Pointe de Chalune à partir de la Chèvrerie

Starting from La Chèvrerie, I recommend a lovely circular walk to the Point de Chalune. Along the way, you can discover magnificent scenery (particularly towards Mont Blanc and the Lake Geneva basin), all complemented by a marvellous variety of flora at the height of the season.

Details

n°22775298

Creation:
06 Jun 2022

Last update:
26 Jun 2026

Last review:
01 Sep 2025

Activity: Walking
Distance: 7.63 mi
Average duration: 6h 20
Difficulty: Difficult
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 3,251 ft
Descent: - 3,251 ft
Highest point: 6,906 ft
Lowest point: 3,681 ft

Country: France
Areas: Alps, Chablais
City: Bellevaux (74470)
Start/End: N 46.209171° / E 6.575881°
IGN map(s): Ref. 3429ET, 3528ET, 3528ETR
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Description of the walk

The route starts from the Pont de la Joux car park at the foot of the Chèvrerie ski lifts, at the end of the RD236 road.

(S/E) Cross the Pont de la Joux, follow the wide track and, shortly afterwards, turn left at the^first junction. Continue for about 250 m.

(1) Take the path on the right towards the Chalets de Petétoz through woodland. After crossing a^first forest track, you’ll come to a^second one further up: carry on almost straight ahead along the track, which leads into a large alpine meadow. ‘Pass by the Chalets de Petétoz, where a beautiful view of the Pointe de Chalune begins to emerge’. Carry on to the fork.

(2) Turn right onto the path towards the Col de Vesinaz. The walk through a landscape dominated by alpine pastures is pleasant, with a gentle climb followed by a stretch that is almost level for a short while. When you reach the Col de Vesinaz, you’ll be treated to new panoramic views.

(3) Just past a fence, continue leftwards uphill. About 10 m further on, take a path on the left. Initially, this path follows a gentle gradient, then becomes noticeably steeper after passing at the foot of a cliff. Alternatively, there are two other routes in this area (see practical information).

Further up, you’ll reach a ridge: continue to the left. Apart from a short section, the route then follows a gentle gradient before reaching the Col de Chalune.

(4) Turn left for a round trip to the Pointe de Chalune, following the path up a steep slope. Before the summit, a few sections require a degree of caution due to the stony terrain. From the Pointe de Chalune, you can enjoy lovely panoramic views of the other peaks of the Chablais, stretching as far as the Mont Blanc massif and, partially, Lake Geneva.
(5) Retrace your steps back to the Col de Chalune.

(4) Follow the path to the left downhill to reach the Col de Foron, which is not far away.

(6) Carry straight on along the path (the one on the right leads to the Roc d’Enfer). After a slightly tricky descent, you’ll reach the bottom of a valley where the terrain is less steep. At a Y-junction, follow the path on the left running alongside the stream (no signposts on the ground).

(7) Continue straight on towards La Chèvrerie. After a short while, you’ll come to two junctions; ignore both and carry on straight ahead (towards Pont de la Joux). You’ll reach a clearly marked crossroads.

(8) Turn left, following the track, and you’ll reach the Lajoux junction you passed on the way out.

(1) Carry on straight ahead and, following the route in the opposite direction to the outward journey, return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : mi 0 - alt. 3,681 ft - La Chèvrerie – Pont de la Joux
1 : mi 0.27 - alt. 3,825 ft - La Joux Dessus
2 : mi 1.33 - alt. 5,023 ft - Petétoz chalets
3 : mi 2.8 - alt. 5,906 ft - Col de Vésinaz
4 : mi 3.55 - alt. 6,207 ft - Col de Chalune
5 : mi 3.96 - alt. 6,906 ft - Pointe de Chalune
6 : mi 4.54 - alt. 6,010 ft - Col de Foron
7 : mi 5.18 - alt. 5,236 ft - Petit Souvroz
8 : mi 6.19 - alt. 4,222 ft - Crossroads
S/E : mi 7.63 - alt. 3,681 ft - La Chèvrerie – Pont de la Joux

Notes

The starting point can be viewed on Google Maps: click here

Good walking boots and walking poles are recommended.

Leaving your rubbish behind isn’t kind to the environment: take it home with you!

Overall, the route is fairly busy.

The route is generally in good condition. No significant difficulties.

From (S/E) to (1) Green difficulty
The route follows a track suitable for vehicles and is easy to navigate.
Signposts are in place.

From (1) to (2) Blue difficulty
The route runs through woodland along a clearly marked path.
Marked in yellow + signposts.

From (2) to (3) – Blue difficulty
The route follows a pleasant path through alpine pastures.
Marked in yellow + signposts.
Optional route: just before the Col de Vésinaz, it is possible to bypass it. You should head a few metres higher, following a roughly azimuth course to join the route described, aiming for the foot of a cliff, all along a route that is not too rugged.

From (3) to (4) Blue difficulty
The route continues through alpine pastureland, but the route includes a few sections with some steep slopes
Marked with yellow arrows and signposts.
Optional route: after the Col de Vésinaz, turn left, then about 10 metres further on, continue straight ahead along a path that climbs quite steeply up to the ridge. After an easy stretch, there is a challenging section involving a short climb requiring the use of your hands. Shortly afterwards, rejoin the main route along the ridge.

From (4) to (5) Blue difficulty
The route initially follows a few steep slopes, then encounters some rougher sections in rocky terrain shortly before reaching the summit (take care on the return journey).
Marked with yellow arrows and signposts.

From (4) to (7) Blue difficulty
The route starts on a steep downhill path, which then becomes much gentler.
There are a few signposts (note: there are no signs at the Y-junction, where you should turn left).

From (7) to (8) Blue difficulty
You follow a path with no excessive gradient, running more or less close to the river.
Signposts are present

From (8) to (S/E) Green difficulty
An easy, vehicle-accessible track is followed back to the starting point.
Sparse signposting up to point (1).

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5

Based on 7 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5

Route interest
4.9 / 5

zbh0170

01 Sep 2025 at 13:33 7200

Hello,

Thank you for your feedback.
The start of the trail near Col de Vésinaz is not very visible (even though it is the marked access point).

NB: There is another trail starting from the pass (as indicated in the guidebook): this one is more visible but the path is less obvious (a fairly steep climb that is somewhat exposed + a passage over a small rock that requires the use of your hands, which may be a problem for some people).

Best regards

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User 20527405

01 Sep 2025 at 13:15 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike, very varied. Magnificent view from the peak. Well-marked route, only downside: at the Vesinaz pass, be sure to take the barely visible path on the left towards the Chalunes pass. The time indicated corresponds to the time it took us, including a nice picnic break at the summit, despite the presence of a rather noisy group with a somewhat exuberant guide.

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LCT

18 Nov 2024 at 12:35 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb hike. Can be easily done in both directions. Didn't see a soul until stage three. Exceptional view.

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Pat 61

16 Jul 2024 at 07:59 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

superb view from the tip of Chalune,
be careful on the descent after the fork with the Roc d'Enfer (lots of small stones,
lower down you will encounter marmots
great hike

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Philippe 74

03 Jul 2023 at 14:09 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike. A very varied route. At the summit, there is a 360° view: on one side, you can see several parts of Lake Geneva and the Jura mountains in the distance, and on the other side, Mont Blanc and its surroundings.
To descend, we took a detour to Lake Petetoz. The atmosphere in the woods was very different from that at the summit. We enjoyed it too.

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Maxou007

15 May 2023 at 09:11 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It was a rainy day. I didn't meet many people, but I did see some chamois and marmots.

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Necky Cool

03 Nov 2022 at 13:21 3600

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 30, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant climb up to the Col de Vésinaz. The section through the forest is a little steep, but then it levels out a bit and the valley is very wild. We didn't see a soul on this section. As we had already visited the Pointe de Chavasse via various routes and I had a sore shoulder, we decided to descend a little and follow the path that crosses the hillside to reach the Col de Chalune. The path is not very well marked but is not difficult. From there, we met a lot of people and continued on to the summit, where we shared the view with no fewer than 20 people (it seems that the TV had mentioned the Pointe de Chalune the day before...). The view is magnificent and the proximity of the Roc d'Enfer is breathtaking. The descent to the pass was easy and from there we were alone again in the mountains. From the Col du Foron, the descent is very wild, through a narrow valley with a pretty little stream running alongside. In the forest, we returned to the main paths, which were a little less pleasant and quite long... A total of 5 hours and 45 minutes for a beautiful day in the mountains.

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Alain Olivier

03 Sep 2022 at 14:58 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

A beautiful hike with varied landscapes, terrain and views. The start of the hike is pleasant if it's warm, with a lovely section through the forest.
The markings are sometimes inconsistent between signs and faded markings on rocks.
The very first part of the route, which branches off to the left from the Col de Vésinaz towards the Col de Chalune, has a significant elevation gain and a few short sections on rocks requiring handholds and footholds on high, sparse surfaces. Avoid with children or people who are not experienced in alpine hiking. Instead, take the lower path through the pastures, which also leads to the Col de Chalune.

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