Multi-activity guidebook to the Haute Maurienne region of south east France. The book describes a wide range of the finest day walks, scrambles, rock climbs, via ferratas, treks and mountain biking and road cycling routes, offering all the inspiration needed for a multi-activity or family holiday.

The Maurienne valley is served by good transport links, Modane serves as the gateway to the upper valley with links from Paris and Turin served by the TGV. Lanslebourg is the largest village after Modane and offers plenty of choice of accommodation, and Termignon is a reasonably central base for exploring the Haute Maurienne. Routes vary from pretty Alpine lake rambles to mammoth mountain bike routes and include the normal route to the summit of Dent Parrachee, the Matterhorn of the valley that can be reached without crossing a glacier, and arranged by difficulty. Information about facilities and grades for each activity are carefully explained and routes are illustrated with sketch maps, topos and profiles and inspiring photographs.

The Vanoise massif is a beautiful range of mountains bounded by the valleys of the Maurienne and the Tarentaise. Sitting on the French-Italian border, the Upper Maurienne (Haute Maurienne) has a southern boundary bordering the Italian region of Piedmont. Its northern border is less pronounced, as the massif of the Vanoise blurs the boundary with the Tarentaise valley.

Introduction           

Geography          
The Vanoise National Park          
Geology          
Wildlife          
Plants and flowers          
History          
Art and culture          
Travel          
When to go          
Accommodation          
Mountain refuges          
Language          
Insurance and rescue          
Maps and navigation          
Weather          
Clothing          
Wet weather alternatives          
Using this guide           

1 Day Walks            

Route 1            Lac de l’Arcelle          
Route 2            La Pierre aux Pieds          
Route 3            Lac Blanc and Plan des Eaux          
Route 4            Vallon de la Rocheure          
Route 5            Pointe de Lanserlia          
Route 6            Hannibal’s Crossing (Col Clapier)          
Route 7            Mont Froid          
Route 8            Pointe de Bellecombe          
Route 9            High Valley Walk          
Route 10            Pointe de l’Observatoire           

2 Mountaineering Routes           

Route 11            Pointe Droset          
Route 12            Crête de la Turra and Pointe du Grand Vallon          
Route 13            Pointe des Fours          
Route 14            3000ers Circuit          
Route 15            Lessières Traverse          
Route 16            Le Petit Vallon          
Route 17            Roche d’Etache          
Route 18            Traverse of Pointe de Cugne          
Route 19            North Ridge of Cime du Laro          
Route 20            Signal du Petit Mont Cenis          
Route 21            Arête de Léché          
Route 22            La Dent Parrachée           

3 Via Ferratas           

Route 23            Le Pichet, Lanslevillard          
Route 24            The Pinnacles, Aussois          
Route 25            Guy Favre, Balme Noir           

The Victor Emmanuel Fort Complex           

Route 26            Traversée des Anges          
Route 27            Montée au Ciel          
Route 28            Les Rois Mages          
Route 29            Descente aux Enfers          
Route 30            Remontée du Purgatoire           

Via Ferrata/Rock Climbing

Route 31            Via Cordatta, Col de la Madeleine           

4 Rock Climbing           

Route 32            Rocher des Amoureux          
Route 33            Sollières          
Route 34            Rocher de Termignon          
Route 35            Blocs de la Madeleine          
Route 36            Dalles du Mollard          
Route 37            Drailles Blanches           

5 Mountain Biking           

Bike hire and bike shops          
The routes                       

Route 38            Termignon and Sollières Circuit          
Route 39            La Girarde          
Route 40            Champions’ Loop          
Route 41            Chemin du Petit Bonheur          
Route 42            The Sardières Monolith          
Route 43            Mont Cenis Circuit           

6 Road Rides           

Route 44            Col du Mont Cenis          
Route 45            Aussois Loop          
Route 46            Col de l’Iseran          
Route 47            Col du Galibier           

7 Walking Tours           

Route 48            Tour of the Vanoise Glaciers          
Route 49            Tour of Méan Martin          
Route 50            Tour of Pointe de l’Echelle           

Appendix A            Route summary tables          
Appendix B            Useful contacts          
Appendix C            Useful phrases           

Seasons

passes open in late May with the season lasting through to early October

Centres

Termignon and Val Cenis

Difficulty

Routes range from short walks and cycle rides for the whole family to sustained or challenging mountain routes up to PD to reach the highest summits

Must See

rocky summits towering over small Alpine villages and the highest cols guarding the valley's approaches; follow in the (possible) footsteps of Hannibal; reach the summit of Dent Parrachée; two-wheeled and roped adventures add adrenalin sport opportunities for a 'mix and match' visit!

Maps and navigation

The French IGN ‘Top 25’ 1:25,000 maps are excellent. They identify the main paths in easy-to-see red, and more difficult sections are marked as red dots. They are sold at supermarkets and many other shops and cost around €9 each. Alternatively, they can be purchased online before you visit and there is now the option of a laminated version. (This isn’t available in France, just in the Aqua3 online map shop.) Termignon is one of those places that is on the join of three maps, so three maps are needed to cover the whole area. An alternative is the 1:50,000 map (the Carte de Randonnées A3: Alps Vanoise) which clearly identifies waymarked walking routes, climbing sites, via ferrata venues and mountain bike areas.

1:25,000 maps

• 3534OT Les Trois Vallées Modane
• 3633ET Tignes, Val d’Isère, Haute Maurienne
• 3634OT Val Cenis Charbonnel

The most recent editions of these maps show the extent of glacial retreat in a different colour.

If you are bringing a GPS, ensure it is programmed to datum WGS 84 and the grid system to UTM/UPS otherwise all grid references will be inaccurate. Don’t forget to reprogramme it to UK settings on your return or the same problems will occur back in the UK.

Unlike the UK, paths are waymarked and signed to a high degree. The signage usually gives information in times rather than distance, and these seem to be calculated with a similar formula to Naismith’s Rule of 5km per hour. The red-and-white flashes on rocks, walls and buildings will become familiar friends, and the small cycling symbols will also be a welcome aid to route finding.

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