The most beautiful hike around Avoriaz

AroundAvoriaz Many hikes offer the opportunity to enjoy magnificent scenery. But there is one that I particularly recommend because it is long, sometimes panoramic, sometimes secluded, and it alternates between moments where you will feel "alone in the world" and others where you will enjoy the company of others.

This hike, looping around Avoriaz, therefore, goes through stages, which can each be, separately, as many hiking objectives if you feel that it is too long to do in one go.

You will go through:

the tip of Fornet
the Chavanette point
the Brochaux waterfall
the village of Lindarets
the Joux Verte pass

It takes a whole day, starting early in the morning. And it's better to do it in that direction because the climb up the Brochaux valley towards Cuboré would be too long and unpleasant in the central part of the route.

The border ridges of Avoriaz.

In the morning, head towards the border. Yes, the ridge over which the sun rises in the morning is the border with Switzerland. And that's the direction you'll need to go, following the shores of Lake Avoriaz. To the right, you'll stay cool and shaded by the Hauts-Forts, whose accessible summit is the highest point in the Chablais region (2466m): it's the best way to start the day.

Heading towards Pointe du Fornet

At the bottom of the Fornet chairlift, you will find the path which, through alpine meadows dotted with forget-me-nots and blue gentians, will take you up the 500 meters of elevation gain to reach the 2300 meters of the Pointe du FornetThe last few meters after the top station of the chairlift are a true aerial adventure. The slope is very steep, and the feeling of vertigo increases when you see the sharp drop between the summit of Hauts-Forts and the bottom of the English Channel Valley (including the famous Gold Mines Lake (is a lovely endpoint for a hike from Morzine). Over 1200 meters of sheer drop ahead, beyond the Col du Fornet, which you have just left. On the other side, you begin to glimpse the vertiginous border ridge that separates France from Switzerland with an impassable barrier. Further on the Pointe de Vorlaz, Dominating Avoriaz, it rises like a well-protected rampart. From here, the Avoriaz plateau seems quite enclosed, and yet it is so flat and sunny! But that's not all; it's only near the summit that you will have the long-awaited encounter. On the horizon, on a clear day, the Mont Blanc Its whiteness towers above all the peaks. And that will be your reward for this first step.

Then along the ridges towards the Chavanette peak

Next, let's head to... Chavanette Point, either via the path along the ridge or via the tracks used to maintain the ski slopes. Less picturesque, but effective. The path climbs steeply to the Pointe de Chavanette, at 2200 meters above sea levelfrom which you can appreciate the breathtaking landscape before you: the Dents by Midi (above 3200m) and the White teeth (approximately 2700 meters). These peaks protrude above the border ridge when viewed from the station.Avoriaz.

The Dents du Midi, with their sharp, pointed peaks, evoke a Tolkien landscape, overlooking a bucolic scene of farms, pastures, and forests… quintessentially Swiss! the cowbells ring when the wind turns in the right direction, and you can have fun spotting them on the slope by following the tinkling sound with your ear.

High above the landscape, one feels a great lightness and freedom. The temptation is strong to stay there and enjoy this meditative moment, but the journey is still long. One must go.

View of the Dents Blanches from Avoriaz in summer

Second stage: the descent of the Vallon des Brochaux

Leave the border ridges behind and head towards the Col de Cuboré. Here you leave the Avoriaz valley and enter a valley that ends at Lake MontriondThe good news is that you're about to begin a long descent. The first slope, in the Cuboré valley, is quite steep and requires some caution. In winter, facing north, this slope is often icy and demands a lot of attention from novice skiers before they can reach the long Abricotine piste, a veritable promenade that follows the route of the path you'll be skiing in summer.

Leave her Pointe des Mossettes whose summit is in Switzerland, while halfway down the slope you're still in France, and descend following the bed of a small stream. Little by little, you'll begin to see trees, forests, places where you can rest in the shade. Because higher up, it's quite barren. Barren, but very green, the climate of Chablais Being relatively more humid than other regions of the Northern Alps, once you reach an altitude of 1600 meters, you'll arrive at a completely renovated old hamlet, Les Brochaux, where you can stop for a refreshing break in a café-restaurant. A few meters away, across a path crossed by the meanders of a small stream, you can admire a small waterfall, a popular meeting place for tourists in the area. Don't expect a waterfall with an impressive flow; it's primarily a haven of coolness, ideal for a break after a long hike.

Les Lindarets, the village of goats

Continue downhill for a few hundred meters, and you will come across the charming (and very touristy) village of Les Lindarets. This village is known by its nickname: the village of the Goats " because a herd of about forty goats roams freely among restaurant tables, cars, passers-by and shop stalls.

One will notice the architecture of the stone houses, with their wooden balconies and thatched roofs. we are shingling, small flat wooden tiles, typical of Haute-Savoie and Switzerland, which you can find in the more vertical architecture of Avoriaz.

Once a village until the early 20th century, it became depopulated, and by the 1950s, only a hamlet of dilapidated houses remained, used by shepherds who led their animals to the high pastures in the valley. Today, during the season (winter and summer), it's the place to be for buying local crafts and regional products.

After this return to civilization, it is time to go back up to Avoriaz via the Joux Verte pass.

Are there free-roaming goats in Les Lindarets?

The return to Avoriaz via the Col de la Joux Verte.

Word " Joux Means " Forests And indeed, the trail leads up from Les Lindarets (1408m) to the Col de la Joux Verte (1760m) through a beautiful, shady, and cool coniferous forest. Allow two hours to enjoy this approximately 8-kilometer walk.

This will give you time to contemplate the fvery abundant lore which brightens up the forest. Especially the willowherbtall and pink, which make a beautiful contrast with the dark mantle of the fir forests.

To climb back up to the pass, you'll start by following the switchbacks of the road to the place called "l'Envers". A path then branches off to the right and leads into the Joux Verte forest. After 2,5 km on this wooded, ledge-like path, you'll reach a fork. If you still have the energy, you can descend about a hundred meters (and then climb back up) to the... viewpoint overlooking the very green Lake Montriond which occupies the valley floor 600 meters below. It's very beautiful and photogenic. Otherwise, you can turn left and climb the slopes of the Seraussaix mountain until reaching a wooded ridge strewn with blueberries which will take you back to the small café at the Col de la Joux Verte, overlooking the Avoriaz Golf Course, opposite the peaks of Hauts-Forts and Pointe de Ressachaux, above the hamlets of the Ardoisières valley.

Willowherbs, those magnificent pink flowers of the Alps

One last effort will take you to the Avoriaz chapel, a modern work of Novarinaand the station will finally appear before your eyes.

This hike of over twenty kilometers allows you to discover the landscapes of the Chablais region. The summits are never unattainable, the alpine pastures are pleasant and sunny, herds of cows enliven the slopes with the sound of their bells, and streams and torrents flow through the valleys towards pristine lakes. The landscapes are vast, the air fresh, especially in the forests carpeted with flowers.

This hike around Avoriaz is a concentrated version of all of that. But if you prefer to experience each aspect separately, nothing prevents you from breaking it up into several outings as you wish.