Pointe de Sur Cou and Chalet de Balme

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A pleasant circular with a beautiful panorama at the summit over the Arve Valley and the Aravis, Bargy, and Sous Dine mountain ranges, etc. Mont Blanc is visible. Refreshments are available on the descent as you pass by the Chalet de Balme.
This is a very popular hike, partly due to the Chalet de Balme.

Details

n°10234105
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.43 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 648 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 645 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,808 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,167 m
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Photos

View of Mont Blanc during the descent
Beautiful view of Sous-Dîne
View of Sous-Dine and Chalet de Balme
The Parnal rock and the Sous dine

Description of the walk

Access to the Chesnet car park in Orange (very busy car park). A second car park is available at the Orange Montisel leisure centre, which adds 10 minutes to the walk from the start of the hike. Departure from the car park entrance.

(S/E) From the car park, turn right away from the access road. After barely a minute, take the path on your right.

(1) At thefirst intersection, turn right and follow the signs. You will climb up through the shade of the forest on a wide, easy path. Ignore the adjacent paths. The path gradually narrows. Watch out for roots and slippery rocks. You will reach a viewpoint at the edge of the forest.

(2) Turn left towards Sur Cou. Follow the ridge for about 300 metres until you reach another intersection, then continue straight ahead. The view opens up onto La Roche sur Foron, Le Salève, the Jura and Lake Geneva.

(3) At another intersection, continue straight ahead towards Sur Cou. Begin the final part of the ascent.

(4) Pass a paragliding launch pad, then reach the bench and table with a panoramic view (under this table, there is a small box containing a guest book).
For the descent, I suggest a route that is easier on the knees.
Turn around and return to the previous fork.

(3) Turn left towards Col de Cou.

(5) At this pass, continue straight on towards Chalet de Balme. The route starts with a very gentle climb and ends with a fairly steep descent. Continue straight on at the forks in the path. This will take you to Chalet de Balme.

(6) You can stop for a drink or a bite to eat.
Continue straight ahead and cross the bridge over the Ruisseau du Pouarch stream. The descent is easy via a carriage road that is gently sloping and even. Leave a path on your left. However, be careful of the fords, depending on the season.

(7) At the intersection with another path coming from Le Chalet de Balme (shorter but more exposed), continue straight ahead and you will reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,170 m - Chesnet car park
  2. 1 : km 0.21 - alt. 1,204 m - Intersection
  3. 2 : km 1.64 - alt. 1,574 m - Intersection - Viewpoint
  4. 3 : km 2.35 - alt. 1,755 m - Intersection - Towards Sur Cou
  5. 4 : km 2.59 - alt. 1,808 m - Sur Cou
  6. 5 : km 3.56 - alt. 1,606 m - Col de Cou (1607m)
  7. 6 : km 4.46 - alt. 1,487 m - Chalet de Balme - Flan (cours d'eau) - Affluent de la Fillière
  8. 7 : km 6.32 - alt. 1,300 m - Intersection
  9. S/E : km 7.43 - alt. 1,170 m - Chesnet car park

Notes

Two-thirds of the ascent is through forest, with the rest in full sun. The descent to Chalet de Balme is in the sun. After that, the descent via the carriage road is more or less shaded.
Food and drinks are available at the Chalet de Balme during the summer season.
For more information: http://chalet-de-balme.fr
Equipment: if it is early in the season, bring waterproof shoes for the descent.

Worth a visit

La Roche Parnal is accessible via the Col du Freu after the Col de Cou (5).

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 16 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
PROM
PROM

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Magnificent hike with beautiful views. We recommend doing it in the suggested direction. Part of the uphill path is slippery in wet weather and the downhill path from the refuge is a bit rough

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Rochi1999
Rochi1999

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hike done today, very pretty indeed, thank you for sharing :-) Regarding the car park at 10:30 a.m., it was very full indeed, but don't hesitate to go quite deep into the forest, there is space along the path.
Between the summit and the pass, we took the path indicated on a sign just before the paragliding area, which was more direct and, frankly, not any worse on the knees.
To get back to the chalet, we took the direct path, which was more challenging on the knees; walking sticks are always a good idea!
We strongly recommend doing the tour in the direction indicated, and given the steepness of the initial climb, I would advise against doing it in wet weather.

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ALANGE Bonobo
ALANGE Bonobo

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike, with splendid weather.
However, while the elevation gain is correct, the distance is completely wrong.
The hike is about 11 km, not 7.
This did not cause us any problems, but for some people it could be difficult.

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Steffff
Steffff

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 01, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Good hike, very pleasant. Beautiful view at the summit.

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Gilles-a
Gilles-a

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The climb is quite steep, partly through woodland. Beautiful 360° panoramic view at the summit.
The return journey from the Balme chalet is along an unpleasant stony track.

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kaolak1
kaolak1

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike, not very busy and offering beautiful views.

The Balme chalet is a great place to refresh yourself, grab a bite to eat and take the time to enjoy the mountains.

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Nico 18
Nico 18
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great hike with magnificent scenery once you leave the forest. The climb through the forest is very steep in places, not dangerous, but it can be demotivating! However, I agree that this direction is the best because it's easier on the knees on the way down with a more gradual incline.
I parked at the leisure centre and, to be honest, it doesn't add much to the journey and the car is very well parked, unlike at the Chesnet car park. What's more, at Chesnet, it's difficult to pass other cars. I really recommend the Orange leisure centre as a starting point. Start climbing from the car park, just to the left as you exit it, and of course don't go to the Chesnet car park by road!
I used the GPX file saved on my watch, which worked perfectly.

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domicharlo
domicharlo

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb viewpoint at the summit, which is well worth the effort, with a 360-degree view.
On the way back, we took a short break at the Balme chalet, which was very pleasant.
I always use Visorando and I'm never disappointed; using the GPS track, it's impossible to get lost.
Thank you for this walk!

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passion rando
passion rando

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

I parked at Orange Montisel. I may not walk as fast as some people because it took me half an hour to reach the starting point of the hike (instead of the recommended 10 minutes). The forest is beautiful, covered in moss. I found the climb a little difficult and rocky in places. There was a majestic view after the paragliding take-off point, overlooking the entire valley on one side and Mont Blanc on the other. The Balme chalet was closed. The descent after the chalet was very difficult because the path was extremely rocky. Conclusion: it was a great effort, but I don't regret it because the view was breathtaking.

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FannyCL
FannyCL

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A few snowfields at this time of year, a few hikers and mountain bikes at most. It's still quite a climb. The Pointe du Sur Cou offers incredible views. The rest of the hike is nothing special. The Chalet de la Balme is open all year round and is very pleasant! Taking a coffee break, a picnic break and a break to enjoy the views, it took me 3 hours and 23 minutes.

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FannyCL
FannyCL

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A few snowfields at this time of year, a few hikers and mountain bikes at most. It's still quite a climb. The Pointe du Sur Cou offers incredible views. The rest of the hike is nothing special. The Chalet de la Balme is open all year round and is very pleasant!

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Abeille 74
Abeille 74

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Popular hiking trail

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Abeille 74
Abeille 74

Beautiful hike. Quite physically demanding on the way up. First part in the forest. Enjoyable in summer. The Visorando trail is very useful, as there are not many directional arrows

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guirenard
guirenard
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A good hike in 30°C weather. The first part is quite steep, but it's in the forest so you stay cool.
Most hikers do it in the opposite direction.

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gelinottes74
gelinottes74

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The climb is sometimes steep, so don't get carried away, but the view from the top is magnificent.

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