Lacs de la Tempète walks

First (easy) stage of a two-day tour of the Grand Mont. A well-marked path forming part of the Tour du Beaufortain. Magnificent views of Mont Blanc from the Col de la Bâthie

Another long stage between the Chalet des Arolles and the hilltop village of Molliessoulaz.

Another long stage offering the chance to discover Lake Saint-Guérin.

This is a circular walk based on trail 5 as promoted by the Arêches tourist board. It is well marked with yellow signs and paint flashes or markers for trail 5. There are good views over to Mont Blanc, the Beaufortain Mountains and the lake, although small, is a nice place to eat your sandwiches.

A magnificent, forgotten valley in the southern Beaufortain. The hike offers varied panoramic views across the entire Vanoise, from the Col de la Madeleine to the Mont Blanc massif and the Lauzière range. Animal tracks (foxes, wolves, etc.) are not uncommon here.

This eighth stage begins in the Beaufortin massif and continues into the Vanoise massif after crossing the Isère.From the Refuge de la Balme, the path descends along the left bank of the Ormente torrent, thus avoiding the road on the opposite bank. Cutting across the road’s hairpin bends, it crosses Valezan heading straight south, crosses the Isère at Bellentre, then follows the river to reach Landry. From there, it climbs up to the Hauts de Landry and its beautiful onion-domed church, then on to Martorey, where it heads south before passing through Peisey-Nancroix. Via the D87, it reaches the hamlet of Le Moulin, crosses the Ponturin torrent and follows it upstream, moving from one bank to the other. After the Rosuel mountain refuge, it climbs towards the Lanches de la Rèbe and heads south to rejoin the Ponturin. At Plan des Eaux, it leaves the GR®5, runs alongside Lake Plagne, and reaches the Entre le Lac mountain refuge.

The final stage of the Tour du Beaufortain, between Molliessoulaz and Les Saisies.

Lake Gittaz and the Curé passage.

It’s hard to say much about this section, as we completed the whole of it in driving rain and cloud. The route is challenging and stony, with numerous herds of livestock and detours… But it remains so beautiful despite everything. The climb up the Bellachat is less difficult than it looks. The landscape is actually very varied: there’s a lot of rocky terrain on the ascent of the Bellachat, with steep cirques all the way to the Lacs du Loup, where the mountain pastures take over before giving way to the Cirque du Colomban, only to return near the Refuge du Logis des Fées.

A lovely climb starting from Albertville, passing through the medieval town of Conflans and pretty mountain hamlets with views of the Tarentaise Valley, before reaching the Refuge du Soplat des Stream. The refuge is ideally located near the Tour du Beaufortain with a beautiful view of Albertville and the Olympic Park. Hike to be done from May to November: avalanche risk in winter above 1,100 metres.