Itinerant hiking across the Aravis Mountains

We meet at 10am in the Grand-Bornand. After getting acquainted and checking the equipment of each, we will take the shuttle to the old village of Chinaillon, with its traditional houses and chapel, representative of the former habitat in the Massif des Bornes-Aravis. We head for the balcons of La Culaz, rich in flora, to reach our first pass.

After a short descent through the forest, we climb back up to the Chalets de Mayse, located in the heart of the mountain pastures, where we can explore the theme of pastoralism. Continuing on, we reach a second pass, from where we can finally admire the view of Lac de Lessy. We then make our way to the refuge where we will spend the night. After a good Savoyard dinner, we go to bed early, because the serious stuff starts the next day!

Ready to tackle the day after a hearty breakfast, we head to the other side of the lake for our first summit, the Aiguille Verte, emblematic of the Bargy range. From here, there's a 360° panorama of the entire Aravis range. We cross the Samance mountain pasture and head up into the Maroli valley, passing numerous herds and high-altitude farms. Farming and livestock rearing are an integral part of local life, landscape and economy.

We gradually approach the Pointe Percée, the highest point in the Aravis mountains, at the foot of which we spend the night. Here we can observe the specific geological features of the limestone massif we are walking through, in particular the lapiaz fields.

After a final, slightly steep climb, we finally reach the refuge, nestling in the heart of the mountain and the ideal spot for watching the sunset. Clarisse gives us a warm welcome and we enjoy the dishes prepared with a wide range of foods sourced directly from the valley's producers.

Today, we're going to be able to observe the Queen of the Aravis from every angle, by circling around her! We start by turning back for a few kilometres to the Col des Annes, from where we switch to the commune of Le Reposoir. We are now at the north-eastern end of the range, which is wilder and less accessible. New summits are waiting for us: Tête du Château, Pointe d'Areu, Tête de La Forclaz, we're spoilt for choice.

The height we reached gave us a commanding view of the entire Arve Valley and the Mont Blanc Massif. But there's no time for daydreaming, as we have a long descent ahead of us before we can get some rest, comfortably installed in our refuge for the day.

Wake up gently, and with a view, please! Just the thing to give us the energy we need for the day ahead. The day before, we'd been on the Envers des Aravis, the southern side of the range, which we'll be exploring during the morning.

We climb up the Dière valley to the Col de Doran, which takes us between the Pointe Percée and the Quatre Têtes. Here, the landscape is drier and rockier. And yet, we soon discover a wide, pastoral plateau, a little green oasis in the desert. We may even meet some shepherds and their sheep, an opportunity to learn more about this unique profession.

We continue on our way, trying to spot a few ibex hiding among the rocks. Then we cross another pass, which is slightly technical, to cross back over the Aravis via one of the only natural crossing points in the range and return to the more visited side. A long descent through a scree slope takes us to our last refuge of the trip, where we spend a convivial evening and bring our tour to a perfect close.

It's already the last day of our tour. Today we're returning to civilisation after a wonderful interlude in the mountains. We're moving from the commune of Le Grand Bornand to that of La Clusaz. The border is marked by a rock, specifically identified, which is not insignificant but bears witness to the tumultuous history between the two villages.

We reach the hamlet of Les Confins, a must for the many tourists visiting the region in both summer and winter. We take advantage of the fact that the trail passes close to several farms to buy some local cheeses, including the famous Reblochon.

Finally, we arrive in the heart of the village and make our way to the bus station to catch the coach back to Annecy or Le Grand Bornand. After a quick debriefing and greetings, it's time to say goodbye and go home with our heads full of memories.