La Garde (Isère) walks

A short, unpretentious walk, offering beautiful views, a Roman bridge, the remains of mills linked to the mining village of Brandes, and a mountain village with beautifully renovated houses and narrow alleyways.

This redesigned route follows the path that the postman used to take to deliver the mail to the village of Villard Raymond. It is now part ofthe GR®50Tour du Dauphiné.

This is a beautiful walk that allows you to discover the beautiful chalets of Alpe d'Huez, followed by a gentle path to an old coal mine that closed in 1951, the Herpie mine. Then there is a steeper climb to Lac Blanc. The descent to Alpe d'Huez offers a beautiful view of the resort.

This is a circular route without difficulty that takes you down into the Sarenne gorges. The first half of the hike is on the road with beautiful panoramic views, and the second half is along the Sarenne river, through the undergrowth to the village of Huez. You can choose to go back up via the ski lift or on foot via the Chemin du Village de l'Alpe (allow an extra 1½ hours, with a significant elevation gain).

This easy circular offers superb 360° views of five mountain ranges during the journeyOisans with a view of La MeijeThe Aiguilles d'Arves, symbol of the MaurienneThe Grandes Rousses mountain rangeThe Belledonne rangeThe Taillefer massifnot forgetting the Emparis plateau.

This route offers magnificent views of the Écrins Massif and La Meije, as well as the Bourg-d’Oisans valley. There are four chapels along the route: those in the hamlets of Les Cours and Cluy, the Saint-Géraud Chapel and the chapel in the hamlet of Les Certs. This is an easy walk with several picnic spots along the way. There are several alternative routes available, allowing you to extend the route. You can start from the resort.

A short walk starting from the village of Les Cours, taking you through six hamlets. An easy route taking less than 2 hours. You can extend the route with other circular loops using the various signposted waypoints.

After the difficult climb to Villard-Raymond, we will enjoy a varied hike through forests and mountain pastures, climbing to a small summit with a cross for a view of the entire landscape.

In the past, there were hot springs in the hamlet of Mailloz, which were used by the locals for a very long time. Some records indicate a temperature of 20°C, whilst others suggest as high as 28°C. These springs disappeared when the Chambon dam and the penstocks were built. This path takes you through the Mailloz forest, past various historical remains: the Italians’ hut (built by workers), a penstock, a small dam, an old mill, former bathing areas and the old tufa waterfall. Not to mention, towards the end, a stop at the little lake of Mailloz, an enchanting spot for a picnic or a dip in the water. Do also take a moment to admire the trees in the forest; some appear to be well over a hundred years old.

Starting from Villard-Reymond, there is a very pretty circular walk under the Grand Renaud cirque, through the mountain pastures and back via the Croix du Carrelet.

This walk takes you to the Croix de Cassini (2,361 m), offering a magnificent 360° view of La Meije, the Aiguilles d’Arves, the Grandes Rousses, Belledonne, Le Taillefer and the Muzelle Glacier. In good weather, you may be able to see Mont Blanc, and blueberries can be picked in season.

In an hour, you can reach a 360-degree viewpoint offering views of four Alpine massifs: Taillefer, Belledonne, Grandes Rousses and Écrins. The hike starts in the picturesque village of Villard-Reymond, which can be reached via a narrow road (with around 20 hairpin bends) from the Col d'Ornon. It begins in the shade of the undergrowth before reaching a ridge and then the Col de Saint-Jean. A steep climb, but under pine trees, takes you to the summit of Prégentil, where you can enjoy breathtaking views of peaks reaching 3,000-4,000 metres.

A very pleasant circular route through woodland and then across mountain pastures, allowing you to explore various villages (including one in ruins) in the Lignarre Valley and offering beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. The variety of landscapes, the scenic spots and the local history: this circular route has everything you need to enjoy it.

A very pretty circular route with a wild, high-mountain atmosphere despite the presence of the L'Alpe d'Huez cross-country ski area, which, incidentally, allows you to hike safely whilst making your own tracks in the powder snow.

An easy walk at medium altitude, accessible to most people, around the four lakes: Lac Noir, Lac Besson, Lac Faucille and Lac Carrelet, above Alpe d'Huez. Beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. Get off the beaten track by passing by Lac Noir and return above Lac Carrelet and Lac Besson!

A complete change of scenery is guaranteed on this ride, where you’ll be treated to a feast of lakes. The approach to the plateau via the Refuge de la Fare is impressive but poses no real danger, especially as the view on arrival is well worth the effort. Reaching the Dôme des Petites Rousses is then a mere formality before tackling the descent, partly along the ski runs.