Mont Forchat

A magnificent snowshoe hike in the heart of the Vallée Verte. The cold (-14°C at the start!), the snow and the sumptuous landscapes were all there.

Details

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Creation:
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  • Snowshoeing
    Activity: Snowshoeing
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.74 km
  • ◔
    Duration according to the author: 3 hrs 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 462 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 453 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,528 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,075 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Access: from Geneva (Annemasse), take the A40 motorway, exit 15 towards Vallée Verte (Boëge). Cross the Fillinges bridge and continue to Boëge. Drive through the village and head towards Villard and Habère-Poche. Turn left towards Col de Cou (Le Vernay); drive through Le Vernay, Doucy and Ramble. On leaving Ramble, after a left-hand bend, turn right (Ferme des Moises, Nordic centre) and park in the large car park.

(S/E) From the Moises Nordic ski centre (altitude 903 m), follow the track that starts at the back of the car park and passes in front of the Moises farm (watch out for cross-country skiers).

(1) Shortly afterwards, turn right (east) and cross the stream. Follow the path that starts on the right and joins the Col des Moises road. Then take the track opposite, next to a wooden chalet (Mont Forchat signpost); It climbs gently along the edge of the forest, offering beautiful views of the valley (in the distance, La Roche Parnal, Sous Dine, etc.). The path continues to the left, passing a few chalets before climbing more steeply into the forest (always follow the signs for "Mont Forchat" or "Col de l'Encrenaz"). After heavy snowfall, the landscape, frozen by the cold, is truly extraordinary (the trees suffer from the weight of the snow and some bend dangerously). After a more sustained climb, you reach the Col de l'Encrenaz at 1,429 metres. The view is already very nice, both towards Lake Geneva and to the south/south-west.

(2) Continue to the right, straight towards the statue of Saint François de Sales, which is clearly visible at the summit. The path becomes increasingly steep and the last section of the climb is quite steep; it is sometimes preferable to take off your snowshoes (it is possible to avoid this section by going around the summit on the right). You will quickly reach the summit, at 1,539 metres, with its flat area where a statue of Saint François de Sales stands. The panoramic view (1,539 metres) is remarkable and well worth the effort: the Alps, Mont Blanc, the Aravis, most of the Chablais peaks (Dent d'Oche, Mt Billiat, among others), Bargy (Les Bornes), Le Môle, the Jura, Lake Geneva, the Brevon Valley, the Vallée Verte, of course... in short, a feast for the eyes if the weather is good.

(3) For the descent, head south. Walk a few dozen metres and descend more steeply to the right before heading north again. The terrain is quite steep and you will walk along the western slope before passing under the summit (rocky outcrops) and rejoining the path you took on the way up, which will take you back to the Col de l'Encrenaz.

(2) From the pass, continue straight ahead (signposted "Col des Moises", "Col de Cou"). You will enter an enchanting forest where you will never tire of admiring the nature covered with a delicate layer of frost, especially when the ice crystals sparkle in the sun. The path is easier when there are already tracks; but a little less obvious if you have to make it yourself!!! (rare red and white markings on a few tree trunks). There are some beautiful views of Mont Blanc and the statue of Saint-François-de-Sales. After a short stretch through the forest on a winding trail, you will come to a clearing; the "official" path continues to the right.

The descent is fairly gradual with a few hairpin bends, down to Col des Moises (1115m), via "Creux de la Marlat" (1211m).

(5) From the pass, turn left (signposted "Col de Cou") and follow the track that runs alongside the road and then veers right to return to the starting point at the Foyer de Fond des Moises (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,075 m - Foyer de fond des Moises - Col des Moises
  2. 1 : km 0.25 - alt. 1,084 m - On the right. Source of the - Menoge (rivière)
  3. 2 : km 2.73 - alt. 1,429 m - Col de l'Encrenaz
  4. 3 : km 3.06 - alt. 1,528 m - Mont Forchat
  5. 4 : km 4.69 - alt. 1,325 m - On the right
  6. 5 : km 5.89 - alt. 1,114 m - Turn left - View of the - Lac Léman
  7. S/E : km 6.74 - alt. 1,075 m - Foyer de fond des Moises

Notes

Alternative route:
(4) From the clearing, you can continue on the left, following the tracks (if there are any!), then descend into the forest, with some more "wild" passages and beautiful views on the south side (please be kind and respect nature along the way). At an altitude of 1,321 metres, you will find a sign for "Col des Moises" and a better-marked path that joins the one described above.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 13 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
olivierb74
olivierb74

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Short hike in the forest leading to a view of Lake Geneva and the Mont Blanc massif. Option to depart from the centre of Habere-Poche.

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Bubu 27
Bubu 27

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

After parking at the Moises farm, we found the path by crossing the stream.
It would be a good idea to offer an alternative route via the Col des Moises and then up to Mont Forchat, which is a more pleasant walk through the forest.
The climb at the end is quite steep, but we were rewarded with a magical 360-degree panorama.

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alpi21
alpi21

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Nice hike, steep slopes, snow cover from the pass onwards, making it more difficult from that point on. However, we reached the summit without snowshoes or crampons.
The difficulty therefore depends on the snow cover, temperature and type of snow.
But all hikers should know this and should check the snow conditions before setting off.
That said, it's a beautiful summit with breathtaking 360° views.
Recommended for anyone with sure footing.

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clara d
clara d
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hiking under blue skies and sunshine, we put on our snowshoes when the forest path started to get steep, and took them off before we reached the less steep part of the path.

The trail is sometimes very steep, but the snowshoes helped us a lot, and it's good for your cardio.
Everything is well marked, and it's impossible to get lost when the tracks have already been made.
The view from Mount Forchat is magnificent and the paths through the woods are very pretty, especially with the clearings and rays of sunlight filtering through the trees.

Most of the people we met were coming from other starting points (such as Lullin).

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sysy74
sysy74

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 22, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

21/08/2022 - A magnificent walk in the forest. However, this hike should be classified as moderate rather than easy, as the slope on the way up is quite steep and covers three quarters of the distance. We met a young couple who had turned back because it was too steep (and yet they were young, unlike us, who are senior hikers). I'm not sure that the stated elevation gain is accurate; in any case, it seems higher. We did the circular following your instructions, no problem, in line with your description.
The view from the top is magnificent. Don't hesitate to climb up to the statue of St. Francis de Sales, even if the last few metres are quite steep.

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Marmotte08
Marmotte08
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 11, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely hike, but two-thirds of it is in the forest on the north side... cold in winter! Description could be improved, after the start at the Moises chalet, from the forest onwards. Disappointing arrival at the mountain pasture: too many people, cars, noise... very "urbanised"... lacks a change of scenery, connection with nature...

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skylab
skylab

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 08, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike, especially in the sunshine
Observation of birds of prey in flight

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montpensier
montpensier

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Beautiful hike, exceptional views, but we were surprised that it was classified as "easy".
It is every bit as good as others that are classified as "moderate" or "difficult".
We recommend it nonetheless.

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espritlibre
espritlibre

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 20, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A lovely hike in very sunny weather. I enjoyed the coolness of the forest on the way up before feeling the warmth of the sun. 360° view, a little too crowded for my liking.
I would do it again, but change the return route.

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gazok54
gazok54 ★

Thank you, vsaintives
What problem did you encounter with the description? Perhaps you would have preferred the author to have chosen, like you, to descend via a different route.

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vsaintives
vsaintives

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 16, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The ascent was a bit difficult, so we changed our descent route, adding a few kilometres so we wouldn't have to go back down the same way we came up! But we did it in summer, so we didn't need snowshoes!

Great view, a little too crowded for our taste

But worth doing again.

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Claude G1.
Claude G1.

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 08, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very beautiful hike in the Chablais region, to be repeated.

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Claude G1.
Claude G1.

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 08, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Nice snowshoe hike with beautiful weather as a bonus. Be careful on the descent from the peak, which is quite dangerous.

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boninsegni
boninsegni

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 02, 2014
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We did this well-marked route, which wasn't too easy. It's a shame about the weather – no sunshine – otherwise the descent through the forest was absolutely delightful. Thank you!

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