This month, get 20% off selected guidebooks to the Alps. Browse participating guidebooks on our Special Offers page.

Via Ferratas of the French Alps

66 routes between Geneva and Briancon

This guidebook covers 66 varied via ferratas in the French Alps. The routes are spread over six areas: Geneva and the Northern Alps, Chambéry, Tarentaise and Maurienne valleys, Grenoble and Briançon, amid the Mont Blanc, Vanoise and Queyras ranges. Difficulty ranges from easy, protected routes through to exposed, technical challenges.

Seasons

the bulk of the routes are open from early summer to mid-autumn, with a fair number being open from early spring to early winter depending on local weather conditions

Centres

Geneva, Chambéry, St Jean de Maurienne, Grenoble, Briançon as well as numerous mountain resorts

Difficulty

a wide range of routes from straightforward protected walks ideal for beginners to highly strenuous, massively exposed endeavours suitable only for the most daring. All routes graded for difficulty, exposure and the seriousness of the environment. A full explanation of the techniques and equipment required is given

Must See

Routes on or near the Mont Blanc Massif, Lac Bourget, the Beaufortain Massif, the Vanoise Massif, the Chartreuse Massif, the Écrins Massif, the Queyras Massif and many other scenic highlights of the French Alps
ISBN
9781852846480
Availability
Published
Published
20 Jan 2014
Reprinted
5 Jan 2024
Edition
First
Pages
352
Size
17.20 x 11.60 x 1.90cm
Weight
400g
Overview

The 66 via ferrata routes in this guidebook are grouped by area - Geneva and the Northern Alps, Chambery, the Tarentaise and Maurienne valleys, Grenoble and Briancon - and run the full gamut of challenge, from very easy, protected routes suitable for children, through to extremely exposed and technical routes for experienced ferratists only. Routes are illustrated by topo diagrams on colour photographs, and simple sketch maps. Those used to the older Italian routes will find these French routes quite different, closer to scrambling or rock climbing and often seeking out the most vertigo-inducing terrain. But most routes should be within the reach of any strong hillwalker and protection is high and well maintained. Recent years have witnessed a surge in the number of via ferrata routes set up in the iconic mountains of the French Alps. With routes set on or near many classics including the massifs of Mont Blanc, the Vanoise and the Queyras, this guide shows the best of what is now available.

Table of Contents
Maps
Updates
Reviews
Downloads
Richard Miller Cicerone author MILLER

By Richard Miller

Born on Jersey, Richard Miller first discovered a love of high places among New Zealand’s Southern Alps. His passion for travel and exploring has since led to walking, scrambling, mountaineering and climbing across the globe. Latterly, having discovered the pleasures of continental Europe, he has focused on the Alps and Pyrenees.

Like many Brits, his first experience of a via ferrata was in the towering spires of the Italian Dolomites. Having found it much to his liking, he set about visiting as many via ferratas as he could and soon discovered a burgeoning number of new routes across Western Europe.

View author profile