Thônes - circuit around Les Glières via the Col de Fleury

Departure from the Pré de Foire car park in Thônes.

(S/E) Head towards the centre, pass in front of the church, and you will come to a roundabout.

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

(2) Turn left and descend to the hamlet of La Maisondraz, before climbing back up towards Les Villards. Further on, heading downhill, cross the bridge over the Nom river. The road then climbs steeply to the D189. Follow it to the right, pass through the historic centre of Les Villards-sur-Thônes, and continue to the junction with the D909.

(3) Turn right to reach Saint-Jean-de-Sixt.

(4) At the roundabout, take the^second exit and follow the D4 towards Le Grand Bornand until you reach the first crossroads.

(5) Turn left onto the D12 towards Bonneville. Drive down the Vallée du Borne, passing through the villages of Entremont and Le Petit Bornand, and continue until you reach the D27, after crossing the bridge over the Borne.

(6) Take the road on the left (signposted Tour des Glières) and leave the D12 on your right.

(7) At the church in Saint-Laurent, turn right, still on the D27, and continue to the town hall in Saint-Sixt.

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

(9) Take this road, continuing uphill, leaving small side roads on your left. Go through the hairpin bends and, still uphill, you will come out onto the D2, Route de Torens, at the village of Les Crys.

(10) Turn left onto Route de Thorens (D2) and follow it to Col de Fleuries

(11) Continue on the D2, downhill, to the Thorens-Glières Town Hall and the D5.

(12) Turn left onto the D5 towards Aviernoz. Climb to the highest point in Aviernoz, then pass Villaz on your right and continue to the town hall of Nâves-Parmelan.

(13) Just before the town hall, turn right onto Voie Romaine (^D216A) towards Dingy-Saint-Clair. Shortly before the Saint-Clair bridge, take care as there is a steep, narrow descent through a rocky gorge. Continue on the D216, take a steep bend for 100 metres, then climb towards Dingy-Saint-Clair and reach the church and Town Hall.

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

(15) Turn left onto the small Route de Morette, which climbs steeply towards Thuy Dessous, then Thuy Dessus. Ignore the^first road on the right, then take the next one and descend towards Lac de Thuy.

(16) At the roundabout, take the^second exit, then quickly turn left onto Voie Eugène Fournier-Bidoz. Take the cycle path that runs alongside the Fier.

(17) At the oval roundabout, turn right, cross the bridge over the Fier river, 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.