Thônes - circuit around Les Glières via the Col de Fleury

Start from the Pré de Foire car park in Thônes.

(S/E) Head towards the centre, pass the church, and you’ll come to a roundabout.

(1) Take the^second exit, then, after 50 metres, turn right onto Rue Favre, heading towards Collège Saint-Joseph. Continue until you reach Route de Glapigny. After a bend, a steep climb leads to a Fork in the road, near a cross.

(2) Turn left here and head downhill to the hamlet of La Maisondraz, before climbing again towards Les Villards. Further on, heading downhill, cross the bridge over the River Nom. The road then climbs steeply, leading onto the D189. Follow it to the right, pass through the historic centre of Les Villards-sur-Thônes, and continue until you reach the junction with the D909.

(3) Turn right towards Saint-Jean-de-Sixt.

(4) At the roundabout, take the^second exit onto the D4 towards Le Grand Bornand, and continue to the first junction.

(5) Turn left onto the D12, towards Bonneville. Drive down the Vallée du Borne, passing through Entremont.

(6) Pass through Le Grand Stream and head towards Le Petit Bornand-les-Glières. Continue until you reach the D27, after crossing the bridge over the Borne.

(7) Take the road on the left (signposted ‘Tour des Glières’), leaving the D12 on your right.

(8) At Saint-Laurent church, turn right, staying on the D27, and head for Saint-Sixt Town Hall.

(9) At the corner, leave the D27 and turn left onto Route du Village. Cross the railway line and head for Route des Luches on the left.

(10) Take this road, continuing uphill, ignoring the small side roads on the left. Pass the hairpin bends and, still climbing, you’ll come out onto the D2, Route de Torens, near the village of Les Crys.

(11) Turn left onto Route de Thorens (D2) and follow this road to the Col de Fleuries

(12) Continue down the D2 until you reach Thorens-Glières Town Hall and the D5.

(13) Turn left onto the D5, towards Aviernoz. Climb to the highest point at Aviernoz, then pass Villaz – which you’ll leave on your right – and head for the town hall at Nâves-Parmelan.

(14) Just before the town hall, turn right onto the Voie Romaine (^D216A), towards Dingy-Saint-Clair. Shortly before the Saint-Clair bridge, take care: there is a steep, narrow descent through a rocky gorge to negotiate. Continue along the D216, pass a steep bend over a distance of 100 metres, then climb towards Dingy-Saint-Clair until you reach the church and the town hall.

(15) A few metres further on, turn right onto the D216, towards Thônes. Pass through La Balme-de-Thuy and arrive at a junction, a few metres after the footbridge over the River Fier.

(16) Turn left onto the small Route de Morette, a steep climb, towards Thuy Dessous, then Thuy Dessus. Ignore the^first road on the right, then take the next one and head down towards Lac de Thuy.

(17) At the roundabout, take the^second exit, then turn left straight away onto Voie Eugène Fournier-Bidoz. Follow the cycle path that runs alongside the River Fier.

(18) At the oval-shaped roundabout, turn right, cross the bridge over the River Fier, and follow the cycle path to the Pré de Foire car park in Thônes (S/E).

The first part, the road behind Villards-sur-Thônes, is challenging. You can avoid it by taking the D906.

At the exit towards the Saint-Clair bridge, the descent is very steep and runs through a narrow gorge. Passing another car can be difficult, so make sure the road is clear.