CONTENTS
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
Salève and Vuache
Walk 1 Gorges du Salève
Walk 2 Balcon du Salève
Walk 3 Grand Piton
Walk 4 Pointe du Plan
Walk 5 Boucle de l’Iselet
Walk 6 Le Vuache
Vallée Verte
Walk 7 Signal des Voirons
Walk 8 Mont de Vouan
Walk 9 Pointe de Miribel
Walk 10 Montagne d’Hirmentaz
Walk 11 Mont Forchat
Vallée du Brevon
Walk 12 Mont d’Hermone
Walk 13 Rocher de Nifflon
Walk 14 Pointe de la Gay
Walk 15 Pointe de Chalune
Walk 16 Haute Pointe
Walk 17 Pointe d’Uble
Pré-Alpes du Léman
Walk 18 Pic des Mémises
Walk 19 Pic Boré
Walk 20 Dent d’Oche
Val d’Abondance
Walk 21 Cornettes de Bise
Walk 22 Lac d’Arvouin
Walk 23 Autour du Mont Chauffé
Walk 24 Roc de Tavaneuse
Walk 25 Mont de Grange
Walk 26 Pointe des Mattes
Walk 27 Le Morclan
Val de Morzine
Walk 28 Col de Chésery
Walk 29 Pointe de Ressachaux
Walk 30 Col de Cou
Appendix A Route summary table
Appendix B Useful information
Appendix C Glossary of useful French words
Maps
Each walk is accompanied by a sketch map with coloured contours, showing key places and numbered waypoints that are highlighted in the route description. For additional features and detailed navigation, the relevant 1:25,000 IGN paper map is specified in the information box at the beginning of each walk. However, bear in mind that things are still changing in this region, and you may discover new ski lifts, roads or jeep tracks that are not yet on the maps.
A good map that gives an overall picture of the Haute Savoie walking areas is the IGN Top 100 Tourisme et Découverte No.144 Annecy/Thonon-les-Bains, 1:100,000.
A complete list of IGN maps can be found in Appendix B, together with details of where to buy or order them in the UK. Otherwise, it is usually easy to buy them in the region and they are sometimes cheaper in local supermarkets.
For pre-walk planning and post-analysis, all the 1:25,000 and 1:100,000 IGN maps for the whole of France are available on the internet for a very small annual subscription from www.sitytrail.com. This is the best way to be sure you have the latest editions, and is accompanied by a powerful set of tools to choose the magnification, print selected areas, superimpose recorded GPS trails and record your favourite routes online. The sitytrail subscription includes access to the same maps with a tablet or smartphone App. For offline use, especially along walking trails, it is possible to download a set of map tiles for a local area. Note that sitytrail maps are also available for Switzerland with a separate subscription.
There are numerous Apps on the market that offer GPS tracking with open software maps. On the iPhone or iPad, MOTIONX-GPS is particularly convenient and flexible.
GPX files for all the routes described here are available to anyone who has bought this guide to download free from the Cicerone website. Just go to www.cicerone.co.uk/810/gps.