High Altitude Cappuccino

🗺️ Overview Starting point:  Les Avants (974m) Arrival:  Sonloup (1,157m) Altitude gain:  ~250m + some ups and downs for a total of 350m Duration:  ~2 hours (loop) Difficulty:  Easy Best season:  June (for peak narcissus bloom) Family-friendly:  Yes (even suitable for young children) Funicular option:  Yes (Sonloup–Les Avants) Download GPS file This hike is a classic for me—one I’ve done many times and make sure to do almost every year. It’s the perfect way to inaugurate my new blog label,  “Classics” —trails that I return to again and again because they never disappoint. The ideal period for this family-friendly loop hike is  June , when the narcissus flowers are in full bloom. During this time, the alpine pastures transform into a breathtaking white carpet of blossoms, making it a truly magical experience. Starting Point: Les Avants The hike begins in  Les Avants , where there’s a parking area in front of the train station. From ...

🗺️ Overview Starting Point:  Les Clées (580m) End Point:  Saut du Day Waterfall (650m) Alternative Ending:  Le Day (800m) Distance:  ~5 km (one way) Estimated Time:  ~1 hour to the waterfall (longer with kids) Difficulty:  Easy to moderate (some steep edges, narrow paths) Family-Friendly?:  Yes, with supervision in some sections Notable Features:  Scenic river views,  a mysterious  tunnel and a waterfall with a beach area Download GPS file The Start: Les Clées to the Trailhead This hike is a  classic  for families, offering beautiful scenery and a  cool waterfall  at the end. Plus, for me, it’s only 15 minutes from home—so I visit often! The  Gorges de l'Orbe  trail runs from Orbe to Vallorbe, but the best section lies between  Les Clées and Le Saut du Day . I recommend starting in  Les Clées , where you’ll also find a  castle with a bar —a great spot to relax post-hike. The trailhead is loca...

🗺️ Overview Location : Nevegal, Belluno (Italy) Start point : Restaurant La Casera (approx. 1400m) End point : Rifugio Bristot (a bit over 1600m) Time : ~1 hour 15 minutes to the hut Difficulty : Easy to moderate Highlights : Optional scenic ridge path with views of Lake Santa Croce Malga Faverghera with botanical garden and viewpoint Panoramic 180° view of the Dolomites from Rifugio Bristot Optional extension : Rifugio Visentin (1776m, +1h, less scenic) Best for : Families, casual hikers, lovers of polenta and mountain views Download GPS file This hike is beyond classic. For me, it's  the  classic of classics. It takes place in Nevegal—the mountain where my parents bought a chalet when I was born. I think I’ve been there at least once every year since, so let’s say… 30 times and counting. The Hike The most typical route we do starts at  Restaurant La Casera  (around 1400m) and climbs to  Rifugio Bristot , which sits just above 1600m. The beginning is probably ...

🗺️ Overview Start point : Cergniaule (1300m), above Les Avants Best season : Winter with snowshoes or late spring Estimated duration : ~2h solo, ~3h in snow or with kids Elevation  : about 350m Highest point : ~1630m unnamed pass Download GPS file This is, for some reason, one of my spring rituals. I hike it every year around March or April, even though I always end up recommending it more as a  snowshoe trail in full winter . Still, there's something about that in-between season that draws me here—when the snow is receding, but not quite gone. Starting the Hike The trail starts in  Cergniaule (1300m) , just above Les Avants and a bit past the  Sonloup funicular’s top station , which also marks the highest point of the famous  Narcisses hike . There's a small  parking area  and a  public refuge  that's always open. In spring, you’ll usually find a tiny café open too—great for a quick coffee before heading off. The road splits almost immediat...

🗺️ Overview Starting point:  Moléson-sur-Gruyère funicular base station (1100 m) Highest point and destination:  2022 m Ascent time:  ~2.5 hours Difficulty:  Moderate (steep sections) Options:  Hiking trail or via ferrata (K4 or K5) Download GPS fIle Moléson is another of my classics.  I do it almost every year—it’s a perfect spring hike: long enough to train, low enough to be snow-free by mid-May, and with the added bonus of the Magic Pass cable car for a quick descent. It’s ideal for a half-day outing. The hike begins just left of the funicular station in Moléson-sur-Gruyère. A gravel road leads up through picturesque pastures dotted with alpages and cows—it looks like being in a Swiss postcard. After about 15 minutes, the road steepens significantly (it is a good training trail I said after all!). Here, you’ll see a trail sign showing two options for reaching the summit. In fact to get to the summit you have to turn around the mountain and reach it from...

After the hikes starting from Col du Mollendruz, Le Suchet is closer to home for me. Therefore, it counts as a classic—I’ve done it many times! As is typical for Jura hikes, you can approach it from various sides, and even more so for Le Suchet—even from France! Here’s a quick inventory of the main routes: From Grange Neuve :  40 minutes to the summit, a 2-hour loop with 370m elevation gain in total if returning along the ridge (see detailed description below). From Baulmes :  12.6 km round trip with 910m elevation gain. A challenging route. From Refuge du Chaudron :  7.2 km and 860m elevation gain. Steep, especially at the beginning. From Mathulaz :  4.2 km and 440m elevation gain. It’s a midpoint of the previous option and reachable by car. From Entre Les Fourgs  (Jougne, FR):  16 km and 700m elevation gain. Quite a long route! In this post, I’ll dive into the first one—from Grange Neuve—because it’s the perfect, easy family hike. Download GPS file Grange...