Chalet d'Arvière - Pont de La Loi

(S) From the Arvière chalet, take the GR® to the right. A few hundred metres further on, cross the River Arvière and head to the opposite bank, then continue to the junction of two dirt tracks.

(1) Take the path up to the left and follow the track as it climbs gradually, passing to the left of the Sapin Daubrée, until it ends.

(2) Continue the ascent through the forest, heading towards the Col de la Charbemènes, with several logging tracks crossing just before the pass. Follow the red and white markings carefully as they climb to the left. Reach the bottom of the field where there is a water supply.

(3) Take the GR® on the right, and continue straight on at the crossroads a few metres further on. The path runs along the ridge, between the edge of the forest and a clearing, to reach the first peak of the Grand Colombier. Continue, keeping the cross in your sights.

(4) At the cross, the view is exceptional: Lake Bourget, Lake Annecy, Mont Blanc, the Alps, Valromey and the surrounding area. The path then descends on the other side, crosses the Col du Colombier road and climbs back up towards the highest point (1,534 m). It then runs along the ridge, passing by the Pierre Fillola and the Pierre Amion, and follows the pass road to the next three-way junction. Turn right onto the road. Follow the road to the left for 500 metres, then rejoin a path at the hairpin bend.

(5) Take this path on the right, which passes between two water reservoirs, heading downhill, and which soon joins the junction of the GRP® Balcon du Valromey and the Grande Traversée du Jura.

(6) Keep left on the GR®, heading towards Les Granges Neuves. The path descends, enters the woods and will not emerge until the finish. At La Côte aux Andrés, the slope steepens and briefly joins a forest track. Continue along the track.

(7) After entering a short clearing, take the second right and continue the descent, passing several houses. The route joins the D120b road and the Point de Vue du Fenestrez viewpoint.

(8) Continue on the GR®, on the left, which continues downhill with several hairpin bends, following one after another over a descent of more than 300 metres, before reaching the hamlet of Romagneux.

(9) Keep left on the GR® and continue the descent with around fifteen more bends. You’ll briefly join the pass road, which you should follow to the right, before heading down to the right towards the heights of Culoz. Then continue straight ahead.

(10) At the top of the housing estate, take the path that runs alongside the River Jourdan and join Rue Arsène Dumont. Turn left onto Rue de Chantemerle, then left again onto Rue Montveran. Then turn right onto Rue Henry Dunant.

(11) Head downhill to the right along Rue de l’Église, then continue straight on along Rue des Frères Serpollet to reach the main road in the centre of Culoz.

(12) Continue left onto Avenue Jean Falconnier. Pass the Ciat factory and the secondary school, and continue to the edge of town. Reach the roundabout and take the first exit on the right. At the next roundabout, continue straight ahead and cross the Pont de la Loi over the Rhône (E)

Before you set off:
- Check the weather forecast to ensure there is no rain.
- Find out about the approach walk, the altitude of the route, walking time and possible escape routes (IGN map, GPS, guidebook, etc.).
- Assess potential risks by consulting mountain professionals, mountain huts and lodges.
- Inform a friend or family member of your plans and contact them again if there are any changes: departure and return times, number of participants with each person’s phone number, vehicle(s), car park.
- Avoid setting off alone; use equipment suitable for the activity, properly adjusted and in good condition, including a head torch, a fully stocked first-aid kit, a survival blanket, etc.
- In the event of an emergency, call 112 (the European emergency number).

Additional advice and recommendations:
To find out more about our destination, visit our website: Pays de Gex Tourisme.

Be well equipped:
Good equipment is the key to a successful multi-day hike. Pack a suitable rucksack (around 10 kilos) and don’t forget the essentials:
- Technical clothing for cold and wet weather
- Sleeping bag or sleeping mat
- Sunglasses
- Food and water
- Head torch
- Walking poles
- Fully stocked first-aid kit

Water is essential. Find out about water supply points along your route and take water purification tablets with you in case you don’t have access to drinking water.

Useful websites: Les Grandes Traversées du Jura, Bugey Sud Tourist Office

Arvière Forest and Site in the heart of the Arvière Forest, an exceptionally peaceful spot where the Carthusians founded a monastery in the^12th century. Ruins of the Carthusian monastery and mountain refuge.

The summit of the Grand Colombier: 360° views of the Alps, Mont Blanc, the lakes of Bourget, Annecy and Léman, the Rhône, Lyon and as far as the Vercors on a clear day.

Cycling ascent of the Grand Colombier: legendary pass crossed several times in the Tour de France, classified as hors catégorie. Four different slopes. On summer Saturdays, the road from Culoz is reserved for cyclists.

Col de la Biche (1,310 m): a pass accessible from Arvière-en-Valromey, the starting point for reaching the Grand Colombier cross via the ridges. A circular loop of ~7 km from the car park.

The road from Culoz to the Grand Colombier: a spectacular drive up the mountain: hairpin bends above the Bugey vineyards, sweeping views over the Rhône valley at every bend.

Marais de Lavours Nature Reserve: one of the last great marshes in Western Europe (474 ha), formed 12,000 years ago. A 1.2 km boardwalk with information panels and observation points.

Montvéran Castle: a^14th-century fortress on the lower slopes of the Grand Colombier, in Culoz. The composer Sergei Prokofiev stayed there between 1928 and 1929.