The Sales chalets from Le Lignon

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A hike from Le Lignon to the Sales chalets. It crosses forest and mountain pasture landscapes. Following the Sales torrent, you can admire the various waterfalls along its course.
You will cross the Pas de Sales, a passage carved into the rock by farmers in the 19th century to bring their herds up to the mountain pastures. It is still used today.
In addition to the domestic animals that make up the herds found around the chalets of Sales, it is not uncommon to see marmots and ibex, even close to the trails.
This beautiful hike will delight your eyes.

Details

n°36962172
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.58 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 736 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 736 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,875 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,176 m
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Photos

Mont Blanc
The Sales chalets

Description of the walk

Park in the car park (or along the road) at the Chalet du Lignon restaurant, accessible via the D29 and then the D429 after Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval. Follow the road towards Salvagny. Drive through the village and continue to the hamlet of Lignon, located a few kilometres after the Rouget waterfall.

Preliminary remark: this hike is only marked with directional and distance signs; there are no specific markings, even though it follows theGR®5and 96 trails. The paths and trails are easy to spot and follow.

(S/E) The start is near the restaurant. Take theGR®5-GR®96trail that leads into the forest towards the Refuge de Sales and follow it. The trail becomes a forest road and then a trail again. It climbs (with a few flatter sections) to the refuge. Continue to the promontory near the Pleureuse and Sauffaz waterfalls: beautiful view of the waterfalls.

(1) Continue along the trail for about 150 m until you reach the trail junction.

(2) Continue on the right via theGR®96towards the Chalets and the Sales Refuge. Follow the path on the right bank of the Sales torrent to the first footbridge.

(3) Follow theGR®96, staying on the right bank of the stream, and continue to the second footbridge.

(4) Cross the stream via the footbridge and continue along the path on the left bank of the stream until you reach Pas de Sales. See "During the hike".

(5) Cross the passage in the rock and continue along the path to the Cascades de Sales: beautiful view of the waterfall, then along the path over the Sales torrent gorges and the valley downstream.

(6) Continue south on the path to the Trainant waterfall: beautiful view of the waterfall and, higher up, you can see the resurgence that gives rise to the stream.

(7) Continue along the trail.

(8) Leave the chapel and the Sales Refuge on your left before arriving at the Chalets de Sales: beautiful view of the alpine pastures as well as the Platé desert and the peak of the same name.

(9) Retrace your steps to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,176 m - Le Chalet du Lignon restaurant
  2. 1 : km 1.23 - alt. 1,401 m - Pleureuse and Sauffaz waterfalls
  3. 2 : km 1.37 - alt. 1,436 m - Trail junction
  4. 3 : km 1.83 - alt. 1,532 m - First footbridge
  5. 4 : km 2.15 - alt. 1,542 m - Second footbridge
  6. 5 : km 2.75 - alt. 1,639 m - Pas de Sales
  7. 6 : km 2.92 - alt. 1,644 m - Cascade de Sales
  8. 7 : km 3.48 - alt. 1,730 m - Cascade de Trainant
  9. 8 : km 4.56 - alt. 1,869 m - Refuge de Sales
  10. 9 : km 4.79 - alt. 1,874 m - Sales Chalets
  11. S/E : km 9.58 - alt. 1,176 m - Le Chalet du Lignon restaurant

Notes

  • Bring a good pair of shoes, ideally hiking boots.
  • Bring enough water. There is a fountain where you can refill your water bottles halfway through the hike, next to the Sales refuge.
  • Dogs, even on a leash, are not permitted, as this is a nature reserve.
  • You can quench your thirst at the Refuge de Sales.
  • You can also quench your thirst and enjoy a meal at the Chalet du Lignon.

Worth a visit

Throughout the hike, there are beautiful views of the various waterfalls along the torrent, the valley below, the alpine pastures and the rocky mountains near the Platé desert.

At (5), admire the Pas de Sales, a passage carved by hand into the rock to create a path for leading herds to the mountain pastures.

 Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

4.9 / 5
Based on 9 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
User 27196346

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent hike!
The climb is quite tough, but the scenery is beautiful and we were lucky enough to see some marmots 😃

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Midep
Midep

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A superb hike to do if possible between mid-June and early July to fully enjoy the splendour of the waterfalls.

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LEDRU5
LEDRU5

A series of waterfalls throughout the hike with magnificent mountain scenery.

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gab2
gab2

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Beautiful hike, lots of waterfalls. Very busy, even with families with children. Good food at the refuge.

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LEDRU5
LEDRU5

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A whole series of waterfalls throughout the hike with magnificent mountain scenery.

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User 26319107

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Top hike, magical waterfall landscape, but the time indicated is quite ambitious. Allow an extra half hour from Lignon to reach the Sales refuge.

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Nessneo 74
Nessneo 74

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hike started in the rain
The first half hour climbs steadily before a much less challenging slope
The waterfalls, one after the other, offer a very pleasant spectacle
The rock carved out for the passage had no railing or chain... A short, dizzying 10-metre passage
The rest of the way to the chalets is pleasant.
The arrival in the middle of the chalets is pleasant in a magnificent setting, especially in autumn
The descent is gentle.
Be very careful as there are many stones on the path that are slippery in wet weather
Good footwear is essential.
The hike is not too demanding, except for the first half hour.

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pascalou et Sylvie
pascalou et Sylvie

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Unable to display the IGN base map

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Claude L.
Claude L.

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike with magnificent waterfalls. Be careful, as the Pas de Sales can be slippery; chains are welcome for safety.
The start is a bit steep and rocky, but the difficulty is quickly forgotten when you see the beauty of the landscape.
It becomes difficult to see wildlife: just a mountain goat spotted in the distance.

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Odilepzl
Odilepzl

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful route with several points of interest: three magnificent waterfalls and the Pas de Sales pass. The mountain pasture where the refuge is located offers a lovely view. No particular difficulty except for the pass, which can be slippery when it rains.

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The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.