High Altitude Cappuccino

🗺️ Overview Starting point:  Carrière des Chamois (1400m) Arrival point:  Refuge de Solacyre (1827m) Altitude gain:  400m Time:  ~2 hour (loop) Difficulty:  Easy Download GPS file We did this hike in winter, and it was a fantastic experience! The paths are well-organized, with sections of the summer road with snow groomed for easy walking (no snowshoes needed) and other stretches through the woods where snowshoes might be necessary, especially after fresh snowfall. You can find the full map  [here] , or clicking on the image below. It will allow you to download a detailed PDF with hike descriptions. The Route Starting from the quarry, take the left-hand path (as you face away from the quarry) and begin your ascent along the summer road. After about 20 minutes, you’ll reach a bifurcation: one route continues right along the road, while the other veers left through the woods. We chose to go uphill via the forest trail and descend via the road—and it was the ...

🗺️ Overview Starting point:  Auberge du Lac de Joncs parking (1,230m) Arrival:  La Corbetta summit (1,401m) Altitude gain:  ~170m Distance:  ~3km Duration:  ~1h30 (with a child of 4) Difficulty:  Easy Technical difficulty:  Minimal (some icy sections in winter) Download GPS file A Perfect Winter Walk It was a sunny February day, so we decided to go on a  family hike . Gaia, now almost  four years old , can walk  up to 4km  on her own, so I chose a short but scenic route:  Lac de Joncs to La Corbetta —just over  3km  in total. We started at the  Auberge du Lac de Joncs parking . Before heading up, we walked around the  frozen lake , writing words on the ice and enjoying the crisp winter air. On the  far side of the lake , the trail begins. It was marked in  pink  as a  snowshoe path , but the snow was  hard-packed . Since we hadn’t expected snow at all, we didn’t bring snowshoes—but ...

🗺️ Overview Starting Point:  Parking lot below the ski lifts in Arolla (1998m) End Point:  Same as the starting point (circular route) Estimated Time:  2.5 - 3 hours Difficulty:  Moderate (challenging without snowshoes) Total Elevation Gain:  ~150m Highest Point:  ~2150m Key Features:  Snowshoe trail, metal artworks, ski slope crossings, forest paths Family-Friendly?:  Yes, but some sections are challenging with small children Download GPS file The Beginning: Setting Off from Arolla Le Sentier des Innombrables in Arolla (1998m) is a scenic snowshoe trail featuring large metal artworks along the route. You can find all relevant information about it  here . The trail begins at the parking lot just below the ski lifts in Arolla. Walk to the end of the parking area, where the road becomes snowy, and follow it for a few hundred meters until you see signs directing you to the right. That day, Gaia was not in the mood. And when Gaia isn’t in the mo...

🗺️ Overview Location:  Les Pléiades, above Vevey, Switzerland Highest Point:  1,360m Typical Start Point:   Unmarked parking near Fayaux station  (850m) Hike Duration:  ~3 hours (round trip) Elevation Gain:  ~500m Season:  All year (snowshoes might be required in deep winter) Difficulty:  Moderate Highlights: Stunning lake views Summit with educational installations on astronomy A cozy mountain hut for food and drinks Option to return by train      Download GPS file A Special Place for Me This hike is one of my all-time classics—I do it even a couple of times per year. Les Pléiades is a large hill (or small mountain) above Vevey, offering fantastic views over the lake. It also holds a special meaning for me, as it’s the place where I proposed to my wife. The summit sits at 1,360m, just below a chalet with breathtaking views of Lake Geneva. One of the great things about this hike is its flexibility. You can make it as long or short ...

🗺️ 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...