Alps Self Guided Walking Holidays
Hotel du Lac is located on the edge of Lac de Montriond and a 5 minute drive from Morzine. The hotel is on the doorstep of some of the best mountain walks in Europe, including outstanding views of Mont Blanc and beyond. We absolutely love hiking in the Alps and our carefully curated self-guided routes provide the best available day walks in the Portes du Soleil mountain range. With our comprehensive route directions and detailed maps to hand, you can explore the delights of the alpine scenery at your own pace. It is a truly stunning place and we can’t wait for you to come and explore! The cost for our self-guided 5 day walking package is €195 – individual days can be booked if you don’t want to do all 5 days. Please also note that although we have an example walking itinerary on this page we have lots of different options for different hiking abilities.
Our Self Guided Walking Holidays - What’s Included
- Transport to and from the self guided walking start and end points.
- Use of detailed route guides and maps – this includes both hard copy maps and a download onto your phone.
- Portable phone battery charger – this is particularly important if you are using our digital maps on your phone.
- 5 lunches (for the 5 self guided walks) – baguette, meats + cheeses, fresh fruit, energy bar.
- 1 large water flask.
EXAMPLE WALKING Itinerary
Day 1 – Lac de Joux Plane
A gentle loosener of a walk before the tougher climbs throughout the week. The walk begins at the charming Lac de Joux Plane where you can grab a coffee overlooking the beautiful lake. Head up to the scenic viewpoint with stunning views to the south before a gradual incline for the latter half of the day. This hike has much less incline than the routes later in the week.
Grade 1: Easy walking with few ascents or descents on gentle terrain
Day 2 – Mont Chery
TOTAL DISTANCE: 13.2KM. ELEVATION GAIN: 919M
The day begins in a cow field in La Cote-d’Arbroz. Head through the trees until you arrive along a ridge that offers stunning views all the way to the Col de l’Encrenaz. Head down and enjoy the views from the terrace of the isolated yet beautifully appointed Alt. 1490 exclusive Mountain Lodge. The toughest ascent of the day begins from the south side of Mont Chery summiting at 1811m before following the trails down to Les Gets.
Grade 2: Easy to moderate walking with some ascents and descents
Day 3 – Col de Cou
TOTAL DISTANCE: 15.5KM. ELEVATION GAIN: 622M
Enjoy the 15 minute drive along the Vallee de la Manche before beginning the day at the serene Lac des Mines d’Or. It’s all up hill from here as you summit at the Col de Cou at 1967m. The views back down the valley and into Switzerland are breathtaking and offer the perfect stop to enjoy your lunch. Head back down along the river to Morzine – not forgetting to take in the beautiful Casade de Nyon on the way.
Grade 4: Moderate to challenging walking on rugged terrain with significant ascents and descents
Day 4 – Morzine to Samoens
TOTAL DISTANCE: 15.8KM. ELEVATION GAIN: 558M
Starting in the Vallee de la Manche again but the walk begins heading south until you reach the Pointe de Golese (1665m). Enjoy a stop at the refuge here before enjoying the walk down to Samoens town through the forests and cow fields. Samoens itself is a stunning medieval town worth a stop before being collected and brought back to Morzine in the late afternoon.
Grade 3: Moderate walking on more varied terrain with regular ascents and descents
Day 5 – Pointe de Ressachaux
TOTAL DISTANCE: 10.1KM. ELEVATION GAIN: 1094M
The final day and the toughest of the week. But the views from the top are simply breathtaking and worth the 1000m elevation gain! Beginning at the foot of the forest just a 3 minute drive out of Morzine it takes around 1 hour of walking before emerging into the clear. The views just keep getting better until the summit of the Pointe de Ressachaux at 2097m. Enjoy the walk down – you have earned it!
Grade 5: Challenging hikes with significant ascents and descents on challenging terrain
Is this trip right for me?
The package includes 5 days of walking with various ascents and descents. The walks vary in distance but will generally take between 4 – 6 hours to complete depending on your speed. The times indicated include a lunch break and photo stops. The maximum altitude is 2100m with an average altitude of about 1300m. Some routes are rocky and quite steep but most sections in general are well maintained. Each daily walk is rated on the below 5 grade scale. Please note that if you feel a specific walk is too challenging then we have other routes available. All walks are non-technical and should be possible for anyone in good health who is reasonably fit.
Grade 1: Easy walking with few ascents or descents on gentle terrain
Grade 2: Easy to moderate walking with some ascents and descents
Grade 3: Moderate walking on more varied terrain with regular ascents and descents
Grade 4: Moderate to challenging walking with significant ascents and descents
Grade 5: Challenging hikes. Significant ascents and descents on challenging terrain
Weather Information
From the beginning of June to the end of September the weather is typically very nice in the Rhone-Alps, however all mountain ranges create their own weather patterns and the Alps are no exception. Hot humid days followed by early evening thunderstorms are not unusual. Temperatures during the day range from 15 to 25ºC in the valleys (although it can sometimes reach 30ºC in July/August), 5 to 20ºC at altitude (though it will feel colder if wet and windy) and 5 to 15ºC in the valley at night.
Snow is possible at the higher altitudes throughout the summer but quite unlikely. The itinerary for all self guided walking trips may also be altered depending on the weather, the conditions of the route, the abilities and/or wishes of the group, or other local factors.
What to Bring
In addition to your standard outdoor clothing we suggest you bring:
- Walking boots with good ankle support and a strong sole.
- Waterproof/windproof jacket (preferably Gore-Tex) and waterproof trousers.
- Hat and gloves (even in August).
- Warm 2 season jacket or sweater/fleece.
- Rucksack to carry items during the day.
- Sun hat (the sun in the Alps has a very high UV factor and is very intense), sun screen and lip balm.
- Dry flow wicking clothing rather than cotton – it dries much quicker and is more comfortable when trekking.
- Walking poles.
- Phone charger battery (if using phone for directions the battery life will decrease significantly) – we supply these but you may want to bring your own.
Spring and Autumn Holidays
June and September are amazing times to visit the Rhone Alps. The routes and trails are likely to be quieter, allowing you to enjoy the stunning views in a more tranquil setting. In Autumn the lush green of summer is slowly replaced by the colours of nutty browns, orange, hazel and mustard yellow.
Morzine, Montriond and the surrounding area will be open for business however expect some bars and restaurants to be closed in Spring and Autumn.
Various mountain restaurants and cafes may also be closed. The walking itineraries may be changed during these dates to cater for this. The routes will be similar and we will ensure that the grading and overall theme of the walks is close to the walks that are described on this page.
The Pictures
So what will you see on your self guided walking holiday in the French Alps? Fortunately we can answer that question with the below images. We had the pleasure of welcoming the multi award winning photographer Dan Burton to stay at the hotel. Dan has travelled the world over a number of years snapping some of the most incredible scenery. He has won a huge number of awards not least being named the National Geographic Traveller Grand Prize Winner. During his stay with us he took a number photos in the Portes du Soleil and beyond. The below pictures will give you a taste of some of the scenery to expect in the French Alps!
