Château d'Oche from La Fétiuère

Much less frequented than its famous neighbour, the Dent d'Oche, and 24 metres lower, the Roc du Château d'Oche offers no less of a majestic panorama, both of Lake Geneva and the Northern Alps. Up to the Chalets d'Oche, the route is the same as that for the Dent d'Oche, and from these chalets, the climb takes place in a wilder setting.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.27 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 970 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 966 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,172 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,213 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Start at La Fétiuère. Parking on the side of the road leading to Pré-Richard from Bernex via Trossy.

Directional signs at major intersections
There are also a few isolated yellow markers between points (S/E) and (2), and some rare, old red and white markers between points (2) and (4).

(S/E) Start at the foot of the bar-restaurant, following the signs for "Chalet et Dent d'Oche rive gauche". Take a stony path that climbs steeply, winding through the forest. Cross the Ugine on a wooden bridge and climb up opposite.

(1) At the T-junction that appears shortly afterwards, turn right. At the next intersection, take the path on the left. Climb up this very steep, winding path and pass a sign indicating the Chalets d'Oche 500 m ahead (in horizontal distance; the actual distance is closer to 1 km). You will come out in a small valley. Climb up this valley, heading east. This will take you to the Chalets d'Oche.

(2) Continue east towards the Col de Planchamp and Lac de la Case (leave the route for the Dent Dent d'Oche heading north). At the next sign, turn right towards Lac de la Case. Make a large right-left turn, pass a small sinkhole and you will reach Lac de la Case.

(3) Go around the lake, which is covered with vegetation, on the left. At the signpost, turn left towards Roc Château d'Oche and Col de Planchamp.

(4) A few metres after the signpost, turn right uphill (ignore the path to Col de Planchamp which descends opposite). Then climb steeply up a grassy ridge with steep drops on the left and right (take care).

Continue east on a narrow path above rocky outcrops on your right: the path is not vertiginous in itself, but do not stray from it under any circumstances; extreme caution is advised. Reach a small pass at the foot of a hillock on the right overlooking the Col des Portes d'Oche.

(5) Climb north on a path that winds through a vast pasture. Keep to the right to approach the summit ridge. Turn left to follow the ridge while staying below it. Pass in front of a small natural stone arch and climb up a short rocky corridor. At the exit, turn right and follow a few short switchbacks to reach the summit, where there are two small crosses, one wooden and one metal.

(6) The descent is via the same route. From the summit, aim for the small pass by locating a rectangle of stones on the hillock (the last trace of a ruined shelter).

(5) Take the path on the right (small cairn) that runs along the top of the rocky outcrops. At the bottom of the grassy ridge, ignore a path that branches off to the left and join the path to the Col des Portes d'Oche.

(4) At the fork, turn left towards Lac de la Case (do not follow the best-marked path that branches off to the right towards Col de Planchamp).

(3) Continue west and make a large loop to return to the Chalets d'Oche.

(2) Descend the valley towards the west. Ignore a fork to the left and pass the sign for Chalets d'Oche again at 500m, then descend very steeply.

(1) Turn left to reach the wooden bridge below (do not continue straight ahead despite the yellow sign indicating to do so).

(1) Continue along the steep stony path and return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,213 m - La Fétiuère
  2. 1 : km 0.62 - alt. 1,373 m - T-junction
  3. 2 : km 1.71 - alt. 1,639 m - Chalets d'Oche
  4. 3 : km 2.58 - alt. 1,753 m - Lac de la Case
  5. 4 : km 2.88 - alt. 1,777 m - Fork
  6. 5 : km 3.63 - alt. 2,017 m - Small pass with no name
  7. 6 : km 4.14 - alt. 2,155 m - Château d'Oche
  8. S/E : km 8.27 - alt. 1,213 m - La Fétiuère

Notes

Hiking boots are essential.

Water source and farmhouse cheese sold at the Chalets d'Oche (2). Bar-restaurant at La Fétiuère (S/E).

Between points (4) and (5), the trail overlooks sheer drops and rocky outcrops. Although not vertiginous in itself, this section requires extreme caution. It is strongly advised not to stray from the trail on the right when ascending and, therefore, on the left when descending.

In summer, the mountain pastures around the chalets of Oche and Lac de la Case, as well as those below the summit, are grazed by herds of cattle: dogs must be kept on a leash.

A 1:25,000 map is required (at least the one accompanying this description).

Hike completed by the author on 26 July 2015.

Worth a visit

Superb panorama from the summit: Lake Geneva and Dent D'Oche, the Vaud Alps (Tours d'AÏ and Mayen, Diablerets), the Valais Alps (Taney massif, Grand Combin, Dents du Midi), the peaks of the Abondance Valley (Cornettes de Bises, Mont de Grange, Mont Chauffé) and the Mont Blanc massif.

Reviews and comments

4.9 / 5
Based on 11 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
Philthonon
Philthonon

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

For the return trip, I finally followed the signs to the Fétiuère car park, which takes you down through the Darbon valley and past the Portes d'Oche. This makes for a nice loop, and the descent is perhaps less dizzying than going back and forth on the same path.

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marieflobeaufort
marieflobeaufort

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, well marked and with a pleasant route. The trail is less crowded than the Dent d'Oche, allowing you to enjoy the peace and quiet of the mountains.
The view is superb!

Highlight: we were lucky enough to come across a young ibex at point 6, which wasn't shy at all — a wonderful encounter!

On the way down, we opted for a variation at point 6, turning left to go through the Portes d'Oche. This adds a little variety to the return journey, while rejoining the main route at point 5.

I highly recommend it!

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Poupagef
Poupagef

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 31, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice hike! We did two variations so that it wasn't just a simple round trip:
- At the start of the outward journey, we climbed up the GR (path on the left then trail on the right) to join the route well before the Oche chalets
- On the way down from Chateau d'Oche, we reached the gates of Oche via a narrow, very steep but well-marked passage towards Lac de Darbon, to rejoin the route at Lac de la Case

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PLeconte
PLeconte

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike, a few tricky sections but nothing too difficult.

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Djulzzz
Djulzzz

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, less crowded and often overlooked in favour of its neighbour, La Dent.
Superb panorama on arrival, with Mont Blanc, Lake Geneva and a few 4,000-metre peaks if the weather is clear.
The hike is well marked, so it's easy to find your way. There's no warm-up, as the trail climbs straight into the forest after the restaurant.
Be careful where you put your feet around point 5. It's not particularly difficult, but the path is narrow and the rock can be slippery in places.
The final climb is easy, with a (very) small rocky passage requiring the use of your hands, but nothing too difficult.
There are ibexes on the final climb to the Château d'Oche, but they are not shy.
Thank you, Visorando, for this beautiful hike.

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prochette
prochette

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike, a little challenging towards the end, and very windy that day, so we couldn't stay at the summit for a break! The route was easy to follow with the description and very well marked towards the end. The summit was narrow, but luckily I was alone, except for the ibexes.
Thanks VisoRando and JJ

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Sarudalf
Sarudalf

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

When I arrive at the chalets in Oche and see that there are too many people climbing up to the Dent d'Oche, I turn off towards the castle. It's quieter there, with ibex and sometimes vultures. The path is easier than the one nearby and the altitude is the same.

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MarcheauSoleil
MarcheauSoleil

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The route was obvious and well marked, so I didn't pay too much attention to the itinerary I had printed out.
Perfect weather. On the descent, the key point is the cairn described in point 6, near the altitude of 2024 m. I didn't notice the rectangle of stones described in point 7. Shortly after turning right, there is a pretty, distinctive rocky corridor. The end of the descent (grassy ridge) requires caution as it is steep and exposed. In dry weather, it's fine. If the ground is wet, it's best to have good footwear and sure footing.
On 6 June 2023, there were two snowfields (off the route).

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cathycoco
cathycoco

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

beautiful hike with few people on Ascension Day, some snow still present

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Hersoso
Hersoso
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

An outing that has something for everyone. But for this view towards the Porte d'Oche, a little more effort could be made!

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degavroche
degavroche

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 08, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A pleasant hike with magnificent views (in good weather). Views of Lake Darbon, the Dent d'Oche, Lake Geneva, the Cornettes de Bise, Mont de Grange and Le Grammont. But also the Grand Combin, the Mont Blanc range, the Dents du Midi, the Dent de Morcles, etc.
A few sheep on the flat section before the last slope. They can't help leaving a few smelly and slippery droppings behind. The only downside to the hike.

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