Walking in the Haute Savoie: North

Explore the northern Haute Savoie and discover a wonderfully varied corner of the French Alps, stretching south from the shores of Lake Geneva through the limestone ridges of the Salève and Chablais to the flower-filled valleys of Abondance, Morzine, and the Vallée Verte. Less visited than the Mont Blanc massif to the south, this is an accessible and rewarding walking region with a distinctly local character, historic alpine villages, and outstanding views across to Switzerland.

Suitable for beginner and experienced walkers alike, this comprehensive Cicerone guidebook describes 30 walks in the northern Haute Savoie, covering areas including Salève, the Vallée Verte, Val d'Abondance, and Val de Morzine. Routes range from 7 to 14km (4–9 miles) and take between 2 and 7 hours to complete, with walks graded from easy to difficult.

Choose from 30 walks across the northern Haute Savoie, exploring limestone gorges and ridges around the Salève, high summits in the Chablais including the Cornettes de Bise and Dent d'Oche, and the quieter valleys of Abondance and Morzine, with routes suitable for a wide range of abilities.
Plan your Haute Savoie walking holiday for the ideal season, with guidance on local conditions showing why spring through to autumn offers the best walking weather, with alpine flowers in bloom from late spring and the valleys at their most colourful in autumn.
Navigate with confidence using 1:50,000 maps included for every route in the northern Haute Savoie, alongside downloadable GPX files to support your planning and navigation on the ground.
Benefit from clear grading and detailed route descriptions for every walk, with routes rated from easy to difficult and practical information on distance, walking time, and terrain to help you choose walks suited to your ability and fitness.
Find practical holiday planning advice for the northern Haute Savoie, with notes on the best bases including Evian-les-Bains, Morzine, Abondance, and Bellevaux, plus comprehensive information on accommodation, Savoyard food and drink, transport, and safety.
Deepen your experience of the region with sections on the history of the Haute Savoie, local wildlife, plants and flowers, and the fascinating network of medieval abbeys, mountain chapels, and historic smugglers' routes across the French-Swiss border.
Extend your walking in the region with the companion volume, Walking in the Haute Savoie: South, which together with this guide, covers the full breadth of this exceptional corner of the French Alps.


Plan your French Alps walking holiday with confidence using this trusted Cicerone guidebook. Immerse yourself in the valleys, summits, and alpine landscapes of the northern Haute Savoie, a rewarding walking destination on the doorstep of Lake Geneva.

Seasons

Spring and summer, when the snow has melted and the slopes are bright with alpine flowers; autumn, when the leaves are changing, or even winter for some of the lower walks

Centres

Evian-les-Bains, Morzine, Abondance, Châtel, St-Julien-en-Genevois, Bellevaux, Boège, Habère-Poche

Difficulty

Variety of routes of differing length and height gain, suitable for most abilities, graded from easy to difficult; none require special equipment or expertise, but the few graded difficult have some exposed sections, often protected by cables, and need a head for heights

Must See

Major peaks: Cornettes de Bise, Mont de Grange, Dent d'Oche, Pic Boré
Lakes: Geneva, Arvouin, Tavaneuse
Cols: Cheséry, Cou, Brétolet
Historical attractions: medieval abbeys; numerous small chapels, shrines, stations of the cross and statues on mountain tops; smugglers routes over the French-Swiss border cols
Nature reserves; bird migratory routes
Geological features: limestone cliffs, gorges and caves (Salève); fault-line and microclimate (Vuache)

Map key
Location of walks
Preface
Introduction
A short history of the Haute Savoie
Wildlife
Plants and flowers
Getting there
When to go
Accommodation
Savoyard food and drink
What to take
Waymarking
Maps
Safety
Using this guide

Sal&##xe8;ve and Vuache
1 Gorges du Sal&##xe8;ve
2 Balcon du Sal&##xe8;ve
3 Grand Piton
4 Pointe du Plan
5 Boucle de l'Iselet
6 Le Vuache

Vall&##xe9;e Verte
7 Signal des Voirons
8 Mont de Vouan
9 Pointe de Miribel
10 Montagne d'Hirmentaz
11 Mont Forchat

Vall&##xe9;e du Brevon
12 Mont d'Hermone
13 Rocher de Nifflon
14 Pointe de la Gay
15 Pointe de la Chalune
16 Haute Pointe
17 Pointe d'Uble

Pre-Alpes du L&##xe9;man
18 Pic des M&##xe9;mises
19 Pic Bor&##xe9;
20 Dent d'Oche

Val d'Abondance
21 Cornettes de Bise
22 Lac d'Arvouin
23 Autour du Mont Chauff&##xe9;
24 Roc de Taveneuse
25 Mont de Grange
26 Pointe des Mattes
27 Le Morclan

Val de Morzine
28 Col de Ch&##xe9;sery
29 Pointe de Ressachaux
30 Col de Cou

Appendix A Route summary table
Appendix B Useful information
Appendix C Glossary of useful French words