Circular route on Sapenay Mountain

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This is an unmarked and little-used route that is best taken in the middle of winter if you want to have enough snow, as the altitude remains modest (between 800 and 950 metres). The views of Lake Bourget are magnificent.
In summer, it is possible to follow a marked route called "le tour de la montagne du Sapenay" (the Sapenay mountain tour), which does not, however, take the section directly overlooking the lake.

Details

n°103161
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  • Snowshoeing
    Activity: Snowshoeing
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.55 km
  • ◔
    Duration according to the author: 2 hrs 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 256 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 249 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 954 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 751 m
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Photos

descending from the 955m point
Chapel of Our Lady of La Salette
Lake Bourget from the paragliders' launch site...

Description of the walk

Reach Cessens, then follow the Col du Sapenay road and continue to the end of the snow-cleared road: the car park is 200 metres after the Notre-Dame de la Salette Chapel.

(S/E) From the southern end of the car park (you can see a barrier and the foundations of a hotel destroyed by the Germans during the Second World War), follow the path that leads to the Notre-Dame de la Salette Chapel.

(1) Go up the tarmac road on the right for about 200 m. A small road branches off to the left towards Chez Carabin; take this road. As you approach the house, turn right into the meadows and head north, climbing towards the forest. When you reach the forest, turn left to arrive at the paragliding launch site, which overlooks Lake Bourget.

(2) Head north on a path that first follows the edge of the cliff, then enters the forest. Keep going in the same direction until you reach the Sapenay viewpoint.

(3) Return to the road on the right, which is not cleared of snow at this time of year, cross it and climb perpendicularly towards a hill. Continue to the top of the hill (955 m).

(4) Turn right (south) onto a small plateau. Then descend south towards the road.

(5) Continue straight ahead along the marked path above the road and return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 804 m - Parking
  2. 1 : km 0.23 - alt. 792 m - Our Lady of La Salette
  3. 2 : km 1.36 - alt. 796 m - A place for paragliders to take flight
  4. 3 : km 2.7 - alt. 876 m - Sapenay Belvedere
  5. 4 : km 3 - alt. 951 m - Summit
  6. 5 : km 3.7 - alt. 892 m - Marked path back
  7. S/E : km 4.55 - alt. 811 m - Parking

Worth a visit

Belvédère de la Chambotte and its restaurant are well worth a visit!

At Sapenay, one cannot help but think of the poet Lamartine and his poem, L'isolement, written following the premature death of Julie Charles.

The two major elements of the description in the second stanza, the lake and the river, are very much present in the real landscape: Lake Bourget and the Rhône. This is not just a form of poetic licence!

Often on the mountain, in the shade of the old oak tree,
At sunset, I sit sadly;
I let my gaze wander randomly over the plain,
Whose changing picture unfolds at my feet.

Here the river roars with foaming waves;
It winds and sinks into a dark distance;
There the motionless lake spreads its slumbering waters
Where the evening star rises in the azure sky.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 7 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.1 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.7 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
dd14
dd14

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 01, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route that allows you to see the lake for much of the walk on the way there (and even the Rhone from the Savenay viewpoint) and then allows you to see the beautiful Alps on the way back.
Be careful, as it is not easy to find your way in spring (and in summer, I imagine), because there are no tracks as there are in winter (particularly after Carabin and also after the viewpoint, where you have to cross a road and then climb up a field towards the summit, all without any signposts).
You can also start from the car park in the village of Cessens, where a path will take you to Notre-Dame de la Salette.

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david jean paul
david jean paul

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 20, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Lovely view, beautiful walk, but not always easy to follow the trail.

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Varenne Annie
Varenne Annie

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful route
Superb views of the lake and then the Alps.
Don't do it on a Sunday and make sure you start from the second car park.
The description seems more suited to winter hiking, as there are difficulties with fences...

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Monettechambardin
Monettechambardin

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 03, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful views of Lake Bourget, the Rhône and Chautagne. Lack of signposting!!!! Even if you shouldn't take that into account. At certain junctions, there is a lack of information.

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Sara47
Sara47

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 05, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Today we completed the winter route... in summer.

The GPX track I imported onto my watch is fine. However, written explanations are necessary for the start.
After kilometre 1, when climbing up to the launch area, a compass is needed to go in the right direction, even though we found that we didn't actually need to go exactly north, but more north-west.
We don't suffer from vertigo, but some people might feel dizzy in certain places along the cliff after the take-off area.

We had superb views of the lake and magnificent scenery all along the cliff.

After passing the viewpoint, we crossed the road and came to a large field, which we had to cross perpendicular to the road... The bottom fence was open, so we set off, but halfway across, we came to a second closed fence. Not knowing what was on the other side and unable to see anything, we climbed over it. A herd of cows was resting in the shade at the top.

Is this route only to be taken in winter to avoid this kind of encounter? As it happens in the middle of winter? ...

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DELAPORTE.A
DELAPORTE.A

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 24, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful hike with magnificent views of the lake, as well as Grand Colombier and Semnoz.
I recommend doing it in reverse (i.e. starting at point 5 and ending at point 1).

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didrobin
didrobin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 23, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Wonderful hike!

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