From Chaucisse to the Col des Aravis via the Chalet du Curé

Start from the car park by the church in the hamlet of Chaucisse.

(S) Stand on the road with the church on your right. Head back towards the main junction you passed by car (Route de Saint-Nicolas) and carry on straight ahead.

(1) Turn right onto the Route des Montagnes and head towards the Les Rosets neighbourhood. Keep following this small road at all times, ignoring any paths to the right or left.

(2) The path crosses the avalanche-prone slope of the Croix de Stata and Croix Cartier and continues through a series of hairpin bends.

(3) Stay on the main path and ignore the trails to the right leading to the Croix de Stata and the Croix Cartier.

(4) At the next Y-junction, at elevation 1688, take the left-hand branch and pass the Boegneuve chalet on its left. Take a wide bend to the left to get closer to the rock faces, whilst staying on the path.

(5) Reach the hamlet known as Les Stallets (small chalets). Turn back and head towards the Chalet de Boegneuve.

(6) Cut across the meadow, rejoin the path, then turn left towards the Chalet du Curé.
Alternatively, you can walk down to the foot of the Chalet de Boegneuve and turn left towards the Chalet du Curé.

(7) Reach Les Mouilles (chalet) and continue along the path.

(8) At Les Stapssets (chalets), stay on the main path (Route de la Soif).

(9) When you reach La Frête (chalet), turn left and head uphill towards the Chalet du Curé.

(10) At the Chalet du Curé (private), head back towards the main path and follow it, ignoring the path on your right leading to the Régié chalets. Continue along this main path until you reach the hamlet of Psamo, marked by a signpost.

(11) At Psamo, do not take the paths leading down to the right but continue along the main path.

(12) Reach the orientation table above the path at the hamlet of La Tête, on the edge of the forest. Then take a left-hand bend. Stay on the path until you emerge from the forest.

(13) At La Zorette, where several paths branch off, take the one on the right, which initially runs alongside the forest for a short while before veering away to head straight towards the Montagne du Crot chalet. Take a slight left-hand bend, then continue to the finish at the Col des Aravis (E).

In Flumet, head towards Saint-Nicolas-la-Chapelle, then on to the hamlet of Chaucisse.

I personally completed this route in winter in 4 hours 45 minutes (including 30 minutes’ breaks).

This is a one-way hike: you’ll therefore need a lift to Chaucisse and a pick-up at the finish, where it’ll be lovely to enjoy a tasty crêpe and some hot chocolate (or mulled wine) amidst the magnificent scenery of the Col des Aravis.

When snowshoeing, the trail may deviate slightly from the main path, depending on the tracks left by those before you or your desire to make ‘your own trail’, for example to cut across a hairpin bend.

In winter, if there are no tracks (which is unlikely), you’ll need to rely mainly on visual navigation, using the chalets mentioned as landmarks. A map will help with your navigation.

Suitable equipment for a snowshoe hike (and water).

The difficulty is ‘moderate to slightly difficult’ given the length, but there are no vertiginous sections.
IBP index = 82 (for a hiker with moderate to difficult fitness)

(4) For those who do not wish to go as far as the viewpoint at the Chalet des Stallets – thereby shortening the route by an hour – it is possible to head directly to the (7), by turning right at the (4), just before reaching the Chalet de Boegneuve.

Col des Aravis (shops, bars, restaurants, crêperie).