Sentier du Balcon du Mont-Blanc
Overview
-
-
Distance 9 km
-
Duration 3 h 15 min
-
Ascent 880 m
Intro
The trail leads from Finhaut to Six Jeur above Emosson and offers a fantastic view of the Mont Blanc Massif along the entire route. Eight information panels provide details about geology, fauna, flora and the history of the Finhaut-Emosson region.
Description
The hike starts at the Mont Blanc Express in Finhaut and passes through the village. At the upper end of it, near Les Thiés, a signpost points to "A travers Finhaut". Follow this route until you get to the Finhaut shooting range. Various biotopes are found in this area between swamps, hayfields and rocks. The landscape consists of small, boggy valleys, bordered by boulders – the result of glacial erosion. If you continue in the direction of Tête de la Boffa, you will see odd foot and handprints on a rock on the right side, near a former sheep shed. These were left in 1927 by Louis Lugon-Moulin, nicknamed "Louis of the Six Fingers", a mail carrier between Finhaut and Vernayaz until about 1935. He died in 1969.
Near Tête de la Boffa (1426 m) the trail branches off to the left in the direction of Fénestral. It crosses a number of avalanche corridors with lush vegetation. Yellow gorse, heather, blueberries, Martagon lilies, bellflowers, fireweed and even raspberries are growing here, depending on the season. And then you arrive at Fénestral Alp at 1801 m, where the cows are summering until around mid-September. The alp is located in an old glacial cirque on a front moraine, indicating the significant forward push of the Bel Oiseau Glacier before it disappeared more than 10,000 years ago.
The hike now continues to the dam of Emosson via the "Col de la Gueulaz" at 1965 m. This is where you have an awesome panoramic view of the Mont Blanc Massif and the Trient plateau, above the edge of the forest and in the midst of rhododendron, mountain pines and juniper bushes. The trail continues from the Emosson dam past the chapel and reaches the highest point of the Balcon du Mont Blanc trail at "Six Jeur" (2062 m) above Emosson, known for “Bas-marais”, its exceptional protected biotope.
An enjoyable tour includes the careful planning of the same. Please inform yourself in advance at the local information center about the route and weather conditions. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this route may be blocked or interrupted
| Start location |
Finhaut
|
|---|---|
| Destination |
Emosson, Barrage
|
| Ascent |
880 m
|
| Descent |
140 m
|
| Distance |
9 km
|
| Duration |
3 h 15 min
|
| Duration back |
2 h 30 min
|
| Technical requirements |
Easy
|
| Physical requirements |
Medium
|
| Theme |
With panoramic view
|
| Signalization |
Signalisation in both directions
|
| More information | https://schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland/r... |
Quick Facts
Route number
