Circular Crêt du Merle starting from Boirond

A walk through the heart of the meadows, between parks and paths, with views of the Parmelan.
Very little walking on roads.
Keep your dog on a lead as there are cows and horses along the route.
Enjoy a lovely family walk, but watch out for muddy paths in wet weather.

Details

27223971
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.11 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 81 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 82 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 929 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 847 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Évires (74570)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 46.0533° / E 6.226314°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3430OT
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Description of the walk

Start at a place called Boirond. On the Route de la Chapelle-Rambaud, you can park at the side of the road, but please take care not to block access to the bins.

(S/E) Walk due north for about 300 m, then turn left onto Chemin des Bossenets. Pass by a house and continue along a tiny path hidden in the undergrowth. Continue to the rural path known as Chemin de l’Esparsal, then turn right towards a Y-junction.

(1) Turn left for about a hundred metres, then turn left again. Continue along the Chemin rural de Mollety to Chez le Béni, then turn right to join the Chemin rural du Bois Noir at Chez Mollety. This is a wider path, more like a forest track. Here, turn right.

(2) Walk along this path until you reach the Route du Béné and turn left. Walk along the road (be careful of cars, so keep to the left) until you reach the Chemin du Bois d’Amont. Opposite this path, there is a small track running alongside a house.

(3) Take this path to the left and, after the house, turn left to rejoin the road (otherwise you’ll end up at a resident’s house).

(4) Once you’re back on the road from Robbé’s house, stay on the road until you reach the first farm (watch out for dogs and farm animals roaming freely).

(5) Turn left and continue across the fields again on a forest-style track. Keep going straight on, go round the Cry, pass under a power line and you’ll come out onto a country lane.

(6) Turn left onto the Chemin Rural du Bois Noir at Mollety’s and follow it to the fork from the outward journey.

(2) Turn right and, following the route in reverse, rejoin the Route de la Chapelle-Rambaud, the finish point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 848 m - Boirond - Route de la Chapelle-Rambaud
  2. 1 : km 0.5 - alt. 870 m - Y-junction
  3. 2 : km 1.34 - alt. 909 m - Crossroads of the circular loop
  4. 3 : km 2.57 - alt. 919 m - Junction on the path
  5. 4 : km 2.7 - alt. 921 m - Route de chez Robbé. Near the - Foron (rivière) - Affluent de l'Arve
  6. 5 : km 2.98 - alt. 923 m - Farm
  7. 6 : km 3.55 - alt. 911 m - Chemin rural du Bois Noir
  8. S/E : km 5.11 - alt. 847 m - Boirond - Route de la Chapelle-Rambaud

Reviews and comments

4.1 / 5
Based on 6 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.2 / 5
Route interest
3.7 / 5
ed74kz
ed74kz

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A short walk to get some fresh air, but nothing special.
Meadows, woods and farms await you
Well-marked route 😁

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NanoudeBalma
NanoudeBalma

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

I went on this walk (rather than a hike) in winter. There was a thin layer of snow covering the trees and bushes. It was beautiful. There was a short stretch along the road, but it wasn’t very long. At times, large dogs barked, but they were kept indoors and posed no danger to passers-by. Halfway through, some small, yappy dogs also barked at us and tried to bite our calves. Not very nice! Apart from that, it was a lovely outing... The route was easy to follow thanks to the GPS and its red line. The names of the localities and paths aren’t particularly useful as there aren’t many signposts, but it’s good to be informed and it helps to follow the route. I recommend this route for families with children.

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Lydiebi
Lydiebi

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A very pleasant and family-friendly walk (no pushchairs) – it’s really just a stroll, not a hike!
A short stretch along a quiet road
The route is very well signposted

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MRGPDS180
MRGPDS180

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

It’s been very wet this December, and after a night of rain, the mountain is dripping from every direction: you’re guaranteed to get wet feet if you’re not properly shod!

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Bossus
Bossus

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

It was hard to find the car park, and we made a few mistakes along the way. At one point, we should have turned right instead of left, and ended up on someone’s private property.

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jocelyne DESGRIPPES
jocelyne DESGRIPPES
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 13, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We enjoyed this challenging hike, but the views of the mountains and the Parmelan are stunning

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