Country:
District:
Departure from the Mont-Blanc Tramway station car park, Rue du Mont Lachat, in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains.
(S/E) From the car park, head to the left of the Mont-Blanc Tramway station, cross the tracks and walk up Rue du Mont Lachat. Take a quick left/right at the first fork to take the Chemin des Fées (no sign visible), almost opposite, at the fire hydrant.
Continue straight ahead towards a dead end after the Forêt crossroads.
(1) The road is steep and leads to a path at the top of the hill (wooden sign "Cheminée des Fées"). Walk along the fence of a garden, pass a bench and enter the forest: the trees are magnificent, especially the beeches.
A short descent leads to a small stream. From there, near a bench, a glance upwards reveals two Cheminées des Fées (Fairy Chimneys) on the edge of the ravine, topped with large blocks of stone. Shortly afterwards, in a deeply eroded gorge, you cross the Nant Ferney stream (or Cheminées des Fées stream) via a small wooden bridge.
(2) The trail continues to the right, first on wooden steps, then quickly climbing a fairly steep path that winds up to some log steps. After a large rock across the path, you come to a flat area (996m). There is a marker and a sign on a tree on the left indicating a discreet path that descends to your left: this will be for access to the Cheminées des Fées on the way back.
For now, continue on the main path until the next fork, where you turn right. You will walk along a path on the side of a very steep slope with the stream below; continue to a new wooden bridge that crosses the Nant du Gibloux.
(3). Here, you have the option of extending the route a little by continuing to the Sous-Montfort building and turning right onto the Chemin du Maquis, which will take you through the hamlet of Montfort and then back down to Saint-Gervais.
As for us, we just wanted to make this little detour to appreciate the beauty of the bridge over the stream du Gibloux. So we retrace our steps to return to the aforementioned plateau where, this time, we turn right to take a discreet path that runs slightly downhill along the edge of the cliffs. Be careful, it is narrow and exposed.
Almost immediately, you will discover the first (and most beautiful!) of the Cheminées des Fées, about 40 metres high, topped by an impressively sized rock. You can continue along the edge of the cliffs for about a hundred metres. Be careful! The ground is very unstable and the walls are steep. In some places, the roots reveal the void below, so don't tempt fate. It's worth climbing up to a superb ledge topped by a beautiful beech tree, which offers a clear view of the chimneys.
Return to the start of the path, then turn right to descend and return to your starting point via the same route (S/E).
Visorando member
Difficult 
Very difficult 
Association / Club / Walk leader
Easy 
Tourist office
