Col de la Balme walks

Reach the Graydon mountain pasture and its chapel by first taking the Roc d'Enfer cable car. You will then find yourself in a peaceful environment, surrounded by gentians and grazing cows, with Mont Blanc as a backdrop... The Graydon mountain pasture stretches out at the foot of the majestic Roc d'Enfer, where cows and goats graze peacefully on the lush grass around the small chapel surrounded by a magnificent valley.

This route allows you to explore the entire Mont-Chéry area. This hike is signposted "Le Grand Tour du Mont Chéry" (Pink hike). I suggest a variation by climbing Mont-Chéry and passing through the Col de Lachat. Much of this hike offers magnificent views of the Mont Blanc range and the Pre-Alps.

A linear hike from a lake accessible by car to a mountain lake in a wild setting, then back down into the valley. A very beautiful traverse at the foot of the impressive north faces of Pointe de la Chavache and Pointe d'Entre Deux Pertuis.

A circular loop around the resort of Les Gets with an ascent to the Pointe d’Angolon, where the panorama is superb, offering views of: the Fiz and Aravis ranges, the Mont Blanc massif in the background and the Dents du Midi. You can also see Morzine clearly and a stretch of Lake Geneva. The climb to Pointe d’Angolon is a good introduction to ridge trails as it is slightly exposed, with cables at one point. However, the route is never difficult.

After a climb through the forest to wake up our muscles, we leave the mountain pastures of the Bas-Chablais Pre-Alps behind us. The route runs alongside several lakes and offers panoramic views stretching from the Jura mountains to the Mont Blanc massif before plunging down below the Cornettes de Bise.

This third stage of the GTA takes you from the Chablais massif to the Giffre massif. It is very long but offers superb views of Les Dents Blanches and Les Dents du Midi in Switzerland. From the Trébentaz Refuge, the GR®5 detour crosses the Mattes ridge and rejoins the main GR®5 route. It descends towards the Pron mountain pasture, then skirts the Coincon ridge towards Lenlevay, descending into a wetland area and climbing back up to the Col de Bassachaux. It runs along the southern flank of the Crête des Rochassons and passes the Col de Chésery (1992 m) to enter Switzerland. It passes the Refuge de Chéseay, Lac Vert and climbs to Portes de l'Hiver, then descends to Chaux-Palin and continues along the hillside to La Pierre. After a short climb to the Col de Coux, it crosses back into France to cross the Torrent de Chardonnière and join the Col de Golèse and its refuge.

If you want to discover the mountains in all their forms, both mineral and human, take this challenging route. You are in a protected area! See the regulations in the practical information section.

A linear hike, which requires careful planning, connecting two landing stages on Lake Geneva at a higher altitude. An often shaded route that nevertheless offers beautiful views of the lake. Oratories, chapels and churches are also along the way.

This fourth stage crosses the Giffre massif to reach the Anterne Refuge, situated in a magnificent setting at the foot of the impressive Fiz cliff face. From the Refuge de la Golèse, the GR®5 descends into the Clévieux valley (south-east), passing the Chavonnes chalets and then the hamlet of Les Allamands, where it joins the road. It runs alongside the road and follows it as far as Les Moulins, where it follows the left bank of the Clévieux and crosses through Samoëns. On leaving the town, it follows the Giffre upstream, first on the right bank then the left, before leaving the river to follow its tributary, the Giffre des Fonds. The GR®5 crosses it at the Pont des Nants and again at the Pont de Sales, before climbing up to the hamlets of Fardelay and Lignon and entering the Torrent de Sales valley. At the Pleureuse waterfall, it leaves this valley to head north-east, pass the small pass of Anterne and descend to the Anterne stream before climbing up to the Anterne Refuge.