Circuit au-dessus de la station des Aillons-Margeriaz

A pleasant and easy walk, with two-thirds of the route being tarmac. In summer, this can be done in trainers.
Lovely views of the small ski resort, whose slopes face the route described below.
Discover the village of chalets at La Mense.

Details

1299709
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.54 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 249 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 253 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,137 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 936 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the hiking car park at the village exit, on the edge of Route des Ginets.

(S/E) Head back towards the village; at the junction, turn right and reach Route de la Chartreuse, just before the chapel,

(1) Follow this road which branches off to the right, towards La Chartreuse. You will reach the Chartreuse d’Aillon and the Convent.

(2) After the Convent, take the road on the left towards Les Folliets. Reach the water tower on the right, then cross the hamlet.

(3) Turn left, then take two left turns to join a path which, for the first 200 m, climbs steeply through the woodland.
Continue along this wooded, almost flat path, following the signs for “La Mense”. Pass several other paths on your right, including theGR®®96.
After about 1 km, the path begins to descend towards the village of La Mense.

(4) Walk right through this village, which consists mainly of chalets set on steeply sloping land. To do this, follow the road as it winds its way down towards the bottom of the resort. At the bottom, turn left and cross the road to reach the lower chairlift stations.

(5) Turn left and head straight on until you reach the Route des Ginets and the car park where the hikes start on the right (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 993 m - Hiking car park
  2. 1 : km 0.55 - alt. 959 m - Route de la Chartreuse
  3. 2 : km 1.27 - alt. 1,024 m - Turn left towards Les Folliets
  4. 3 : km 2.27 - alt. 1,104 m - Ascent through the forest
  5. 4 : km 3.45 - alt. 1,050 m - Head back down between the chalets of La Mense
  6. 5 : km 5.57 - alt. 942 m - Les Croés ski lift
  7. S/E : km 6.54 - alt. 993 m - Hiking car park

Notes

Les bâtons aident mais ne sont pas indispensables, les chaussures de randonnée non plus.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 4 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
3.3 / 5
Denis26
Denis26 ★

Thanks, xtian74, for that information; I’ve just moved the starting point to the “hiking car park”.

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xtian74
xtian74

Overall rating : 3.5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 21, 2026
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : Yes

Apart from the climb up to the Folliets farms, this walk is of little interest, as the descent takes you through a housing estate comprising several dozen chalets built in the 1970s and 1980s.
There is no longer any parking in the motorhome area. Motorhome owners are asked to go to the campsite, and car drivers will find a signposted car park near the old ski lifts (a 10-minute walk).

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dede53
dede53

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

a pleasant and varied hike to discover the valley. Chartreuse sculptures and a cheese farm nearby + panoramic views.

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RobenFrance
RobenFrance

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Apart from a stretch at the top of the route along the edge of the forest, this is a walk along tarmac paths. It’s a pleasant walk with lovely views over the valley. You pass a convent on the way up and head down through a residential area. Even if you stop fairly often, the walk takes less than two hours. Perfect if you’re short on time.

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colignon
colignon

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 20, 2018
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Good, with a map showing the route, which is very helpful

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