines of Savoie are an excellent accompaniment to cheese or fish dishes, with Chasselas, Crépy, Ripaille and Roussette to choose from, the latter from a type of vine originating in Cyprus and brought to the Frangy-Seyssel region at the time of the Crusades. After a meal it is worth trying a locally made digestif such as génépi, a herbal liqueur made from the dried leaves of the wormwood plant, or eau de vie de gentiane, made from the roots of the yellow gentian flower. And last but not least are the renowned mineral waters from the towns of Thonon and Evian-les-Bains.
Roussette de Frangy wine (Walk 6)
You will find regional produce in local markets, which are great fun to wander round even if you have no intention of buying, and local cheeses can often be bought directly from the farms you pass on the walks. See Appendix B for market days.
What to take
As with all mountainous regions, the weather in the Haute Savoie can change rapidly without warning, and a careful choice of clothing and equipment is essential for your safety and security. The best solution is to dress in layers and to carry a light fleece and a waterproof anorak, even if the forecast is good. Lightweight, quick-drying trousers are the most comfortable for walking – those that zip down into shorts are very practical, as even on hot days you may need long trousers to avoid getting scratched by undergrowth. Protection against the sun is important, especially at higher altitudes where ultraviolet rays are more intense.
Cornettes de Bise from the Col de Vernaz (Walk 22)
The most important piece of equipment for mountain walking is a pair of comfortable boots, with ankle support and Vibram-type soles with a good tread. Proper walking socks can also make an enormous difference to foot comfort.
For day walks, a light 20–30-litre rucksack is sufficient, with a padded back and waist strap, and with side and top pockets for small items. Some of the larger trekking rucksacks have a big top pocket, which can be detached and used as a day pack. Many rucksacks now come with a waterproof cover, or these can be bought separately.
Trekking poles are now used by almost everyone when mountain walking, and are especially useful in helping with balance on rough terrain and taking stress off the knees on steep descents. The lightest available are made of carbon fibre, and lever-lock adjustments are the easiest to use.
A whistle and a good-quality compass are essential in the mountains, and an altimeter and GPS are useful in bad weather or if you get lost. A mobile phone can be life-saving if you have an accident. Unfortunately, the more remote mountain areas are often out of network coverage.
There has been no let-up in the evolution of GPS technology over the past 20 years, with increased power of sophisticated hand-held units, including custom maps for downloading, and access to more satellites (including Russian ones). Although you should always carry a quality compass, many GPS units now incorporate a compass and an altimeter, based on barometric pressure and/or satellite trigonometry.
It is worth checking the market carefully before purchasing a GPS unit, putting the accent on good signal reception and battery life, good screen visibility in bright light, easy operation, robust and not too large and heavy. There is also a learning curve, but the effort is well-rewarded and Pete Hawkin’s Cicerone guide Navigating with a GPS gives a useful introduction.
Manufacturers’ maps for GPS download are usually very expensive, and the French IGN 1:25,000 products are no exception. However, there are open software products that are surprising effective and versatile, with special mention for openmtbmap.org (‘mtb’ covers mountain biking and hiking).
EQUIPMENT LIST
The following is a suggested list for your rucksack on a day walk:
the route description from this walking guide
the IGN 1:25,000 map recommended in the walk information box
waterproof anorak
cape or poncho to cover everything, including your rucksack – useful when it is really pouring, and for sitting on
lightweight fleece or sweater
warm hat, gloves and scarf (in cold weather)
spare socks
sun hat, sunglasses, high factor sun cream and lipsalve
basic first-aid kit, including insect repellent and moleskin for blisters
survival blanket
picnic and snacks (sweets, chocolate, high energy bars, dried fruit and nuts)
water bottle – it is essential to take plenty of water; avoid drinking from mountain streams or dubious drinking troughs and fountains
mobile phone, whistle, torch, penknife, compass, altimeter
optional extras: GPS, camera, binoculars, reference books (for flowers or birds)
If you are staying overnight in a refuge, add the following:
wash gear and small towel
change of clothes
sheet sleeping bag (silk ones are the lightest); all the refuges in the Haute Savoie provide blankets
a head torch is very useful (especially if there is only an outside toilet)
tracksuit for relaxing in the evening and for sleeping in
lightweight trainers (most refuges provide hut shoes but this is not guaranteed)
playing cards and/or book – in case you are holed up by bad weather
small repair kit with needles, thread, string, buttons, etc.
Waymarking
Most of the walks in the Haute Savoie, as in other areas in France, have been newly waymarked with pale yellow plastic signposts. These have a heading specifying the location of the signpost and/or an altitude, and clearly show the various destinations and times taken to get there. These are used as points of reference in the route descriptions. There are also green plastic squares with yellow arrows, either nailed to posts or on trees. In some places the original wooden signposts remain, and you will still find some faded coloured paint splashes, mostly yellow.
An example of a new signpost (Walk 26)
Quite a number of walks in the Haute Savoie are partly along sections of long-distance Grande Randonnée (GR) footpaths, which are linear, and on the walks in this guide you will come across the GR5, the GR65 and the GR Balcon du Léman. These are marked by red and white horizontal stripes on posts, rocks or trees, as well as on signposts, with a red and white cross to indicate the wrong direction.
The GR5 starts from the small town of St Gingolph on Lake Geneva, with an alternative start at Thonon-les-Bains, and goes all the way to Nice. After skirting Mont d’Hermone from Thonon and Dent d’Oche from St Gingolph, the two branches converge to pass through the Val d’Abondance and Val de Morzine, continue into the Vallée du Haut Giffre to the Lac d’Anterne, and then head south to Chamonix and on to the Mediterranean.
The GR65 follows the ancient pilgrimage route from Geneva and the Salève to le Puy and on to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
The GR Balcon du Léman follows the mountain crests round the French part of Lake Geneva, passing through the Vuache, Salève, Vallée Verte and Pré-Alpes du Léman.
In addition to the GR footpaths, there are Grande Randonnée de Pays (GRP or GR de Pays) footpaths, which are long circuits marked by red and yellow horizontal stripes. You will come across two of them in this guide: the Tour de la Vallée Verte and the Tour des Crêtes de Bellevaux.
Where the route for a walk is on a GR or a GRP footpath, this is clearly indicated in both the text and on the accompanying sketch map.
At the start of many walks the local tourist offices have erected large information boards, which are mentioned in the text of individual walks. These usually show a map of walks; a panorama of peaks; pictures of animals, birds and flowers; and anything of historical or geological interest in the area. They are often in English as well as French, and it is worth taking the time to read them before setting off.
Maps
Each walk is accompanied by a sketch map with coloured contours, showing key places and numbered waypoints that are highlighted in the route description. For additional features and detailed navigation, the relevant 1:25,000 IGN paper map is specified in the information box at the beginning of each walk. However, bear in mind that things are still changing in this region, and you may discover new ski lifts, roads or jeep tracks that are not yet on the maps.
A good map that gives an overall picture of the Haute Savoie walking areas is the IGN Top 100 Tourisme et Découverte No.144 Annecy/Thonon-les-Bains, 1:100,000.
A complete list of IGN maps can be found in Appendix B, together with details of where to buy or order them in the UK. Otherwise, it is usually easy to buy them in the region and they are sometimes cheaper in local supermarkets.
For pre-walk planning and post-analysis, all the 1:25,000 and 1:100,000 IGN maps for the whole of France are available on the internet for a very small annual subscription from www.sitytrail.com. This is the best way to be sure you have the latest editions, and is accompanied by a powerful set of tools to choose the magnification, print selected areas, superimpose recorded GPS trails and record your favourite routes online. The sitytrail subscription includes access to the same maps with a tablet or smartphone App. For offline use, especially along walking trails, it is possible to download a set of map tiles for a local area. Note that sitytrail maps are also available for Switzerland with a separate subscription.
There are numerous Apps on the market that offer GPS tracking with open software maps. On the iPhone or iPad, MOTIONX-GPS is particularly convenient and flexible.
GPX files for all the routes described here are available to anyone who has bought this guide to download free from the Cicerone website. Just go to www.cicerone.co.uk/810/gps.
Safety
When heading off on any of the walks, always let at least one person know where you are going and the time which you expect to return, and log the following emergency numbers into your mobile:
General emergency number for the whole of France: 112.
Mountain rescue in the Haute Savoie: +33 450 53 16 89.
Here are some other important walking rules:
Read the route description carefully and look at the map before you set off.
Give yourself plenty of time by setting off early.
Check the weather forecast before you leave, and do not set out if there is a danger of fog, storms or snow.
Keep on the marked path – if there is a short cut, it is usually shown. If you get lost, go back the way you came if possible. Avoid going across patches of scree or snow, and watch out for slippery grassy slopes.
Be careful when crossing pastures with cows or sheep, as cows can attack when they have calves, and sheep are often guarded by large white pastous dogs, which are trained to defend their flock.
Be careful not to dislodge stones or boulders – they can gather momentum as they roll down the mountain and hit other walkers.
Be sure that you have enough warm clothes and food, and plenty of water if it is a hot day.
If you are not used to the sun at altitude, remember to put on a high-protection sunscreen and to wear reliable sunglasses.
Never walk alone, even if you know the route.
If you get caught in a thunderstorm, get off high, exposed ground immediately and take shelter, but not under an isolated tree or rock. If lightning strikes, remove any metallic objects you might have on you and, if necessary, curl up on the ground to avoid being struck.
If there is an accident, wrap the person concerned in a survival blanket. Use your whistle – six short blasts means you need help (three short ones means you are all right), or six flashes from your torch if it is dark. If you have to leave to get help, make sure you know where you are located and leave as much warm clothing and food with the victim as possible.
Remember that these mountains are a cultural heritage and should be left unspoilt for future generations – happy walking!
Peaks of the Chablais from Pic des Mémises (Walk 18)
Using this guide
The 30 walks in this guidebook are grouped into six sections: Salève and Vuache, Vallée Verte, Vallée du Brevon, Pré-Alpes du Léman, Val d’Abondance and Val de Morzine. Each section starts with an introduction to the area covered in the walks that follow, with a few towns and villages mentioned as convenient places to stay. At the beginning of the route description for each walk there is a box giving a range of useful information: the start and finish of the walk; distance; figures for total ascent and maximum altitude; a difficulty grading and an approximation of time (see further below); the relevant maps; access information to reach the start point; and signposting encountered on the walk. This information is also summarised in a route summary table in Appendix A. Throughout the route descriptions place names and features that are shown on the map are highlighted in bold and facilities that are passed are highlighted.
Walk grading
None of the walks in this book go higher than 2450m and many of them are considerably lower. As a simple guide, they are graded as follows:
Easy: these are short walks on good well-marked paths, with a total ascent of less than 500m. Some can be done in a half day.
Medium: these are longer walks with a total ascent of up to 800m, also on well-marked paths. They generally need most of a day.
Strenuous: these walks are more demanding, involving longer distances and a total ascent of over 800m. They require a full day of up to eight hours.
Difficult: these are also long, with a total ascent of over 800m, but in addition have some steep and exposed sections requiring a head for heights, or entail some scrambling, often with the help of chains or cables.
Walking along the ridge to Pic des Mémises (Walk 18)
A very useful indicator is the profile plot of altitude versus distance for each walk, which shows the distribution and steepness of the various uphill and downhill sections. The total ascent is the sum of the height gains for all the uphill stretches, by definition equal to the total descent for a circular walk. As a guideline, with a light rucksack you should be able to climb 300m in one hour, with a faster descent. The altitudes in the profile plots and the total ascent have been extracted from the recorded GPS trails, after removing off-route wanders and smoothing GPS hiccups when too few satellites are available. GPS altitudes are accurate to about 10 metres at best, becoming tens of metres or worse in gorges or near steep cliffs.
View from the Refuge de la Dent d’Oche (Walk 20): photo Richard Saynor
Timings
The timings in this book are just an indication for a reasonably fit walker, and are mostly consistent with the times given on the local signposts. The actual times can be longer in bad weather, or when the slopes are slippery after recent rainfall; from bitter experience we also know they can increase significantly with age!
The timings do not include pauses for picnics, rests, taking photos or looking at flowers. It is important to leave an hour or so extra for this so as to enjoy your day.
