Trail · Moderate
Les Granges balcony path
A loop along the mountainside above the village, with benches and open views over the whole valley.
At a glance
| Difficulty | Moderate: mountain path with some steady climbs; hiking boots recommended. |
|---|---|
| Distance | 7.5 km (loop) |
| Climb | +450 m of ascent; highest point 1,500 m |
| Time | 2 h 45 min of walking, not counting breaks |
| Start | Place de la Fruitière, in front of the town hall. |
| Waymarking | Yellow paint marks, then yellow and red on the balcony path. |
| Best season | June to October. In July and August a herd grazes above the hut. |
| Water | Drinking-water fountain at Les Granges; nothing after that. |
| Herds | Herds possible in July and August, sometimes guarded by livestock guardian dogs: what to do. |
Map and profile
A fictional track drawn for this demo: it does not follow any real path. For the same reason there is no link to an online map (OpenStreetMap or other).
Schematic map, north at the top: a 7.5 km loop that returns to the start. Start: Place de la Fruitière, in front of the town hall. The route heads north. Highest point: 1,500 m, with 450 m of climbing in total.
Elevation profile: start at 1,100 m, gradual climb to 1,500 m around the middle of the route, then down to the start.
Download the GPX track: Les Granges balcony path (GPX file, 12 KB)
GPX files open in most hiking apps. Fictional track: do not use it to find your way.
The route
- Climb past the Saint-Grat chapel, then along chemin des Prés to the hamlet of Les Granges.
- Above the hamlet the path zigzags up through larches: this is the steepest part.
- Follow the almost level balcony path for 2.5 km; several benches.
- Go down past the Les Granges hut (unstaffed shelter) and along the forest track back to the village.
Things to see
- Views over the village, the valley and the two peaks
- Larch trees, golden in October
- Les Granges hut, a shelter open to all