Tête du Pré des Saix and Chalet de l'Airon from Plateaux des Saix

Start: Start in Samoens. You can park your car at the Telecabin du Grande Massif Express cable car station.

You will need to catch the cable car to Plateaux des Saix where the walk starts and ends. (Information re prices can be found here).

(S/E) From the cable car station (Station de Samoens 1600) follow the track in a Southerly direction and then turn right and follow a grassy piste uphill and curve leftwards to an area where paraglider pilots take off from a sloping field on the right.

(1) After seeing people take off continue along the path which joins a track next to some buildings. Follow this path past the buildings (on your left) and continue past a parking area to some more buildings. The track goes to the right of these buildings and leads to a place where it splits. (signpost)

(2) Take the middle track which heads uphill. There is a wooded area on your right to start with and then the path bends to the right and ascends in a Southerly direction to a col and junction with a track on your left which leads down to a lake.

(3) Continue along the track to second junction with a track on your left (again leading down to a lake) and again continue. The track with ascend again with a broad curve to the right and then back left to a place where it joins a broader track.

(4) Turn left and follow the broader track uphill to the Tête du Pré des Saix and chair lift station. Great views.

(5) From the summit walk in a Westerly direction at first retracing the way you came. At a split in the broad track take the left hand track to pass a two chair lift station on the right and then between two others. The track now becomes narrower and it descends towards a steep edge which is marked with poles, a rope and warning signs for skiers. The track becomes more of a path as it turns and descends with the steep edge on your right side, it then descends more steeply with some light forest on your left to a T junction with another path. (This section is delightful as it is off the stony tracks)

(6) Turn right and follow the path down and around to the lake and Chalet de l'Airon.

(7) From the Chalet take the track going North, ignore the first track on the left and take the second track which is obvious and slants leftwards uphill; at the top it meets another track at a T-junction. Turn right and follow the track uphill towards a chair lift station. Look out for a path on the left before you get there.

(8) Turn left along the path and follow this to rejoin the track. (If you miss it don't worry just walk to the chair lift station, turn left and follow the track) Continue along the track which starts to descend gently. Les Biollaire chair lift will be on the right.

(9) At Les Biollaires turn right and follow the track downhill. It bends to the left and keeps on descending to La Lanche where there is a T-junction next to a building.

(10) Turn right and follow the track which undulates and generally contours the slopes beneath Pointe de la Corne. Pass the wooden building at La Corne and keep following the track, passing an area where multiple streams cross the track (this section can be wet in places). The track then starts to ascend gently through trees and emerges next to (2)

(2) Walk back along the track past the buildings and paraglider take off to the cable car station. (S/E)

Start: Start in Samoens. You can park your car at the Telecabin du Grande Massif Express cable car station.

You will need to catch the cable car to Plateaux des Saix where the walk starts and ends. (Information re prices can be found here https://www.samoens.com/en/grand-massif-...)

Facilities: The Tête du Pré des Saix can be windy but there were no obvious restaurants or places to get refreshments or find shelter. The Chalet de l'Airon is very popular and offers both food and drink. Similarly there are places to eat and drink at Station de Samoens 1600.

Note: We set off to walk to the two lakes from (2) but in August 2024 the track was blocked by a landslide (you can see the tracklog heads along the track on the left from (2) and then returns) If you find yourself doing this walk and the track is open again, a slightly longer variant would be to take the track to the lakes and then up to join the route described at (3)

Gears: This walk is made accessible by the cable car, many people then take the chair lift to the top and walk down so you will probably pass people as you walk up. It can be windy on top so a fleece or windproof would be a wise addition to your rucksack.

Terrain: It is mostly on good tracks and paths the only section which might be wet is where the multiple streams cross the track beneath Pointe de la Corne. Approach type shoes with a good grip or light hiking boots will suffice for this walk.

Great views from the summit, including the Massif du Mont Blanc.

The section back from Chalet de l'Airon is very quiet, we only encountered two other from point 8 back to the cable car station.