L'Armélaz and La Croix de la Chal via the Col de Chaussy

Go up the Maurienne valley to La Chambre. Climb towards the resort of Saint François-Longchamp. After a few kilometres, turn right towards Montaimont, cross its hamlets until you reach Bonvillard: car park at the entrance to the hamlet.

(S/E) Cross the village and continue on the Col de Chaussy road which descends, crossing the Ruisseau de l'Entre-Deux stream.

(1) Continue up the road, which then descends to the Merderel crossing.

(2) Take the road opposite, which climbs up to a relay antenna.

(3) Continue along the road (following the cross-country ski tracks), passing several paths on your left, until you exit the forest at an altitude of around 1,490 metres.

(4) Leave the road to climb more directly up the slope on the left to a ridge, then cross level towards the Col de Chaussy, staying above the road.

(5) From the pass, take the north-west path (usually groomed) that climbs to the Chalet du Mélèze.

(6) Leave the return path on your right. Continue climbing straight ahead.

(7) Just before the chalet, climb left into Pré Riondet to reach the conifer forest, and towards the end, veer right to climb to the summit of Armélaz, where there is a wide view, and head left to reach the Croix de la Chal, which is in sight.

(8) Turn back, or take one of the alternative routes offered by the landscape. Keep to the left at one point to descend to the Chalet du Mélèze.

(9) Descend towards the Col de Chaussy via the path.

(7) Continue along the same route as on the way up.

Possible variation: towards the point with an altitude of 1605, cut across the slope to the north-east to descend more directly (steep) towards (10).

(6) Just before the pass, cutting across the slope, descend to the left into the valley due north. The route gradually takes the right bank of the hill to rejoin the cross-country trails. Turn left to reach the Finnish Kota, clearly visible in the middle of the trails.

(10) Descend to the right, north-east, cutting across the cross-country trails and staying close to the edge of the forest, until you reach the Ruisseau des Léchères, which you should cross upstream from Les Rieux.

(11) Cross level to the right and climb slightly into the forest to reach the meadows above Le Mas and join the Route des Mottes at a bend.

Alternative: if you lose the route in this area, it is easy to descend through the snow-covered meadows to the hamlet of Les Rieux, then return via the road on the right.

(12) Follow this road to the right, which will take you back to the junction with the Route de Chaussy that you passed on the way out.

(2) Take this road in the opposite direction to the outward journey and rejoin the (S/E).

Most of the route is shared between classic cross-country skiers, skate skiers and snowshoers. Snowshoers are not allowed on the route when there is a specific snowshoe trail.

The entire route is normally marked as a snowshoe trail, but especially downhill, except on the road, the markings (purple stakes) are sometimes random and can be lost, without much risk however, as you quickly come back to a forest road or cross-country trail.

The view from the summit stretches over Lauzière, Grand Coin, Aiguilles d'Arves, Étendard and Belledonne-Sept-Laux.

There are many people around the Col de Chaussy, as it is accessible by car from the Montpascal side.