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Start at the Col des Aravis. Parking is available opposite the chapel behind a souvenir shop.
(S/E) Take the mountain track that starts at the south-east corner of the car park. Continue to a small car park at the edge of the track before entering the woods.
(1) Continue along the mountain track until you reach a wide bend to the right on a shoulder. Leave the track and climb a few metres above it to reach an orientation table.
(2) Return to the track and follow it, ignoring the paths leading off to the right and left to the mountain chalets. Pass a chalet-inn at a place called Plan Rebord, then the bottom of the Ruisseau du Foiroux valley and two tight hairpin bends. Look for a path leading off to the right about 100 metres further on.
(3) Continue along the track for a round trip to the Chalet du Curé. Standing on a promontory, it is easily recognisable by its distinctive architecture (private property).
(4) From the Chalet du Curé, return to the trailhead.
(3) Follow the trail that climbs up through the mountain pastures. It turns right and follows the summit ridge.
(5) At the Croix des Frêtes, continue climbing for a few metres then follow the ridge until you arrive below the cliffs. The trail branches off to the right and continues almost horizontally. When you reach a ravine, descend about 50 metres to cross it, then climb back up to rejoin the trail on the ledge and reach a small pass.
(6) Leave the main trail and turn right towards the sharp limestone pavement. Cross and descend on the other side.
Be careful, you will need to use your hands to help you down a step about 2 metres high.
If this seems too difficult, you can bypass the sharp limestone pavement by continuing along the main path and then turning right below.
Continue along the edge of the ridge on a small path until you reach the end. Just before this, turn left into a small valley and go around the rocky outcrop by curving to the right. Continue downhill along the edge of the ridge until you reach the Croix de Fer.
(7) From the cross, take a faint grassy path that follows the base of the promontory you descended earlier and leads to an alpine chalet in the direction of the valley.
(8) Continue opposite the descent and reach the (barely visible) catchment point of the Source des Aravis.
(9) Ford the stream (dry at the end of August 2019) and follow the path down the left bank.
(1) Take the track on the left and continue to the Col des Aravis (S/E).
Visorando member
Difficult 
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Very difficult 
