Snowshoeing - Croix de Montlhéry

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Route of snowshoes on the vast Retord Plateau.
The Retord plateau has been gently taken over by cross-country ski trails and snowshoe paths.
As its name suggests, the Retord Plateau is ideal for long walks without much elevation gain.

Details

n°20353
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Snowshoeing
    Activity: Snowshoeing
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.15 mi
  • ◔
    Duration according to the author: 4 hrs 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 663 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 659 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 4,331 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 3,825 ft
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Arrival at the Croix de Montlhéry
Croix de Montlhéry

Description of the walk

Park in the large car park near the Col de Cuvery at 1,178m, on the D101 which provides access to the Plateau de Retord from Bellegarde-sur-Valserine.

(S/E) Head south on the signposted route towards the Ferme du Retord. Follow the Combe Maty and pass under the high-voltage line.

(1) Continue straight on through Combe Martin to reach the Ferme du Retord.

(2) Look out for the Montlhéry metal cross to the north-east.
Head for the cross at an altitude of 1,321 m.

(3) Head north through the woods, leaving the marked trails. Then head east as you approach the high-voltage power line.

(1) Cross the route taken on the way out just before the high-voltage power line and take the track leading to the Pra Devant chalets.

(4) Then head due north, walking alongside the cross-country ski trail, passing under the high-voltage power line.

(5) Near point 1231, at the edge of a clearing, veer right off the cross-country ski trail and head north-east to the hamlet of Le Jay (building).

(6) Just before the buildings, take a path branching off to the left and head west for about 600 m until you reach a track.

(7) Follow it for a few metres and turn due north to reach the road.

(8) Follow it to the left and join the (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 3,835 ft - Car park near the Col de Cuvery
  2. 1 : mi 1.06 - alt. 4,114 ft - Common junction for the circular loops
  3. 2 : mi 1.98 - alt. 4,154 ft - Ferme du Retord
  4. 3 : mi 2.36 - alt. 4,318 ft - Croix de Monthéry
  5. 4 : mi 3.16 - alt. 4,065 ft - Pra Devant Chalet
  6. 5 : mi 3.68 - alt. 4,016 ft - Junction, turn right
  7. 6 : mi 4.11 - alt. 3,891 ft - On the Jay. Fork in the path, turn left
  8. 7 : mi 4.46 - alt. 3,957 ft - Trail junction, on the right
  9. 8 : mi 4.87 - alt. 3,839 ft - Route
  10. S/E : mi 5.15 - alt. 3,835 ft - Car park near the Col de Cuvery

Notes

There is a €2 fee to use the snowshoe routes on the plateau; be sure to get a map of the snowshoe routes as there are no clearly marked landmarks on the plateau – all the fir trees look the same – though there is a high-voltage power line running from the Génissiat dam.
Picnic room at the Ferme du Retord: €1 per person, with a bar and food available.
A compass and altimeter are not a bad idea.

Worth a visit

Cross-country skiing, of course.
The plateau is so vast that it’s easy to put together an off-the-beaten-track route away from the main trails.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 4 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
Bert59
Bert59
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A lovely, easy walk, with just a short climb up to the cross. You can’t see the cross from the bottom of the hill, but you just need to climb up. The section through the woods after the cross is pleasant but off the beaten track. Best done in clear weather or if your GPS is working properly. The same applies to the final section after Le Jay (6). Be sure to read the details for these sections carefully.

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MUMMY
MUMMY

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An enjoyable snowshoe walk on the Retord plateau. It wasn’t difficult; we adapted the route by extending it to Grange Lucien and returning via the GR.
Whether in winter or summer, it’s a beautiful spot. Of course, it’s worth noting that depending on snow conditions, a route can be more or less tiring. On that particular day, we didn’t have to trudge through deep snow, so everything went smoothly.

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henri57
henri57 ★

Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.

We had difficulty finding our way after the cross, due to a lack of markings.

By "Route on map", we are not asking you to assess the signposting, but whether the route as shown on the map matches the actual terrain.

Did the route cause any problems?
Did you follow the route using a GPS device or a GPS app?
Did you find any discrepancies with the route of the walk?

See you soon

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Martpou
Martpou

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 06, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A lovely walk with magnificent views of Mont Blanc. An exceptional panorama.
We had such trouble finding our way after the cross, as there were no tracks to follow.

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Bornard Lionel
Bornard Lionel

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 10, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We went there with my wife and my eleven-year-old son.
A superb walk with a magnificent view of Mont Blanc
It’s easy enough for anyone to do

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