53 day walks, 5 tours between 2 and 8 days duration, plus 40 short outings in the mountain area south of Mont Blanc, which includes the Vanoise National Park.
INTRODUCTION Access and Accommodation Centres, Tourist Offices and Campsites When to Go The Weather Maps and Books Accompagnateurs Footpaths Grading of Walks and Time Required Walking Strategy Security Refuges Some general information Geology Flora Fauna The Vanoise National Park Food and Drink The Off Day The Short Walks Using the Telephone in France Key to Maps Walk grade(s) given in parentheses CHAPTER 1: AROUND THE COL DE LA MADELEINE Introduction 1.Col du Loup and Lac Freydon (2 or 3) 2.The Portes de Montmelian (3) 3.Pointe des Arangles (3) 4.Mt Bellacha (4) 5.Combe des Marmottes Noires, Mt de la Perriere and Mt Bellacha (4) 6.The Cheval Noir (4) Some short walks CHAPTER 2: MERIBEL, COURCHEVEL AND PRALOGNAN Introduction 1.Col de la Vanoise (2 or 3) 2.Pic de la Vieille Femme (3 or 4) 3.Tour du Glacier de la Vanoise (3 and 4) 4.Col Rouge and Col and Pointe des Fonds (4) 5.Col Rouge and Col du Soufre from Meribel (3) 6.Col de la Platta, Lacs Merlet and Petit Mt Blanc from Courchevel (2) Some short walks CHAPTER 3: BETWEEN BOURG ST MAURICE AND CHAMPAGNY Introduction 1.Mt Jovet (2 or 3) 2.Lac de la Plagne (2) 3.Aiguille Grive and Col d'Entreporte (3 or 4) 4.Refuge du Mt Pourri and Col d'Entreporte (3) 5.The Signal des Deux Tetes (2) 6.Refuge de la Martin and Glacier de la Savinaz (2) 7.La Gurraz to Villaroger via Refuge de Turia (2) 8.Tour of Mt Pourri (2) Some short walks CHAPTER 4: THE BEAUFORTAIN AND NORTHERN TARENTAISE Introduction 1.Pas de l'Ane and Mt Mirantin (3 and 4) 2.The Lacs de la Tempete via Col de la Louze (2) 3.Cormet d'Areches and Mt Coin (2) 4.Crete du Rey (4) 5.Pointe de Combe Benite (3) 6.Rocher du Vent and Crete des Gittes (2) 7.The Tour of the Beaufortain (2 with some 3) 8.Col de la Charbonniere and Mt Rosset (3) 9.Col du Grand Fond (2 with some 3) 10. The Grand Chatelet (4) 11. Aiguille de Praina (4) 12. Pointe de la Terrasse (4) 13. Cinq Lacs and Col de la Nova (2 and 3) Some short walks CHAPTER 5: LES CHAPIEUX TO THE NANT CRUET Introduction 1.Col de Faux Ouillon (2) 2.Mt Miravidi and the three cols: du Breuil, des Veis and des Rousses (4) 3.Aiguille de Clapet (2 then 4) 4.The Lancebranlette and Lac Sans Fond (2) 5.Mont Valezan (2 then 4) 6.Lac du Retour via Passage du Retour (3) 7.Tour of the Dents Rouges (4) 8.Les Cascades du Rutor (2 or 4) 9.The Montseti Lac Noir (2) 10. Col de la Sassiere (3) 11. Col du Mont (2) 12. Tour de l'Archeboc 13. Col de l'Aiguille and Pointe de la Foglietta (2 then 4) 14. Pointe d'Archeboc (4) 15. The Lac Noir and its col (2 then 3) 16. The Nant Cruet (3) Some short walks CHAPTER 6: AROUND VAL D'ISERE Introduction 1.Rocher de la Davie (3) 2.Barrage de la Sassiere, Passage de Picheru and Plan du Cheval (3) 3.Refuge de Prariond, Col de la Galise and Grand Cocor (3, possibly 4) 4.Pointe des Lessieres (4) 5.Pointe des Fours and Col de Bezin (4) 6.Circuit des Pointes des Lores (3) 7.Balcon du Carro (2) 8.Plan des Evettes (2 or 4) Some short walks
I have spent the major part of my life in the North of England, working both in Industry and the University sector. In 1979 my wife and I bought an apartment at Bourg St Maurice for the skiing and soon found that the region around had considerable attraction for walking in summer. As it is just to the south of Mt Blanc, the big mountain has taken all the attention and the Tarentaise has been rather ignored by the Brits. There are many walks of good quality in beautiful places, well documented in the French guides but with often a lack of information on how to get to the start of the walks. We therefore investigated the area in depth and built up a mass of knowledge which I have been able to pass on in the form of the Tarentaise guide. It was a natural step to cross the frontier into Italy and follow the Via Alta, whence the Grand Paradiso guide. The whole of the Graian Alps is very beautiful and days spent in these hills are always highly rewarding, to come back to again and again, and indeed, we now live here permanently to enjoy the views and the marvellous flora.