dossier

Day 1: Arrive in Les Marecottes
You are met at the station and taken to your hotel (5 min).

Day 2: Emaney Valley/Col de Fenestral 10km/6mi/4hr or 18km/10mi/6.5hr
Today you’ll explore the beautiful Emaney Valley - shepherds still spend the summer here and you can taste their home made cheeses. You really do have the mountains to yourself and there is every chance of seeing ibex and chamonis. Two-boot walkers return along a terrace path above the valley with wonderful views before descending to the hotel. Three-booter climb past crystal-clear Lake Blantsin and on to the spectacular Col de Fenestral (2451m). There are magnificent 360o views of the Paradiso ranges in Italy, the Chamonix Needles and the distant southern Alps.

Day 3: Lake Salanfe 15km/9mi/5hr or 22km/13mi/7hr 
This morning you follow a little winding route cut out of the cliffs up into the lovely Van valley. From here you climb to Lake Salanfe dominated by the impressive Dents du Midi. There are several optional walks (to suit all levels) up and around the lake - great marmot spotting possibilities!

Day 4: The Emosson Dam 16km/9mi/4.5hr or 20km/12mi/5.5hr 
The best view of the Mont Blanc range from anywhere in the Alps can be had from the Emosson dam. You take the exciting little 'Mont Blanc Express' to Chatelard and then jump on the narrow gauge railway tram up to the dam itself. Just sit back and enjoy the panorama! There are several walks from here. The best, though, goes up to the Vieux Emosson lake and then on to the dinosaur tracks. 180 million years old and the biggest in Europe.

Day 5: Rest day: Martigny / Chamonix
There is no limit to the walking here but if you fancy a day's 'rest' take the enchanting little train to Martigny or to Chamonix. Martigny is well know for its art exhibitions, Picasso this year, and beautifully reconstructed Roman amphitheatre. Chamonix has the Aiguille du Midi cable-car, with a breathtaking viewpoint over Lake Geneva, the Matterhorn, the Jura ranges and even Mont Ventoux in the southern Alps.

Day 6: The Trient Glacier 10km/6mi/3.5hr or 17km/10mi/5hr
A train and post-bus today takes you to the once feared col de Forclaz from where you follow the Trient river to its very source, the vast Trient Glacier. You look up, from a safe distance, at huge ice boulders and yawning blue crevasses seemingly pouring down towards you.

Day 7: Gorges de Dailley or The Two Cols 10km/6mi/3.5hr or 20km/12mi/7-8hr
Two-Boot Option: Built by the locals of Les Granges, the staircase that sidelines the waterfall provides an exciting foray into the very depths of the Dailley Gorges today, with their beautiful rock formations and sparkling clear water. A steepish climb out is then rewarded with lovely views of the Rhone Valley and the Dents du Midi above. 
Three-Boot Option: A spectacular walk today crosses the two high passes - the Golettaz (2466m) and the Emaney (2462m). There’s a spectacular panorama of the Dents du Midi above the turquoise waters of Lake Salanfe, Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn.

Day 8: Leave Les Marécottes