From Val d’Isère to Tignes via the Pas de la Tovière and back

Coming from Bourg-Saint-Maurice, as soon as you’ve crossed the gorges upstream of Lake Chevril, you’ll arrive in Val d’Isère via the La Daille neighbourhood.
You’ll find the Funival funicular station on your right. Park in the car park serving the station, the Plaine de la Daille car park.

(S/E) Head towards the Funival and cross the bridge over the River Isère.

(1) Once across the bridge, turn left onto the left bank of the Isère and follow the path running alongside it.

(2) After about 400 m, ignore a path on your left that leads across the Isère via a footbridge and continue towards the Coves power station.
The footbridge may no longer exist, as major works have taken place in this area since our visit in 2009, when there was still a large grassy car park serving as a motorhome area.

(3) Just before the power station, take a path that climbs to the right. After a double hairpin bend, this path approaches the Chemin des Coves track.

(4) Stay on the path as you move away from the track. Cross an area where water is running off (possibly resurgences), then shortly afterwards the path passes beneath the funicular line. Continue, crossing the Étroits larch forest.

(5) Approach the ski run and follow it for a few dozen metres, first crossing a chairlift (Les Étroits) and then the Daille gondola lift, before crossing two ski runs in succession, passing close to the Trifollet mountain restaurant.

(6) Cross the Tovière stream via a footbridge made of planks laid edge-to-edge, and head uphill opposite until you reach the GR^®.

(7) Turn left onto the GR^®.

(8) Pass close to the Tovière chalet (partially in ruins). Continue straight on along the^{GR®, which}climbs up the Tovière valley, following a dry stream (at least in summer).

(9) You’ll pass close to a ruined hut, then walk alongside the Tovière altiport.

(10) Halfway along the altiport run, at the Chalets Supérieurs de la Tovière, carry on straight ahead. The path curves to the left and reaches the end of the altiport run.

(11) At the end of the runway, near a hut, turn right and head uphill towards the rocky landscape of the Pas de la Tovière.

(12) Once you have crossed the Pas de la Tovière, the^GR® descends and then winds to the right; follow it. You will soon pass a rock-fill structure, built to protect the buildings at Lavachet from rockfalls. Continue towards the Rosset chairlift.

(13) After passing under the Rosset chairlift, turn left and pass under the Tovière gondola lift, then take one of the paths running alongside the lake.
You can walk right alongside the lake, crossing several wetlands and peat bogs via footbridges or wooden walkways. Then cross the Retort, a stream flowing down from Val Claret. This will take you back to the Lavachet neighbourhood, between the lake and the road.

(14) After passing the municipal swimming pool, just before the Tovière cable car station, cross a bridge and you’ll find yourself near the tennis courts. Go round them on the left and you’ll arrive at the start of the Rosset chairlift.

(13) Cross over the chairlift and rejoin the^GR®5, heading in the opposite direction.

(15) Then take the path on the right which cuts across the hairpin bend of the
^GR® 5.

(12) Head up towards the Pas de la Tovière and cross it.

(11) Carry on straight ahead towards the chalets.

(10) This time, keep left, heading towards the Croix de Combefolle.

(16) At the Croix de Combefolle, there is a picnic area, panoramic views and an orientation map. Take the path heading due south and rejoin the^GR® at a ruined chalet.

(9) Follow the^GR® to the left as you descend the Tovière valley to the Chalet de la Tovière.

(8) Above the chalet, carry on straight ahead along the GR^®.

(7) This time, carry on straight ahead, staying on the same path, until it crosses the Tovière stream after a circular bend to the right.

(17) Cross the stream via a footbridge, then follow it along the right bank until you reach the Daille cable car station. Go round the station on the left and you’ll find yourself on the left bank of the Isère.

(1) At the Funival station, cross the bridge and return to the car park where you started (S/E).

This route presents no difficulties for keen walkers. There are no navigation issues either, as you can always follow the^GR® signposts if necessary.

If you do this walk in summer, you will almost certainly find the streams dry (including the Tovière), particularly as this is a karst landscape.

As for the starting point, in 2009 we set off from an open area used as a motorhome park, opposite the Coves factory. Since then, extensive and significant works have taken place in this area, and we have opted to designate the Funival car park as the starting point, thereby making the final section of our 2009 route (Funival – Coves) the start of this version of the route.

Possible alternatives to this walk:
- Return from Tignes-Le Lavachet via the nature trail, climbing back up to the Combefolle cross – but this involves a steep descent followed by a climb of around 300 metres.
- Return from Tignes-Le Lavachet along the left bank of Lake Chevril, arriving directly at La Daille – advantages: it’s all downhill with no further ascent, but there’s a very long, almost level stretch along the lake, and you can also see the magnificent Salin waterfalls along the way.

Furthermore, when we did this walk, we were unaware of the Vallée Perdue, which is a spectacular canyon carved out of gypsum by the Tovière stream. It is a geomorphological feature that would have been well worth including in the route as follows: follow the stream upstream from the point (6) to the Tommeuses chairlift station, then rejoin the^GR® via a track that leads to the eastern end of the altiport.

We’ll visit it on our next trip to Val d’Isère.