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SALEVE AND VUACHE

Geneva countryside and the Jura from the Salève (Walk 1)

The Salève and the Vuache are situated in the west of the Haute Savoie, to the south of Geneva. Both are limestone mountains that, geologically, belong to the Jura range and not to the Alps. Since they are lower than 1400m in altitude the walks here can be done early in the year, and you will meet numerous other walkers, some of whom are on the GR Balcon du Léman long-distance footpath which crosses this area.

Anyone who has been to Geneva has seen the Salève, for its long profile dominates the city, rising above the lake in front of the glistening snows of Mont Blanc. It has a long history, and tools and bones dating from prehistoric times have been found in its caves. It has been part of the Savoie since the Middle Ages when one of the kings of Burgundy gifted land on its slopes to the church. In 1170 a Carthusian monastery was founded at Pomier near St-Blaise, whose guesthouse provided lodgings for the many pilgrims who passed through the area on their way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

The first exploration of the gorges and caves of the Salève was in the 18th century by the eminent Geneva scientist Horace Bénédict de Saussure, often considered the founder of alpinism. It was from its heights that he first saw Mont Blanc, which had not then been climbed, and offered a reward to the first person to climb it, going on to make the third ascent himself in 1787.

In the following century the beauty of the Salève was discovered by writers and poets of the Romantic Age, and then climbers started to find more and more difficult routes up its sheer cliffs. Once the Geneva section of the Swiss Alpine Club was founded in 1865, more routes were pioneered, one of which, the Grande Varappe, gave its name to the word for rock climbing in French, varapper. It was the club’s members who secured the paths up the Grande Gorge and through the Grotte d’Orjobet, which is now one of the most exciting ways to approach the top of the mountain. The Salève also provided a training ground for more prestigious expeditions, and some of the club’s members were chosen for the Swiss expedition to Everest in 1952, paving the way for the first ascent by the British the following year.

Because of its proximity to Geneva the Salève is a very popular mountain, especially since it is accessible by road and cable car, one of the first to be built in 1894 and completely reconstructed 100 years later. In winter many come up for cross-country skiing, but by far the most popular activities are rock climbing and walking once the snow has disappeared.

Perhaps the loveliest walk on the Salève is along its grassy top, the Balcon du Salève, from where there are magnificent views over Mont Blanc and the Alps on one side, and Geneva and its lake on the other. On a sunny day you will see numerous colourful paragliders taking off from the grassy slopes and drifting down to the plain below.

Geneva and the lake from the Balcon du Salève (Walk 2)

The Salève stretches for 19km, and there are some pretty little villages at the foot of its slopes, all with an interesting history – you might come across a monastery building, a wayside chapel or even a large château where you least expect it. There are a variety of walks from these, on paths that lead gently up through fields of grazing cows, past farms once owned by monks. The two highest points of the Salève, the Grand Piton and Pointe du Plan, can easily be reached from the villages of Beaumont and St-Blaise, and further south, near Cruseilles, is a walk on the other side of the mountain, starting from the attractive little lake at the leisure centre of Dronières.

The Vuache is a long, low ridge to the west of the Salève, its highest point being only 1100m. It is a continuation of the Jura range that, at its southwestern end, dips dramatically to let the River Rhône flow through a narrow defile called the Ecluse, guarded by a fort clinging to the rocky cliffs above. The Défilé de l’Ecluse is known locally as the Bellegarde Gap, and is visible from Geneva. The Vuache is on the far side of the Ecluse, and runs south for 14km to the village of Chaumont. It lies on a fault-line that creates occasional local earthquakes, the most recent being in 1996. Planes coming into Geneva from the north often fly over the mountain, and the motorway linking Geneva with Lyon tunnels beneath it.

Since this is the first mountain to be reached as you come up the Rhône valley from the warm south, it has a special microclimate attracting Mediterranean-type vegetation, and its flowers blossom well before others in the region. Many walkers come in early spring to see the rare dog’s tooth violet and later on the carpets of alpine daffodils. The wooded ridge is home to several species of birds of prey, and the Défilé de l’Ecluse is on the migratory route for birds flying south. Nearby is the small town of Frangy, whose main claim to fame is the locally produced dry white wine called Roussette de Frangy.

The driving directions for walks in this section are from St-Julien-en-Genevois, near the Swiss border at Bardonnex to the southwest of Geneva. The town has an attractive centre, and there is plenty of accommodation available.

WALK 1

Gorges du Salève

Start/Finish	Le Coin, 665m
Distance	9km
Total ascent	690m
Grade	Medium
Time	4hr 15min
Maximum altitude	1295m
Map	IGN 3430 OT Mont Salève/St-Julien-en-Genevois/Annemasse 1:25,000
Access	From St-Julien-en-Genevois, take the D1206 to Collonges and follow all signs to le Salève. At le Coin take the D45 towards le Salève/Croisette, and immediately after the turning leave your car in the large parking area on the right. In the car park there is an information board with a map of the walk.
Signposting	Good – new signposts, posts with yellow arrows on green, and red/white GR signs when on the Balcon du Léman
Note	Do not do this walk after it has been raining or snowing as the rocks can get very slippery and icy.

This is an exciting and dramatic walk up onto the Salève, the mountain which dominates Geneva. The limestone face is steep, making it a good training ground for rock climbers, and it was the Geneva section of the Swiss Alpine Club that created both paths used on this walk. The route up the mountain goes through the large and impressive Grotte d’Orjobet, and down through the Grande Gorge. Both paths are steep and protected in part by cables. As the Salève is within easy reach of Geneva all the walks on it are very popular, and you are likely to meet many other people, especially at weekends and at the top. There are magnificent views on the way up and down as well as on the summit, with Mont Blanc and the whole range of the Alps visible on one side, and the Geneva countryside and the Jura range of mountains on the other.

From the signpost at le Coin (665m), opposite the entrance to the car park, turn right and walk up the Chemin d’Orjobet towards Grotte d’Orjobet/Sur Orjobet. This is a narrow tarmac road that soon becomes stony, leading to a clearing on the left-hand side where there is the first of a series of information boards on the geology of the Salève.

Just after this you reach a fork where you go right, following the yellow arrow on the post. This is a steep track winding up through woods, clearly marked by posts with yellow arrows on green. The path becomes stony, going past a rock face. Continue upwards to reach the second information board (1hr 10min).

At the entrance to the Grotte d’Orjobet

You then climb round an overhanging rock face on natural rocky steps with a metal barrier on the left and a cable for security on the right. Soon after you see the letters ‘CAS 1905’ painted in orange high above an opening in the rock face, which is the entrance to the Grotte d’Orjobet. Before entering the cave, go over to the viewpoint on the left, from where there is a dramatic view down over the Geneva countryside, with the Jura mountain range on the horizon.

At the entrance to the cave, beneath the orange letters, there is a small plaque on the wall saying ‘Sentier d’Orjobet crée 1905 par la Section Genevoise du Club Alpin Suisse’. Walk past this to reach a long wooden plank with steps that you walk up to enter the cave. Inside there are large steps cut out of the natural stone, with another metal cable. It takes about 10mins to climb up these through the cave and out on to the other side. Inside the cave there is a third information board, and a plaque erected in 2012 giving the history of the path through the cave.

The Grotte d’Orjobet was first explored in 1779 by the eminent Geneva scientist H B de Saussure, who named it after his guide, François Orjobet, a native of le Coin. In 1905 the Geneva section of the Swiss Alpine Club created the path through the cave and were responsible for its upkeep until 2005, when it was handed over to the Association of the Salève, who upgraded the path between 2010 and 2012.

When you come out of the cave the path bears round to the right, curving round the side of the mountain to reach the GR Balcon du Léman at a T-junction and signpost ‘Sur Orjobet – alt. 1200m’ (1hr 45min).

Walking up the fixed cables: photo Mike Goodyer

Go right, following the sign to la Bouillette/la Croisette. Left is a more difficult route via the Trou de la Tine/la Corraterie, marked escarpé, meaning steep and exposed. The path levels out somewhat and then comes out of the woodland onto the shoulder of the mountain.

Walk up the grassy slope to a reach a stile just before the road at a corner 1. Do not go onto the road but turn hard left, leaving the GR, and follow the wide green path all along the top, with the lake down below on your left. On the right there is an aerial and a flag, indicating a jumping-off area for paragliders.

This is the ideal picnic spot. There are wonderful sweeping views of the Geneva countryside and the Jura range to the left, with the Alps to the right, dominated by Mont Blanc and the Dents du Midi, with the Môle in the foreground.

Paragliding off the Salève

Follow the grassy track across pastures to reach the signpost ‘Alpage des Crêts – alt. 1300m’ (2hr 10min).

Continue straight on towards Grange Tournier/Téléphérique, towards the observatory tower you can see in the distance. The track reaches the road at a stone balustrade and another signpost at Sur le Charrot (1280m). Here you rejoin the GR for another short stretch. Following signs to Sur Grande Gorge, walk down across a meadow to reach the road again and a signpost ‘Sur la Grande Gorge – alt. 1245m’ (2hr 20min). Continue towards Sous Grande Gorge/le Coin par Grande Gorge, and turn off left into the woods, leaving the GR on a narrow path which winds downwards 2.

The Môle from the top of the Salève

Soon after you reach a rock face to the left where there is a plaque saying ‘Grande Gorge 1854 to 1954’, with the words ‘Section Genevoise CAS’ scratched out. At first you curl round the mountain and then the path becomes steep and stony with cliffs on each side. In one place there are rough stone steps and a chain to hold on to, and further down an iron railing. The path actually goes down the side of the Grande Gorge and there is a viewpoint from where you get a magnificent view looking back up at the precipitous cliffs with trees on the summit. Another plaque, which says ‘Sentier de la Grande Gorge’, explains that the path has been maintained since 1868 by the Geneva section of the Swiss Alpine Club.

Continue down the steep path, which skirts the Grande Gorge for a short while, and then goes down more steeply, with steps and cables to help you on the more difficult parts. Take care as this can be very slippery after rain or snow. The path goes back down the side of the Grande Gorge and becomes less steep as you get lower. You cross a stony patch in the woods before reaching a junction at the signpost ‘Sous Gde Gorge Sud’ 3 (3hr 35min).

Go left following signs to le Pérouzet/le Coin (straight ahead goes to Bossy). This is a flat path going over a boggy area on wooden slats, following the contour of the hill, and is a welcome relief after the long, steep, stony descent. On the left is the steep rock face of the Salève looking even more dramatic from below. Keep straight for 10mins until you arrive at a jeep track at a post with a yellow arrow. Turn left to meet a wider jeep track coming in from the left and continue to meet the road at the signpost ‘le Pérouzet – alt. 620m’ (3hr 50min).

Turn left, with tennis courts down below, and walk up the road (Route de la Croisette) towards le Coin, passing the Nymphéa Club on the left and then the Campus Adventiste du Salève on the right. Walk between the houses and round the corner to get back to the car park (4hr 15min).

WALK 2

Balcon du Salève

Start/Finish	La Croisette, 1175m
Distance	7km
Total ascent	170m
Grade	Easy
Time	2hr
Maximum altitude	1295m
Map	IGN 3430 OT Mont Salève/St-Julien-en-Genevois/Annemasse 1:25,000
Access	From St-Julien-en-Genevois, take the D1206 to Collonges and follow all signs to le Salève. At le Coin take the D45 towards le Salève/Croisette. This is a steep uphill drive of about 4km with a number of hairpin bends. There is plenty of parking at la Croisette at the top.
Signposting	Good – new signposts, posts with yellow arrows on green and red/white GR signs when on the Balcon du Léman

This is an easy walk for all the family, including young children, and can be done at almost any time of the year. In early spring the top of the mountain is carpeted with small white and purple crocuses, followed later by a blaze of dandelions. The walk gives magnificent views of Geneva and the surrounding countryside on one side, and Mont Blanc and the whole range of the Alps on the other. It was this view that inspired the eminent 18th-century Genevan scientist H B de Saussure (1740–1799), often considered the founder of alpinism, to explore the Alps further and to offer a reward to the first man to climb Mont Blanc.

Facing the line of the Alps, turn left and follow the signs saying ‘Télépherique 6km/Monnetier 11km’. Walk past the Auberge des Montagnards and bear right up a jeep track on the Route des Rochers de Faverge. This becomes a grassy track that runs parallel to the road and regains the road after 10mins at a signpost ‘la Bouillette – alt. 1215m’. The road goes all the way along the top and you meet it again later on.

From here there are spectacular views. To the left is the town of Geneva with the Jura mountain range on the horizon. Behind is the Bellegarde Gap with the Fort de l’Ecluse on one side and the Vuache ridge on the other.

At the junction 1 follow the main road, still the Route des Rochers de Faverge, to the right, signposted ‘la Pile/Télépherique/la Muraz’. The TV aerial of les Crêtes is up on the left. After passing a wooden chalet on the left, look for a jeep track going down right and a signpost ‘Sous les Crêtes – alt. 1220m’, indicating that you are on the Balcon Paysager des Crêtes (20min).

Angus Norton, Mike Woodman and Ben, walking along the Balcon du Salève

The fenced jeep track initially loses height as it traverses round the mountain with the Alps on the right. You come to a large barn and house called la Pile (1230m). Follow the track in front of the farm buildings, which then becomes wide and grassy as it goes through an attractive old gnarled beech wood, passing two stagnant ponds, the second one in front of a newly renovated house called Grange Gaby. In the grounds here is a yurt advertised as ‘Une yourte avec vue’ which can be rented out overnight. It merits its name as the view from here is magnificent.

Turn right just before the gate of Grange Gaby and follow the yellow arrows down and round, skirting the house and pond. At a junction below the house keep left and follow the fence up to join the wide track again at the far end of the property. Turn right on the track and shortly after, at the signpost ‘Grange Gaby – alt. 1210m’, take the left track following the sign ‘Balcon Paysager des Crêtes’. The track goes up gently through woodland and flattens out as it bears left. There are carpets of white crocuses all along here in springtime. At a fork bear right to reach the D41A at an iron gate from where you can see the building of the television tower ahead (1hr).

This is the perfect place for a picnic, and there are several picnic tables. The view of the Alps and Mont Blanc from here must be the finest in the Geneva region, and if you detour up the road to the TV tower, there is a wonderful view over Geneva itself with the lake and the famous Jet d’Eau, and the Jura mountains beyond.

Cross the road to a signpost headed ‘Observatoire’ and go left towards Sur Grande Gorge/Grange Gaby/la Croisette to a gap in the fence 2. Go through onto a grassy path, which goes left and back along the top of the Salève parallel to the D41A road. There are detours to the right that are worth taking to get good views of the dramatic Grande Gorge, which dissects the north face of the mountain, and the lake and town of Geneva on the plain below. You are now on the long-distance Balcon du Léman for a short stretch.

After a few minutes you meet the road again briefly before bearing off to the right at a signpost ‘Sur la Grande Gorge – alt. 1250m’. Follow signs to la Croisette and, still keeping near the road, go round the top of the Grande Gorge and continue straight to reach a stone balustrade and a signpost at Sur le Charrot, with more views over Geneva and the Jet d’Eau (1hr 20min).

Continue in the direction of Alpes des Crêtes/Panorama sur les Alpes/Croisette par les alpages. The grassy track goes across pastures through a fence and up, following a further fence on the left. Continue straight on at the signpost, making for a TV aerial and a windsock on the horizon ahead left. In springtime, watch for the many skylarks hovering in the air, recognisable by their melodious cry, streaked brown plumage, long wings and white-edged tails. Keep straight through the fence at a green gate, past a fenced-off area for paragliders over on the right. As you draw parallel to the windsock, which is up on a hump to the left, the path forks right and descends to the road through a green gate at a hairpin bend. Continue straight down and a few minutes later you regain the D41A at 1. Turn right and retrace your steps to la Croisette (2hr).

Mont Blanc from the top of the Salève

WALK 3