Circular loop between Champanges and Larringes

Start from the church in Champanges, Place Anselme Boujon. Park in the car park near the sports grounds, behind the church and opposite the town hall. Champanges is about ten kilometres from Thonon-les-Bains or Évian-les-Bains.

Yellow + Red and Yellow + Directional signs

(S/E) Head back towards the church. Pass between the church on your left and the town hall on your right. Then walk up Rue de l’Église (towards the east), cross Rue des Écoles and continue uphill. At the next junction, turn right onto Rue de Saint-Martin. Cross the hamlet, pass the oratory and continue straight on. Cross Chemin des Écureuils on the right-hand side and climb until you reach the D32.

(1) Follow the road to the right for a few metres and climb a flight of steps on the right, at the foot of a reservoir. Go round a football stadium on the left and walk straight between the pitch and the changing rooms. Pass an EDF substation on your left and climb slightly to reach a narrow lane. Follow this to the left towards Larringes Chef-lieu (ignore the arrow pointing to the right).

Yellow markings + Directional signs

(2) At the Stop sign (oratory), turn right onto Chemin de la Grange aux Loups. Cross a stream and, at the fork immediately ahead, turn left. At the next junction, follow the small road to the left towards Larringes. Ignore a turn-off to the right and, at the junction, veer left, cross the stream again and climb up to the foot of Larringes church (beautiful drinking trough).

Yellow + Red and Yellow + Directional signs

(3) Go round the church on the right and follow the D32 on the right towards Vinzier. At the roundabout, turn left onto Chemin de Pugny towards Larringes Castle. At a fork, follow Chemin de Chery to the right.

Mountain bike signposting 6/11 + Directional signs

(4) At the signpost for “Château de Larringes”, go straight on towards Saint-Thomas (note: Saint-Thomas is also signposted to the right via the^GRP®, which you should leave here). The tarmac soon gives way to a path through the meadows (view of the château when you look back). Enter the Bois de Chery.

(5) At a junction (not shown on the map), turn left towards Saint-Thomas. Descend a steep slope with a stream on your left. Ignore a path branching off to the left (not shown on the map) then turn left with the path, keeping the stream on your left. At the T-junction, turn left, cross the stream and head towards Chonnay, with the stream now on your right. Ignore a path branching off to the left and continue downhill.

Unmarked

(6) About fifty metres further on, at the corner of a meadow opposite on the left, turn left onto a flat path that runs alongside the right-hand side of the meadow’s fence (let the MTB markings continue straight ahead).

Mountain bike signpost 6/11

At the next junction, go straight on along the flat and rejoin the MTB markings. Follow a shaded path that is wider than the previous one. Cross a small road and continue along the path opposite (a glimpse of Lake Geneva on the right). Cross a second road and continue straight ahead.

(7) At a fork, go right and keep going straight. Ignore a path branching off to the right (not shown on the map) and follow a patch of spruce trees on the right-hand side. At a fork (not shown on the map), go right downhill. Stay on the main path, which soon levels out again, and ignore all the side paths (also not shown on the map). At the first buildings, continue along a stony path and then a tarmac lane.

(8) At the junction (recycling bins), cross the D32 road and follow it uphill to the left, on the right-hand pavement (there is no pavement on the left). At the fork, turn right onto the D11 towards Champanges and Féternes. Cross the village via Rue des Alpes. When you reach Place de la Fontaine (watering trough), turn left towards the church and the town hall, and follow Rue de l’Église. At the foot of the church, turn right to return to the car park (S/E).

Good walking shoes are sufficient for this walk, which takes place mainly on good paths and quiet country lanes.

There are several fountains along the route, but the water is marked as ‘unsupervised’. Bar-tobacconist’s in the village of Champanges, near (S/E). Bar, grocery shop and chemist’s in Larringes, around (3).

A detailed map is required (at the very least the one accompanying this description).

Walk completed by the author on 18 August 2018.

- Saint-Martin Church (first half of the 18th century) in Champanges (S/E).
- Several wayside shrines along the route.
- Several drinking fountains along the way.
- Saint-Maurice Church (first half of the 19th century) in Larringes (3).
- In Larringes (3), opposite the church, the steps leading up to the town hall provide access to a balcony from which, in fine weather, you can see Mont Blanc rising above the roof of the fire station.
- Larringes Castle (14th century) (4).
- A pleasant, shaded walk between (6) and (8).