Walking in the Haute Savoie: North - Janette Norton

Explore the northern Haute Savoie and discover a wonderfully varied corner of the French Alps, stretching south from the shores of Lake Geneva through the limestone ridges of the Salève and Chablais to the flower-filled valleys of Abondance, Morzine, and the Vallée Verte. Less visited than the Mont Blanc massif to the south, this is an accessible and rewarding walking region with a distinctly local character, historic alpine villages, and outstanding views across to Switzerland. Suitable for beginner and experienced walkers alike, this comprehensive Cicerone guidebook describes 30 walks in the northern Haute Savoie, covering areas including Salève, the Vallée Verte, Val d'Abondance, and Val de Morzine. Routes range from 7 to 14km (4–9 miles) and take between 2 and 7 hours to complete, with walks graded from easy to difficult. Choose from 30 walks across the northern Haute Savoie, exploring limestone gorges and ridges around the Salève, high summits in the Chablais including the Cornettes de Bise and Dent d'Oche, and the quieter valleys of Abondance and Morzine, with routes suitable for a wide range of abilities. Plan your Haute Savoie walking holiday for the ideal season, with guidance on local conditions showing why spring through to autumn offers the best walking weather, with alpine flowers in bloom from late spring and the valleys at their most colourful in autumn. Navigate with confidence using 1:50,000 maps included for every route in the northern Haute Savoie, alongside downloadable GPX files to support your planning and navigation on the ground. Benefit from clear grading and detailed route descriptions for every walk, with routes rated from easy to difficult and practical information on distance, walking time, and terrain to help you choose walks suited to your ability and fitness. Find practical holiday planning advice for the northern Haute Savoie, with notes on the best bases including Evian-les-Bains, Morzine, Abondance, and Bellevaux, plus comprehensive information on accommodation, Savoyard food and drink, transport, and safety. Deepen your experience of the region with sections on the history of the Haute Savoie, local wildlife, plants and flowers, and the fascinating network of medieval abbeys, mountain chapels, and historic smugglers' routes across the French-Swiss border. Extend your walking in the region with the companion volume, Walking in the Haute Savoie: South, which together with this guide, covers the full breadth of this exceptional corner of the French Alps. Plan your French Alps walking holiday with confidence using this trusted Cicerone guidebook. Immerse yourself in the valleys, summits, and alpine landscapes of the northern Haute Savoie, a rewarding walking destination on the doorstep of Lake Geneva.