Circular route via the Col des Contrebandiers starting from Veyrier-du-Lac

Date of your route : Mar 12, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, but dangerous as the descents are narrow, very slippery paths running alongside the ravine, especially if it has rained the day before (though there are lovely views of the lake and fields through the trees). You need to add 80 metres of elevation gain to the stated figure, and 1 km. In my opinion, the hike is more ‘difficult’ than ‘moderate’. And it’s hard to find somewhere to park as parking is prohibited along the entire Corniche road.

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Date of your route : Sep 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We chose this route so we could enjoy both the mountains and the lake! A beautiful day.
Parked at the town hall, free on weekends, Veyrier is an extremely busy village during the summer months. Follow the small path to the right of the church, "Chemin du Peril", to reach the starting point indicated by Visiorando. It is no longer possible to park on the road indicated by Visio.
There was one point where we hesitated, number 6 or 7 at the end of the hike, it wasn't clear, which led us to take the wrong direction, adding 4.6 km to the final hike on a dangerous road. Hitchhiking is a good solution to avoid the extra kilometres !

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Date of your route : May 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

The start of the hike is a long, steady climb: very pleasant.
The descent, on the other hand, was extremely tough.
It had rained all the previous week, and there was mud everywhere. Our shoes were caked in it, and some sections were very slippery, even dangerous in places.
The route mainly follows the forest path: it must therefore be extremely pleasant in warm weather. Views of the surrounding peaks are few and far between but very beautiful.

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Date of your route : Jul 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A slightly challenging route near Annecy to keep fit!
Sometimes the path isn’t very clear, but the app helps you get back on track if you stray from the route! This feature of the app is very reassuring!
I really enjoyed sharing the route and its progress with others.

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Date of your route : Mar 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Right, let me make this clear straight away: our opinion is probably a bit skewed by the weather – dry but cloudy, so no views... The approach to the pass is quite pleasant; it climbs steeply through the forest. The GPX track isn’t entirely up to date, but there’s nothing out of the ordinary. Next, the section described as being on the ridge actually takes place below the ridge, on the hillside. The descent is quite steep on a very narrow, slippery path where you really have to watch your step. In short, nothing particularly special apart from spending another lovely day in the mountains.

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Date of your route : Oct 04, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk with a steep climb at the start. The view of the lake is obscured by the trees.

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Date of your route : May 11, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

one would be tempted to go via the summit of Mont Baret

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Date of your route : May 09, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

I can confirm that this hike is best done when the trees have shed their leaves, as otherwise there’s no clear view.
Started from the Col du Bluffy. Very steep ascent and descent. The path was quite slippery due to the rain the previous week.
Make sure you have good shoes and walking poles.

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Date of your route : Mar 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A brilliant hike!! The path is easy to follow (a bit less so towards the end, but it was fine overall if you followed the GPS signal); at the top of the hike there’s snow and mud (make sure you’ve got good hiking boots). The scenery in the forest and the views of the mountains are stunning. Best done when the trees have shed their leaves so you can really take in the views, and when the sun’s out!

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