Country:
District:
Departure from the village of Tarentaise from the car park near the church. Nearby, note the representation of Saturn.
(S/E) Head west for 50 metres on the D37, then turn right towards Les Chirouzes.
(1) At the fork, take the road on the right which climbs uphill and, after the houses, turns into a dirt track. Note the representations of Uranus and Neptune along this route. Enter the forest and you will come to a T-junction with a path coming from the right. Take the path on the left. The path curves to the right and then sharply to the left. You will reach a wider path leading to the houses of La Côte Des Pins.
(2) Do not head towards the houses, but take the hairpin bend to the right. 600 m further on, the path heads off to the left on flat ground, ignoring a path on the right that leads downhill. You will reach a track; follow this track on flat ground for 200 m.
(3) At the next junction, take the sharp right-hand bend downhill. The path reaches a tarmac section where you ignore the uphill section on the right and follow the left. Continue downhill before walking along the Riot dam. (For the record: it is on this section that work has been carried out requiring a change to the hiking trails).
Cross the retaining wall on the left. At the end of the dam, follow a path downhill to the right, curving first to the right and then to the left to reach the stream.
(4) Follow the path along the stream on the right. Pass a bridge crossing the stream on your right.
Note the remains of old dam gates on your right.
(5) Further on, cross back over to the right bank of the stream. Follow the dam on the right bank along a walkway, revealing a large pipe below on the right in what looks like a canal. Reach the rock overlooking the dam.
(6) Climb up and down the rock. Stairs lead to the top, where you can admire the landscape and sometimes see climbers on the neighbouring rocks.
Cross the dam's retaining wall and, at its end, follow a path uphill to the left.
(7) After 700 m, at an elevation of 854 m, ignore the path branching off to the right towards Planfoy and follow the path downhill to the left. The forest path leads to a car park and a junction with a road coming from the right.
(8) Follow the road downhill to reach the Riot dam and continue straight ahead without crossing the dam.
You will reach a familiar spot. Walk along the dam, then at its end cross the footbridge to find yourself climbing to the left of the stream. Continue for 3 km in a straight line along the stony track that leads to the D37 road at Pont Souvignet. Note the two enormous Douglas firs as you pass.
(9) Cross the road, continue straight ahead and cross the car park. At the end, cross the footbridge to the right of the stream and join a forest path. In the bend of the path to the right, cross the stream again to the left. Climb two bends, left then right, towards what looks like an old canal.
(10) Turn left, then almost immediately take the path, which is not very well marked, turns right slightly uphill then left downhill to cross a small stream. Go up to the right after crossing the stream and leave the forest. You will come to a large path with a tennis court on the right.
(11) Follow the path to the right along the edge of the forest, which is initially unpaved and then paved. Reach a road and follow it to the left for 50 metres, then turn right onto an uphill path crossing the meadows. Cross a path running north-east/south-west and follow the path opposite, which then becomes a road leading to the village. On this section, note the explanations about comets and dwarf planets. Reach a road and continue opposite towards the village. Head for the bell tower to return to the starting point (on the way, visit the wash house on the right) (S/E).
Visorando member
Easy 
Difficult 
