14 days
Self-guided
With baggage transport
Classic or comfort
Level *** 
From 1195 €
Right throught the Alps towards people and mountains... Grande Traversée des Alpes (GTA) between Lake Geneva and the Mediterranean is a long-distance journey. That's a chance to take a long break and put your daily life aside.
This itinerary runs along Swiss and Italian borders crossing five departments and some of the most famous massifs of the Alps.
1st section: Chablais, Haut Giffre, Aiguilles Rouges, Mont Blanc
This first stage takes us from the shores of Lake Geneva to the ice capital of Chamonix. We discover the Chablais massif with it's characterful limestone relief and the rich green alpine pastures of Abondance! The wild and preserved Dents Blanches massif opens the doors of the Faucigny area. Land of giant waterfalls, lappiaz and abysses and also land of heavenly mountain pastures. A few hours of hiking later we are at the Aiguilles Rouges from where we finally discover the whole Mont Blanc range, a spectacular display of glaciers and rocks. To be continued…
2nd section: Mont Blanc, Beaufortain, Vanoise
This section leads from the giant glaciers of the Mont Blanc massif to those equally imposing of the Domes de la Vanoise. On our way, collections of milk cans remind us of the authenticity of farming life in the Beaufortain pastures and then on the Vanoise the first National Park in France, created in 1963, land of ibex and marmots.
One of the benefits of being with a guide is the opportunity to discover some beautiful variants and mountain passes stress-free! The chance to feel alone in the world, in the vast preserved Beaufortain and Vanoise areas.
Daily departure from 18th of June to 1st of September 2023
Classic version in 14 days
Without baggage transport
1195€ per person (based on 2 people)
Single person supplement: 120€
With baggage transport (except days 1, 4, 6, 10, 12 and 13)
2 persons : 1650€ per person
3 persons : 1500€ per person
4 persons : 1420€ per person
5 persons : 1370€ per person
6 persons : 1335€ per person
Single departure supplement : please contact us
Supplement for baggage transport to Moëde Anterne refuge : please contact us
Comfort option (2-person bedroom for 10 nights), 14 days: +210€/pers.
Information and reservation by telephone or mail.
Secure payment
The price includes:
The price does not include:
The price is all inclusive from departure to end point.
THOLLON LES MEMISES - PIC DES MEMISES - ALPAGE OF NEUVA
Meet at the Tourist Office in Thollon-les-Mémises with your baggage. Way up with the cablecar and depart towards the balcony trail overlooking Lake Geneva. Then traverse the Mémises range and Mottay alpine pastures before descending to Novel valley. Night in a refuge without baggage.
3.5 - 4 hour walk / Elevation: +350m -500m
BISE PASS - CHAPELLE D’ABONDANCE
From the refuge, climb to lake Neuteu and Bise pass. Detour possible by Lake Darbon, under the mocking eyes of the ibex ! Descend into Bise Valley, climb to Pas de la Bosse and descend to La Chapelle d'Abondance, a typical village. Night in a gite.
6 - 6.5 hour walk / Elevation: +900m -1350m
COL DE BASSACHAUX - LINDARETS (Goat village) - VALLÉE DE LA MANCHE
Climb to Pointe des Mattes in the Mont de Grange nature reserve, home to chamois. Traverse through the pastures of Abondance to reach Bassachaux pass overlooking Lake Montriond. Descend to the pretty Lindarets village, known for its goats! Transfer to Vallée de la Manche. Night in a refuge.
6.5 - 7 hour walk / Elevation: +1250m -750m
COL DE LA GOLÈSE - FOLLY REFUGE
Climb to the pastures and farm of Fréterolles, its cows, its goats and its cheese! Cross at the foot of the Terres Maudites and short climb to Golèse pass (1666m), descend to the hamlet Les Allamands. Climb under the rock slabs of Tuet to reach Folly refuge for a night overlooking the distant lights of the Giffre Valley. Night in refuge (without your baggage).
6 - 6.5 hour walk / Elevation: +1050m -990m
VOGEALLE LAKE - SIXT-FER-À-CHEVAL
Day in the wild range of Dents Blanches. Depart towards the Combe aux Puaires an unusual area of lappiaz (eroded limestones). Descend to Lake Vogealle. Follows a beautiful descent facing the waterfalls of the cirque of Bout du Monde and Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval. Night in the village Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval.
5.5 - 6 hour walk / Elevation: +700m -1250m
COL D'ANTERNE - REFUGE MOËDE-ANTERNE
Climb to the Rouget waterfall and then to the Pleureuse and the Sauffaz waterfalls. The path reach the pastures of Anterne at the heart of the nature reserve of Sixt-Passy, a vast and high plateau where one of the most beautiful lakes of the region nestles. Kingdom of marmots and rare bearded vultures! Another small climb to Col d'Anterne and descend to Moëde-Anterne refuge. Possible swim at Lake Pormenaz, 15mins from the refuge. Night in refuge, without your baggage.
6 - 6.5 hour walk / Elevation: +1500m -350m
COL DU BREVENT - CHAMONIX
Short descent towards the Arlevé bridge. Here the landscape changes, the Fiz limestone gives way to the rocks of the Aiguilles Rouges range. Climb up to Brévent pass (2368m), then descend to Planpraz to take the cable car down to Chamonix. Night in a hotel in the valley.
5 hour walk / Elevation: +800m; -800m
Extra 1.5 hour walk if descending by foot to Chamonix: -1000m added
End point in Chamonix during the afternoon.
LES HOUCHES - COL DU TRICOT - CONTAMINES
Take the gondola to start you on your way to the Col du Tricot at the foot of the Bionnassay glacier. Descend to the village Les Contamines and Notre-Dame-de-la-Gorge.
Night in a small dormitory in the Nant Borrant refuge.
5 - 5.5 hour walk / Elevation: +600m -1250m
1 hour walk / Elevation: +250m from Les Contamines to Nant Borrant
COL DU BONHOMME - CORMET DE ROSELEND
Climb up along the Roman road to the famous Col du Bonhomme on the Tour of Mont Blanc. Then cross the Gittes ridgeline and traverse through the vast Beaufortain pastures at Cormet de Roselend.
Night in dormitory on the Cormet de Roselend plateau.
6 - 6.5 hour walk / Elevation: +1350m -700m
COL DU BRESSON - PORTE DE ROSUEL
Balcony trail overlooking Lake Roselend and climb up to Col du Bresson at the foot of the Pierra Menta. Descend to the valley of Ormette via small canals and hamlets to reach the Tarentaise valley. Taxi transfer from the Saint Guérin chapel to reach Peisey Nancroix and Rosuel. Night in a dormitory in a refuge without luggage.
6 - 6.5 hour walk / Elevation: +950m -1170m
COL DE LA SACHETTE - TIGNES
Enter into the Vanoise National Park at the foot of Mont Pourri and the Dome de la Sache. Detour possible to the lake in La Plagne before climbing to the Col de la Sachette (2713m). Descend into la Sache valley and the Tignes-Champagny natural reserve to the village of Tignes les Boisses.
Night in a hotel.
6 - 6.5 hour walk / Elevation: +1200m -850m
VALLEY OF LA LEISSE - COL DE LA VANOISE
Short transfer by local bus to the Val Claret village. Depart to discover the wide spaces of the Vanoise National Park and climb up to the Col de la Leisse. Descend the Leisse Valley with its lakes and where the 1700m south face of the Grande Casse overhangs the trail.
Night in a dormitory in the refuge Col de la Vanoise (*without baggage).
6.5 - 7 hour walk / Elevation: +1100m -650m
CIRQUES DU PETIT AND GRAND MARCHET
Leave the refuge and take the balcony trails overlooking the Pralognan Valley: Combe de l'Arcelin, Cirque du Dard, Grand Marchet, Petit Marchet, Valette Lake and Combe des Nants. Descend into the Prioux Valley.
Night in a dormitory in a refuge without luggage.
6.5 - 7 hour walk / Elevation: +1000m -1800m
COL DE CHAVIERE - VALLEE DE LA MAURIENNE
Walk up to the Chavière Valley dominated by the Dômes de la Vanoise, in a moon-like world, dotted with cairn forests. The Aiguilles de Péclet-Polset show us the col de Chavière nearby. Walk down into the Valley of Maurienne among the pastures and to Modane.
Possibility to take a taxi from l'Orgère to Modane, to order the previous day and to pay on site, shuttle at 16.30pm, in july and august).
6 - 6.5 hour walk / Elevation: +1150m -950m to the Orgère refuge
1.5 hour walk / -880m additional descend from l'Orgère to Modane on foot
End of the trek around 5:00pm at Modane train station.
Elevation: +/- 600m to 1200m approximately per day.
Walking time: 5 to 6h30 per day.
Type of trek: this tour is not technically difficult and is open to children from 12 years.
Before departure, we send you a travel folder containing:
In France trails are marked with red and white stripes for Grande Randonnée (in both directions).
It is preferable to know how to read a topographical map at 1/25000.
Two options:
Without baggage transport: you carry your baggage.
With baggage transport: your baggage is transported by our vehicle, except on days 1, 4, 6, 10, 12 and 13).
For the night without your baggage at the accommodation (you will get it back the night after), here are the things to add to your backpack (about 2 kilos are enough!):
- small toilet bag
- sleeping bag liner sheet
- change of clothes (bare necessities!)
CLASSIC
10 nights in a dormitory, in refuge
3 nights in a shared bedroom, in gite or hotel
COMFORT
10 nights in a 2-person bedroom in refuge, gite or hotel.
3 night in dormitory, in refuge or gite
All accommodation offers hot showers.
Breakfast and dinner are provided in each accommodation.
Picnics are not included and can be pre-ordered at each accommodation in the evening.
To be able to easily walk 15km (on flat trails) in 3 hours maximum.
If this is not the case, at least 3 weeks before departure, 2 to 3 times a week, we advise you to undertake some prior fitness training: 4 to 5km of jogging or 3 to 4 hours hiking or cycling. Your physical preparation will enable you to enjoy your trek to the maximum.
IGN Top 25 - 3528ET/ Morzine and Top 25 - 3530ET/ Samoëns (1/25 000).
From mid June to mid September.
Depart from Thollon-les-Mémises tourist Office.
BY TRAIN
Inbound: depart Gare de Lyon (Paris) TGV Paris/Bellegarde/Evian.
There are regular buses from Evian to Thollon Les Mémises (40mins) www.thollonlesmemises.com
Return night train: depart Les Houches at 6:32pm arrive in (Paris) Gare de Lyon at 6:18am.
Times given are indicative and should be verified at a train station or at www.oui.sncf
BY CAR
Take the A40 motorway to Annemasse, free parking.
Train or bus to Evian : ligne-141-evian-annemasse or www.oui.sncf
Bus to Thollon les Mémises: www.thollonlesmemises.com
Return: Chamonix to Annemasse by train.
Or
Taxi transfer before or after your hike.
Parking: free parking in Annemasse, Thollon-les-Mémises and Chamonix.
In Chamonix: free parking at the Biolay car park opposite the Montenvers train station, if you wish to leave your car in a covered garage, contact: Chamonix Auto Park: 04 50 53 65 71.
CLOSEST AIRPORTS
Geneva (GVA)
1 hour by car to Chamonix.
Bus and minibus services direct to your accommodation (25-35€ pp each way)
Lyon (LYS)
2.15 hours by car to Chamonix.
Train every 2 hours to Chamonix, 4.15 hour journey (40-45€ pp return)
Paris (PAR)
7 hours by car to Chamonix.
Train every 2 hours to Chamonix / 5-6 hour journey (80-120€ pp return)
End point in Chamonix.
Thollon Les Mémises: www.thollonlesmemises.com
Hotel Bellevue***: +33 (0)4 50 70 92 79 www.hotellebellevue.com
Hotel Bon-Séjour**: +33 (0)4 50 70 92 65 http://bon-sejour.com/indexen.php
Evian-les-Bains: www.evian-tourisme.com
Hôtel Evian Express: 04 50 75 15 07 www.hotel-evianexpress.fr
Hôtel Continental: 04 50 75 37 54 www.hotel-continental-evian.com
Hôtel Arc en Ciel: 04 50 71 90 63 www.hotelarcencielthonon.com
Hôtel Le Comte Rouge: 04 50 71 06 04 www.lecomterouge.com
Chamonix Tourist Office: +33 (0)4 50 53 00 24 www.chamonix.com
If you book a night in the Chamonix valley, you can ask to your hotel reception a bus/ train pass so you can use public transports for free in the Chamonix valley.
www.chamonix.montblancbus.com/en/bus-lines
If you are late please contact the agency as soon as possible on: +33 (0)4 50 79 09 16 or +33 (0)6 42 49 76 07
Clothing
Other Equipment
Bring a comfortable backpack of 30 to 40 litres for your personal belongings for the day (warm clothes, waterproofs, water, plate and cutlery for your picnic, sunscreen and your identity papers) and please keep a little room to carry a picnic and snacks.
Your baggage will be transported daily (except Days 1, 4 and 6) between accommodation by our logistics vehicle. You are allowed 1 soft, sports type bag with all your possessions inside, no heavier than 10kg. Your bag has to be carried everyday by the driver, where access is not always easy, please think of their backs! Baggage which is too big and too heavy won't be accepted by the drivers!
If you wish to prolong your holiday, we can safely hold another bag for you which you may leave with us at the departure point and it will be deposited at the end point with your other baggage.
