From Bourdeau to Hautecombe overlooking Lake Bourget

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Here is a good route connecting Bourdeau to Hautecombe Abbey.
The outward journey takes you above the wild shores of Lake Bourget with numerous viewpoints, all on a somewhat rugged route.
After climbing a little higher, the return route takes you in the shadow of Mont de la Charvaz before coming back via the Col du Chat.

Details

n°2745627
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 21.58 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 9h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,159 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,158 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 779 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 232 m
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Photos

Panorama Belvédère d'Onex
Lac du Bourget seen from above
Hautecombe Abbey
Stones

Description of the walk

The departure point is Bourdeau, on Place Lamartine, in front of the town hall (parking available).

(S/E) Turn left onto Route du Port. After passing the Château de Bourdeau, you will come to a fork in the road at a sharp bend (ignoring the path marked on the right leading to the port just before this point).

(1) Continue straight ahead on a path that climbs steeply via a few steps towards Hautecombe Abbey (estimated time: 3 hours 25 minutes).
Continue along the path for a while, alternating between ascents and descents on a fairly easy route. At several points, you can enjoy views of the lake as you cross scree slopes.
Shortly after reaching the start of a path on the right leading down to the lake, you will come to a fork marked by a cairn (no signpost).

(2) Continue straight ahead (the path on the left leads to Chapelle-du-Mont-du-Chat). The path continues to alternate between ascents and descents on a generally rugged route. Some tricky sections require caution (including a few equipped with cables), especially if the ground is slippery. Along the way, you can enjoy views of the lake at times.
After a good walk, you will come to a fork on the left (marked Sous le Besson).

(3) Continue straight ahead towards Hautecombe Abbey. The trail then continues on a less rugged route overall. After skirting the abbey grounds, the trail reaches a fork.

(4) Continue to the right downhill. Shortly afterwards, you will reach a road; turn right to reach the abbey (you can visit the abbey church).

(5) Continue to the harbour, following the road and passing Grange Bâtelière (nice view).
Return by following exactly the same route as on the way there (road then path on the left towards La Bouli) until you reach the fork.

(4) Continue straight ahead on the path uphill to reach the "Sous Communal" fork.

(6) Continue to the right (towards Ontex and La Bouli). At the road (D914), continue to the right for about 200 metres until you reach the Belvédère d'Ontex / Grumeau (lovely viewpoint).

(7) Go back a little and quickly take the road on the right leading to Ontex. Less than 200m further on, continue straight ahead at a bend (Chemin de Cotibeau). Continue to the end of the road, then take a path on the right to join the forest track at a place called La Bouli.

(8) Continue left (towards Plateforme and La Chapelle-du-Mont-du-Chat) and join the "Les Ordieres" fork.

(9) Continue left (still towards Plateforme and La Chapelle-du-Mont-du-Chat) and, after a descent, you will reach Plateforme.

(10) Continue straight ahead along the forest track towards Chapelle-du-Mont-du-Chat. A little further up, turn left as indicated by the signposts and you will reach the place called "Vers Charnaz".

(11) Continue straight ahead (towards Chapelle-du-Mont-du-Chat).

(12) At "Forêt Charvaz", continue straight ahead (towards Chapelle-du-Mont-du-Chat). After a short climb and two bends, you will arrive at an iron mine (indicated by a sign). You can take a short detour (access about 100 metres away). Otherwise, continue straight ahead.

(14) At "Sous Bois" overlooking La Chapelle-du-Mont-du-Chat, continue straight ahead towards Col du Chat.

(15) At Les Marais, continue straight on towards Col du Chat. Along the way, you can take a short detour to the Biche viewpoint.

(16) At Col du Chat, turn left: after crossing the car park, join the road (D914A). Continue carefully along this road for just under 400 metres (towards Bourdeau).

(17) At the hamlet of Col du Chat, take a path on the right (towards Bourdeau) just after the small roundabout. At the nearby bend in the road (D914), take another path opposite. You will come back to the road further down; continue along it for about 250m.

(18) At the hairpin bend (nice view), take the path marked by steps at the beginning (towards Bourdeau). Be careful on the descent as the slope is a little steep. Cross the road to continue on another section of the path.

(19) At the edge of the Chat tunnel, continue along the path towards Bourdeau. When you reach thefirst houses in Bourdeau, turn left onto Route des Bégets. Less than 100 metres further on, take a small path on the right (no sign). Join a street and continue straight ahead to return to the starting point, which is nearby (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 298 m - Bourdeau - Place Lamartine
  2. 1 : km 0.41 - alt. 269 m - Port of Bourdeau - Lamartine Cave - Lac du Bourget
  3. 2 : km 2.53 - alt. 394 m - Fork towards the Mont du Chat Chapel.
  4. 3 : km 5.84 - alt. 407 m - Under Les Bessons
  5. 4 : km 8.39 - alt. 320 m - Fork - Grumeau trail to Hautecombe
  6. 5 : km 9.23 - alt. 252 m - Abbaye de Hautecombe
  7. 6 : km 11.42 - alt. 539 m - Sous Communal
  8. 7 : km 11.8 - alt. 602 m - Ontex / Grumeau viewpoint
  9. 8 : km 12.58 - alt. 726 m - La Bouli
  10. 9 : km 13.16 - alt. 772 m - Les Ordieres
  11. 10 : km 14.35 - alt. 666 m - Platform
  12. 11 : km 15.38 - alt. 686 m - Towards Charvaz
  13. 12 : km 16.36 - alt. 606 m - Charvaz Forest
  14. 13 : km 17.08 - alt. 717 m - Mine
  15. 14 : km 17.8 - alt. 654 m - Woodland
  16. 15 : km 19.09 - alt. 692 m - Les Marais
  17. 16 : km 19.6 - alt. 635 m - Col du Chat
  18. 17 : km 20.08 - alt. 594 m - Col du Chat hamlet
  19. 18 : km 20.71 - alt. 466 m - Hairpin bend on the road, panoramic view
  20. 19 : km 20.9 - alt. 386 m - Chat Tunnel
  21. S/E : km 21.58 - alt. 298 m - Bourdeau - Place Lamartine

Notes

Good hiking boots are recommended.
Walking poles are also recommended if the ground is slippery.

Nature says no to your rubbish. Take it with you!

The route is generally in good condition:
From (S/E) to (1): No markings.

From (1) to (4): Yellow markings are moderately visible (and there are a few signs), but orientation is not a problem. Be careful on a few rough sections that require attention.
The route between Bourdeau and Hautecombe Abbey is far from linear: there is a climb of over 400 metres, only to end up at a lower altitude.

From (4) to (5): yellow markings and signposts.

From (5) to (16): some yellow markings and numerous signposts (follow the "Savoie Rando à pied" route in particular). The route is generally in fairly good condition.

From (16) to (17): no markings. The route follows a road: watch out for vehicles.

From (17) to (S/E): yellow markings and signposts until the entrance to the village of Bourdeau.
On the trail sections, the slope is a little steep at times.
Watch out for vehicles on the road sections.

Worth a visit

Hautecombe Royal Abbey (not Hautecombe as indicated in various signs): built in 1125, its history is linked to the House of Savoy: for more information, click here and here.

Lac du Bourget: France's largest natural lake of glacial origin; read here to find out more.
The outward journey takes you along the wild shore overlooking the lake: with the exception of the footpath, this area is untouched by human settlement and must continue to be protected at all costs.

Lamartine Cave: read more here.
As an option, I suggest you access it via the following description: click here.

Col du Chat: read more here.

Chapelle-du-Mont-du-Chat iron mine: it was in operation from 1855 to 1858. It has two entrances:

  • the upper one is not recommended (risk of rockfall in the tunnel).
  • the lower one leads to a 116-metre gallery that can be explored safely.

For more information, click here.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 10 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
User 12492855

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The first part of the route from Bourdeau to Hautecombe on the eastern slope is difficult but very rewarding, with superb views of the lake. The yellow markings are quite rare, but there is really only one path and directions are indicated at each junction. It is possible to shorten the loop by going up to Les Bessons, but the abbey is well worth the effort. The return journey on the heights is easy, but you will often be walking along the sides of roads.

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Jeanguiviou
Jeanguiviou
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A 21 km hike through the woods with the lake on your right, ending at Hautecombe Abbey.
The return journey can be challenging.
A beautiful circular, with the option to visit the abbey.

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Juju62
Juju62

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The view along the way is really nice (when you're not in the trees).
But I think the time estimate is optimistic.
It takes 5½ hours just to reach the abbey, and the path is poorly maintained: you have to choose between the brambles and the ravine...
Some sections are really tough going, and I'm not just talking about the cables.
We gave up on the abbey and found a kind soul to drive us back to Bourdeau.

I have a problem with the red rating: living on the Opal Coast, the hike from Calais to Wimereux, which is a similar distance (25 km from memory), has the same level of difficulty, even though there are only two headlands (still reaching a height of 150 m...) and the paths are much wider.
I accept that I may not have the required level of fitness, but there should be a bit more consistency in the classification of hikes!

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Acwil
Acwil

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with no technical difficulties but with some good climbs.
Lovely views from the Onex viewpoint.
Pleasant in hot weather as it is shaded

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gotch
gotch

A lovely walk with some beautiful views... a bit of a slog to the abbey. Return via the Col du Chat, crossing a beautiful forest along forest paths and pretty single tracks...

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Barbouille73
Barbouille73

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike.
Completed in 6 hours and 36 minutes with my 17-year-old son.
There are a few steep sections, especially after the abbey, but nothing insurmountable.
I highly recommend it.
Thank you for this beautiful, easy-to-follow route.

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gotch
gotch

Beautiful hike with magnificent views, a bit tough until you reach the abbey after the forest road, and lovely single tracks to the Col du Chat.

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markopolo
markopolo

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 19, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

This is a challenging route that should not be attempted in wet weather, as some of the rocky sections (limestone) are slippery, particularly on the descent (there are many small ascents and descents along the lake). Otherwise, the views are beautiful...

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lilibratz
lilibratz

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The section up to the abbey is almost entirely rocky. There is nowhere to pitch a tent. It is difficult with large rucksacks (at times, there are steep climbs with cables, but not all the time). There are many descents and ascents. We underestimated the time it would take and it took us about 5 hours from Bourdeau to point 3.
Beautiful view of the lake to make up for it! (even if it's the only view between Bourdeau and the abbey).

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grossif
grossif

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 03, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent walk, half of which overlooks the lake and then goes through the forest. The trail is very well marked. Halfway along the route, there is a stop at the Ontex viewpoint where you can enjoy a light meal – what a luxury!
The abbey seen from above is a surprising viewpoint.

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PAPY JACQUES
PAPY JACQUES

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A long hike with a very challenging first section up to Hautecombe Abbey. A real toboggan run for 10 km, but with beautiful views of the lake as you cross the scree slopes. Descend to the small port below the Abbey to enjoy the tranquillity of the place. The second part takes place almost entirely in the forest, so there aren't many interesting views except when passing through Ontex (but there is plenty of shade). Very steep descent from the hamlet of Col du Chat.

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Moabspring
Moabspring

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 28, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A word of advice: bring a hat and a pair of glasses, as the outward stretch is quite steep and there are lots of dead boxwood branches on the left-hand side of the path.
One detail: a large tree recently fell across the path above the Abbey. It blocks the view of the trail. I crossed "straight ahead" by stepping over the tree and its branches. It was a bit acrobatic, but I found the trail again on the other side.

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