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Departure from 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. Head 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 right-hand bend 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 branching off to the right and left leading 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. A hundred metres or so after the start of a path on the right, you will find
(3) Continue along the track for a round trip to the Chalet du Curé. Located on a promontory, it is easily recognisable by its distinctive architecture (private property).
(4) From the Chalet du Curé, return to the start of the trail.
(3) Follow the path that climbs up through the mountain pastures. It turns right and follows the top of the ridge.
(5) At the Croix des Frêtes, continue climbing for a few metres then follow the ridge until you reach 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 balcony trail and reach a small pass.
(6) Leave the main path and turn right towards the sharp limestone pavement. Cross over and descend on the other side.
Be careful, you will need to use your hands to help you down a step of about 2 metres.
If this seems too difficult, you can bypass the sharp limestone pavement on the left by continuing along the main path and then turning right below.
Then continue along the edge of the ridge on a small path until you reach the end. Just before you get there, turn left into a small valley and go around the rocky hillock, 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 valley.
(8) Continue straight ahead downhill and reach the (barely visible) catchment 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 head towards the Col des Aravis (S/E).
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