Crêt du Chable via Pierre Vieille from Étrembières

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Passage through the “Pierre Vieille”, which are large erratic granite boulders deposited by glaciers millions of years ago from the Mont Blanc massif. I will then take you to the Crêt du Chable for a view of the Arve Valley and Mont Blanc.
This route is not recommended for those prone to vertigo or in adverse weather conditions.

Details

n°3539684
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 3.32 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,070 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,050 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,454 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,430 ft
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Photos

Pierre Vieille
Rocky ridge
Rocky ridge
Pierre Vieille

Description of the walk

Access is close to the A40 motorway exit. Park in the car park at the Étrembières Chapel (D906A).

(S/E) Cross the main road towards Château d’Étrembières and you’ll reach a second signpost. Turn right towards ‘Les Eaux Belles’. The route begins with a wide, vehicle-accessible track through the forest and you’ll come to a long concrete building on your left (spring water collection point).
Just after passing it, a sign indicates the direction of the Sentier des Voûtes with a warning. This route is not recommended for those prone to vertigo or in bad weather, as the path is steep and not advisable if wet.

(1) At the first junction, continue straight ahead.

(2) At the ‘Sur les Eaux Belles’ junction, turn left towards ‘Sous les Ches’ and ‘Pierre Vieille’.
After about 100 m, you will see a red arrow pointing to the left on a tree (see photo). Follow this direction where the path becomes narrower and steeper, winding around trees in places, and continue to follow the red markings on the trees and rocks.
Further up, you will see the rocky outcrops; continue climbing. The path takes you between two sections of rocky outcrops, which you can pass by using your hands for added safety, though it is not difficult.

(3) You reach Pierre Vieille. Follow the sign towards “Crêt du Chable”, a wide path that slopes gently downwards. You reach “Crêt du Chable” in about 15 minutes.

(4) Enjoy the view over the Arve Valley and Mont Blanc. There are departmental information boards and a bench available for a break. For the return journey, I suggest a much easier path.
Retrace your steps a little way back to the “Crêt du Chable” junction. Turn right towards “Chapelle d’Étrembières”.
After a 300-metre descent, you’ll reach a junction where you turn left, then continue straight on for 800 metres.

(5) At the “La Chaine aux Bois” junction, your direction is not indicated by the sign, but continue straight on along the path you arrived on. Continue downhill for 700 m until you reach a junction.

(6) Ignore the path branching off to the right and turn left onto a less defined track; this path is slightly steeper but offers a view of the village of Étrembières, the chapel and the car park. You will reach your starting point after approximately 500 m (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 1,430 ft - Car park at the Chapelle d’Étrembières. Near the - Arve (rivière) - Affluent de l'Arve
  2. 1 : mi 0.5 - alt. 1,709 ft - Crossroads, straight ahead
  3. 2 : mi 0.74 - alt. 1,978 ft - Junction, turn left
  4. 3 : mi 1.12 - alt. 2,454 ft - Pierre Vieille
  5. 4 : mi 1.69 - alt. 2,369 ft - Crêt du Chable, viewpoint
  6. 5 : mi 2.4 - alt. 2,008 ft - Junction, straight ahead
  7. 6 : mi 2.86 - alt. 1,903 ft - Junction, turn left
  8. S/E : mi 3.32 - alt. 1,430 ft - Car park at the Chapelle d’Étrembières

Notes

No water sources.
Good footwear is required for the steep climb.

Worth a visit

The Château d’Étrembières.
The history of Pierre Vieille: you can find several websites that discuss their history and how they came to be on this mountain range in much greater detail than my description.
Beautiful panoramic views of the Alps and Mont Blanc, as well as the Arve Valley, Étrembières and the surrounding area.

Reviews and comments

3.9 / 5
Based on 10 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.7 / 5
Route interest
3.8 / 5
User 21214450

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 27, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Overall, it wasn’t a particularly difficult hike, apart from the section that takes you off the trails marked on the IGN maps. (The part where you have to follow the arrows/red dots.)
This section is indeed DANGEROUS, with one part where there is no real path left (probably washed away by the weather) and it’s just a slope. My only option was to climb up towards the rocks, clinging to the trees to avoid falling.
So perhaps following the ‘Vieille Pierre’ path adds to the journey time (30–60 mins?) but is much safer.
Otherwise, the Salève is still just as lovely to visit.

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User 24594735

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 06, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A great hike, well signposted.

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User 28130184

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 07, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The first part is uphill with steep sections and a risk of slipping. Not recommended for children, elderly people or beginners. This hike should be classified as difficult. Otherwise, the rest of the walk is pleasant and the descent is easy.

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paita67
paita67
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Just so you know, I’d rate this hike as difficult, due to the steep and somewhat dangerous sections of the climb. I wouldn’t recommend the first part for children.
Otherwise, nothing to report

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walid06270
walid06270

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Overall, a fairly challenging hike, but well worth the effort. When you arrive at the chapel car park, you’ll find a field with cows. Then comes a long, seemingly endless climb. As I hadn’t been hiking for a while, it took me ages to reach the top. I wouldn’t recommend this route for children or the elderly, especially in wet weather, as the path gets muddy and there’s a high risk of slipping. I would have rated this route as difficult rather than moderate. Make sure you bring a bottle of water as there are no water points. Otherwise, the view from the top is simply magnificent and well worth the effort. However, there are some errors on the red route, i.e. the marked trail, so you need to concentrate carefully to find the right path.

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JACKY PELLET
JACKY PELLET
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 10, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
We followed the route as far as Pierre Vieille and took a wrong turn. We took another path that leads back to the starting point via a longer route (see listing No. 7622501).
Great walk!!

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jeanmicheletmartine
jeanmicheletmartine

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 21, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Second attempt, following the directions this time.
The start is more of a gentle stroll, taking you round the spur halfway up the slope along a lovely path (watch out for mountain bikes coming down).
Passing by Pierre Vieille, a spot that’s as lovely as ever, not far at all and seemingly timeless. It’s a shame to see the increasing number of tracks and paths caused by downhill mountain biking.
Descends towards the Geneva plain, a steep, poorly marked path that becomes more rugged. Best done in dry weather! Moderate interest: few views, vegetation, steep slopes and uneven ground.
A pleasant walk nonetheless!

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jeanmicheletmartine
jeanmicheletmartine

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Taken from the opposite direction, looking towards the castle.
From the slope, there isn’t much of a view of the second section (in the description), the descent towards the castle.

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Skipikou
Skipikou

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 11, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The route and description are excellent.

The climb at the start is tough, but the rest of the walk is pleasant.

Lovely views of the mountains.

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Kenimo
Kenimo
• Edited:

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The route description is spot on up to the rocky outcrop. To get to Pierre Vieille, you need to turn right – this isn’t signposted – so I carried on straight ahead and after a while had to turn back. After that, the route to Crêt du Chable was flawless. I stopped for a break on the bench facing the Arve Valley. A very beautiful view. And that’s when things got tricky.
I turned right towards ‘Chapelle d’Étrembières’ and then, at the ‘La Chaine aux Bois’ junction, I kept following the signs, which were rather vague, and I got lost. In the end, what was supposed to be a 2½-hour, 5 km hike turned into a 5½-hour, 11.2 km hike. I did eventually find the viewpoint overlooking the village of Étrembières, but there were poor signposts there too; you have to take the path that branches off to the left to get back down. 
Apart from the viewpoint, the walk wasn’t particularly interesting. You walk in the shade of the trees with no views at all for the entire duration. The advantage is that it can be done in summer, as it’s cool.

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