The Haute Pointe circular route starting from Sommand

Access by car: on the Col de la Ramaz road in Sommand, drive past the Hôtel-Restaurant Les Roches 1500 and head towards the cross-country ski centre to park on the large open area.

(S/E) Continue along the track to the Col de Sommand chairlift departure station. Take the track on the right which runs between the chairlift departure station and a building. Pass the Farquet chalets and head towards the group of chalets at Ramaz, clearly visible further up. Turn right and reach the Col de la Ramaz road.

(1) Cross the road carefully and head straight ahead to reach the Chalet du Coin.

(2) Continue uphill along this road until you reach the farm (private property) at the end. After the farm, take the path on the right to reach the Col de Chavan.

(3) Turn left towards Haute Pointe onto the path that climbs straight ahead. Leave the Col de Chavannais path on your right. Continue straight ahead towards Haute Pointe and the Col de Cordon. Ignore the paths branching off to the left and keep well to the right on the fairly steep path following the ridge. Pass the small chimney, then turn immediately right to reach the summit of Haute Pointe.

(4) Take the path veering to the left just below the ridge. After a few metres, this path branches off to the left via a hairpin bend and begins the descent, crossing a small rocky outcrop. Descend until you reach a crossroads of paths.

(5) Continue straight ahead to reach the multi-way junction at the Col de Cordon.

(6) Turn left towards Sommand. Walk alongside the woodland, then follow a circular route to the right to reach the Chalet de Vanne.

(7) Continue along the track and then onto a small road. Join the D308 and cross it carefully. At the Y-junction, turn left onto the Chemin de Farquet to return to the cross-country ski car park (S/E).

IGN map 3429 ET Bonneville.

- Equipment: good walking boots and walking poles.
- Difficulty: a mountain hiking route for experienced hikers, generally rated as technical level 3 according to the scale established by the French Hiking Federation. Crossing the small chimney is made easier by using your hands (technical level 4).
Furthermore, certain sections may be daunting for those prone to vertigo, particularly just after leaving the summit of the Haute Pointe (4) to find the descent route.
Potential difficulties with navigation should also be noted, and this hike is not recommended in poor visibility. The trail is barely visible in some places and/or several possible paths may co-exist, especially on the section between (4) and (6). In particular, just before (5), you must ignore the well-marked path you come across and cut across country to reach, by sight, a path below at (5). Although this section is shown as a dotted line on the map, the path currently appears to have disappeared beneath the vegetation.
Finally, between points (4) and (6), some sections of the descent are very steep.
Personal note: these hikes wouldn’t be nearly as rewarding without the contribution of the people who live in and look after the mountains. But they need us too. Please do support local businesses.

(S/E) Hôtel Restaurant Spa Les Roches 1500, just a few metres from the start point and close to the cross-country skiing centre.
(4) Summit of the Haute Pointe: the view offers a 360-degree panorama of the Mont Blanc massif, Mont Ruan and the Tour Sallière, the Dents du Midi, glimpses of Lake Geneva with the Jura as a backdrop, the Genevois region, the Môle, as well as the Aravis range with the Pointe Percée.