Aussois walks

A pleasant route using the stream and Diable footbridges to access Fort Victor-Emmanuel, Fort Charles-Felix and Fort Marie-Christine. On the way back, visit the pretty Saint-Benoit waterfall.

From the new car park at the Aussois dams, there is a fairly easy route around Lake Plan-d'Amont, which allows you to discover the four refuges in the southern part of the Vanoise National Park. You enter the heart of the park. In summer, there are many marmots and they are not shy. The landscapes are magnificent and varied, from the rhododendron bushes on the lake shore to the Labby glacier and the mineral deserts of La Fournache.

High-altitude hike beneath the imposing Dent Parrachée. The climb to 3,100 m is very pleasant, and there are several flat sections where you can rest. Things get tougher beyond that, after crossing the remains of the Labby Glacier, due to loose and unstable schist. Access to Pointe de la Gorma (3,396 m) is via an easy ridge.

Circuit above Aussois between pine trees and snowfields.

Belle randonnée avec, au sommet de la Pointe de l'Observatoire, une vue à 360° sur la Xanoise (Pralognan, petit Mont Blanc, Peclet Polset) et plus loin le Mont Blanc lui même.

A beautiful route, sometimes off the beaten track or on poorly marked paths. From the top of the passes, you can see both the peaks of the Vanoise (the Dent Parachée) and the Barre des Ecrins.This hike follows on from the "Le refuge de Bramanette" route.

This short hike is the starting point for a magnificent three-day trek between Haute Maurienne and Val de Suze (Italy), with beautiful lakes and numerous small glaciers.But the setting and the welcome at the Refuge de Bramanette are such that they alone justify spending the night there and descending back down to the valley the next day!

A good hike with an uphill route along the Povaret torrent, away from the usual trails. The uphill trail is well marked but there are hardly any signposts.

A short loop with good slopes, both uphill and downhill.

A lovely, easy walk in the peaceful forest, starting at the top of the gondola lift and returning by chairlift.

A lovely, isolated hike, far from the overcrowded trails. Requires a little attention to orientation and the location of the path.

This is an easy, downhill hike from Valfréjus to Modane. The route follows the GR®5. It is a gentle slope, passing near the pretty Notre-Dame du Charmaix chapel, and there are many oratories in different styles along the way. Take the shuttle bus between Modane station and Valfréjus, but be sure to check the timetable.

A challenging hike starting from Valfréjus resort, the first stage to reach Lac des Méandes (below Col des Méandes). The view is incredible all along the route.Be careful, there is very little shade and at an altitude of 2,700 metres, it is always a little chilly.

Circular route starting from Valfrejus Station, to Lavoir, then Fort du Collet, La Turra and Bon Pré, before descending back to the station. This route offers sublime, uninterrupted views of Thabor and the refuge, as well as the Modane valley and Valfréjus Station.

This is a lovely, easy hike in the Vanoise. It is also a lake circuit dominated by the Vanoise glaciers between the Dent Parrachée and the Grande Casse. From Lac Blanc to the Plan du Lac refuge, the route is neither mapped nor marked.

The Lacs Sainte-Marguerite are two pretty lakes a stone's throw from the Mont Thabor refuge. The Lac Rond and Lac Long are set in a very mineral environment at the foot of the Cheval Blanc.

A superb hike on the border between Savoie and the Hautes Alpes, almost in Italy. Tormented landscapes, high mountains, a chapel at over 3,150 metres, lakes, snowfields, and a bit of contemporary history, as a large part of the route has only been French territory since 1947.

A wild hike is possible in Vanoise: the first part, which leads to the lakes and the Pointe de Lanserlia, is well marked, even if it is not signposted. The rest of the route to the Plateau du Turc is away from the main paths that criss-cross the massif and includes a tricky section between (8) and (9), which is why it is classified as difficult.