The Tour du Vuache

Start from the Tire-Cul car park, Chemin de la Cisette, near the hamlet of La Chavanne.

(S/E) From the car park, turn left (north-west) onto the road towards La Chavanne. Walk through the houses, then take the forest path uphill, which winds round the pastures on the left.

(1) Head back down (north-north-east) along the wide, stony path. Join a small road and continue the descent to Haut de Chevrier.

(2) Turn right and follow the^GR® Balcon du Léman. Stay on the road leading down to the centre of the village, passing a car park. Turn left onto the Chemin du Colomby.

(3) At the sign for ‘Chevrier – 490 m’, carry on straight ahead (let the^GR® head off to the right). Cross the D908a with care, follow it to the left for about 50 metres, then turn right onto a small road that descends into the farmland. Continue along a grassy path. Enter a woodland and walk alongside the railway line on your right. Reach the north-western end of the Vuache, opposite Fort l’Écluse, with a bird’s-eye view of the Rhône and the Défilé de l’Écluse.

(4) Turn right onto a steep path that descends through the boxwood; take care, as this section of the route is fitted with a handrail. At the bottom of the path, turn left onto the wider track leading uphill. On emerging from the woods (there are gates to get through the wire fence), walk alongside the large fields (shaded path) and join a small road near its junction with the D908a.

(5) Follow the small road to the right and pass through the hamlet of Entremont. Continue along the small road for about 1.5 km until you reach a junction signposted ‘La Pague – 390 m’. Don’t miss: numerous information boards on wildlife, flora, history, legends, etc.

(6) Carry on along the road (south), moving away from the Rhône, and pass through the hamlet of La Pague. Ignore all roads coming from the right.

(7) As you approach the village of Arcine, at a Fork in the road, take the left-hand uphill track. At the next junction, turn left and you’ll immediately reach Arcine Church.

(8) Continue straight up the Chemin de la Bartemière and ignore a road on the left. Cross the D908a with care and take the steep climb up the Tanay, then, veering to the right, follow the Chemin de la Combe. At the top of the hill, turn right and head for the signpost marked ‘Arcine – 600 m’.

(9) Follow the road to the left as it climbs and crosses over the motorway. At the end of the bridge, cross a small road and continue straight on. After two bends, you’ll reach the hunters’ hut with its remarkable ‘Pierre à cupules’.

(10) Take the forest track which, heading south-east, runs alongside the Vuache cliffs (a protected biotope) for approximately 3.5 km. As you approach the first houses, rejoin the tarmac road and walk through the hamlet until you reach the sign for ‘Vovray 740 m’.

(11) When the road bends to the right, continue straight ahead along the track. Pass ‘Champ Rosset – 730 m’ then begin the descent towards Chaumont. Pass through the hamlet of Chaumontet.

(12) At the T-junction, follow the road to the left for about 50 metres. When the road bends to the right, turn left onto the Chemin des Voiries. Then rejoin the road and follow it to the left. Walk past the cemetery and, at the next junction, keep left and head up Rue des Écoliers. At the Fork in the road, turn left up Ruelle du Pralet.

(13) At the sign for ‘Chaumont – 610 m’ (with the church opposite on the right), turn left onto the stony path leading up towards Le Vuache (joining the^GR® Balcon du Léman).

(14) At the Fork in the road marked ‘Le Mont – 630 m’, take the path on the right alongside a low wall (let the^GR® continue to the left). Descend through the forest to Pré Luison.

(15) Turn left and, at the Fork in the road that appears immediately, go straight on (north) along the path that follows the edge of the forest. Stay on this signposted path heading north-north-west for approximately 22 km. On leaving the woods, continue along the wide farm track to Cortagy.

(16) Then take the road on the left and cross the hamlet. At the last houses, turn right onto a path running parallel to the road.

(17) At the Fork in the road marked ‘La Maisonnette – 645 m’, turn left. Head towards the hamlet of Olliet and turn right onto the Chemin de la Fruitière. You will come out onto the Route de Cortagy; follow it to the right.

(18) At the next junction, take the left-hand road, the Route de Cessens, and follow it for about 1 km. At the entrance to the next village, go straight on and head uphill along the Chemin de la Villa.

(19) At the junction, turn right onto a farm track. At the corner of a farm (signposted ‘Cessens – 760 m’), turn right (north-west) onto a path leading downhill. After about 150 m, at the sign for ‘La Pierre Plate – 750 m’, turn left into the forest and follow a narrow path (not shown on the map) running parallel to the edge of the woodland. After about 500 m, descend a slope via a wooden staircase and turn right onto the stony path leading down the mountain.

(21) At the foot of a pylon, continue straight ahead (north) along the road. Cross over the A40. Then turn left onto Route des Presles and immediately left again. The path runs close to the A40 and follows it for about 700 m, until you reach the signpost for ‘Le Provin – 660 m’.

(22) Turn left and keep to the left at the Fork in the road that appears immediately. After a left-hand bend, turn right and head downhill to the Tire-Cul car park (S/E).

This route is rated ‘Very Difficult’ due to the combination of a very long distance and a significant elevation gain. Make sure you have good walking shoes, plenty of water and enough food for the whole walk. Take care on the northern section of the route (the far end of Mont Vuache, opposite Fort l’Écluse): the path is fitted with a handrail.

In Chevrier, you can explore the church, built in the 15th century, which features a 13th-century pointed arch doorway and a holy water font set into the wall. Inside, you’ll see 18th-century murals depicting the life of Jesus, as well as a fresco dedicated to Sainte-Victoire.

In the lower part of the village are large buildings that were rebuilt following the fire started by the German army on 15 and 16 August 1944.

On the outskirts of the village, the GAEC “Fort l’Écluse”, an orchard dating back to 1949, offers 17 varieties of apples, 5 of pears, pure fruit juice and kiwis, all grown using certified sustainable farming methods!

You will then be treated to a view of the River Rhône as it emerges from Lake Geneva, cutting through the Jura mountain range separating the Grand Crêt d’Eau and the Vuache. This narrow passage is known as the Défilé de Fort l’Écluse. Known to Caesar, this gorge has always been a strategic military site. The fort built on the hillside in the 17th century, and the downstream fort constructed in the early 19th century, long served as a frontier outpost. The two forts are linked by an internal staircase of 1,165 steps. They lost all their importance when Savoy was annexed by France in 1860. Today, this site is a listed conservation area. It is also an important stopover site for migratory birds in France. Every year, 250 to 300 different species pass through this corridor, ranging from birds of prey to storks and wood pigeons.

The entire south-western slope of the Vuache massif is designated under a prefectural biotope protection order (APPB) to safeguard its unique and fragile flora and fauna. Notable species include the peregrine falcon and the orange lily… Certain activities, such as rock climbing and paragliding, are therefore restricted for all or part of the year.

The ruins of Chaumont Castle: This ancient castle was the stronghold of the Counts of Geneva, first mentioned in 1032. It was demolished in 1616 on the orders of the Duke of Savoy.
Over time, the ruins have been subject to erosion. The village residents therefore took action, and the Ké Viva association – funded, amongst others, by the Haute-Savoie Department – was able to stabilise the walls to ensure their long-term preservation.

Near the ruins, an orientation board helps you explore the landscape stretching from the Retord Plateau to the Mont Blanc massif, via the subalpine ranges of the Bornes and the Aravis.

The church at Chaumont was built in 1308 by Agnès de Chalon. Step inside to discover a Gothic chancel and a painting depicting Saint Agatha, the village’s patron saint. Outside, its bell-tower door, featuring a very rare trefoil-cross tympanum, attracts the curiosity of passers-by.