Courchevel Hiking & Walking

Alpine Wildflowers

Skirt along the park to the right (west), cross the walkway and then follow the path leading gently up to the right. Leave the bank of the lake and walk past the fishing hut. Go 50 metres along the highway, and then take the path to the right leading into the forest marked "Boucle des Bassins" (loop around the lakes). 15 minutes later, after leaving the forest, leave the ski piste and take the path on the left marked "Boucle des bassins".

Once you have walked through a large clearing (passing under the first cable car), you will arrive at the "Trois Bassins" (three lakes) picnic area. For the return journey (in 15 minutes), take the path that goes down to: "Le Praz". As you descend, leave the path by the left and continue straight on along the small winding paths. Return to the bank of the lake via the route you started on.

Duration: 45 minutes

Difficulty: Easy (picnic area by the basins)

Look out for marmots!

From the snow front at Courchevel 1550, follow the tarmac route towards les Brigues. At the communication pylon, take the Chantery forest route to the right which passes a chalet on the right. Cross the ski piste and continue along the path. Pass a gully and take the path on the left pointing to the "Boucle Fontaine Chapuis". You will pass a stream with a walkway. Shortly after this, leave the path which goes down to le Praz and take the path that rises up to the left. 20 metres before the cable car line leave the path and go right and continue on. Then take the Bouc Blanc forest road on the right, walk along it and take the path marked "Boucle Fontaine Chapuis" which rises up. Leave the path to the right, then continue 50 metres further up and go right, following the sign "Boucle Fontaine Chapuis". When you come near the Chemin des Écureuils (the squirrel route), take the path on the right which goes back down. Shortly afterwards, leave the path on the right and follow the path on the left: "Boucle Fontaine Chapuis". Go along the forest path of Bouc Blanc and take the path going down, the "Boucle Fontaine Chapuis".

At the Fontaine Chapuis, you will start the route back to Courchevel 1550. Turn right 50 metres after the fountain and leave the path and follow the path on the left to Courchevel 1550. Shortly after this, take the path on the right which descends to Courchevel 1550 and le Praz. Once you arrive on the route to Chantery, simply follow it to the right until you arrive back at Courchevel 1550.

Duration: 2 hours

Difficulty Rating: Medium (warning: route also used by mountain bikers in parts)

Avals Valley in summer

From the chalet at la Rosière (1536 m) cross the mountain stream, then take the forest path on the right which rises up along the stream at la Rosière; it then turns into a path which leads to the Poux waterfalls (40 minutes). From rock to rock, the path crosses a ford of an underground water source, then there are several steep paths before you emerge in the Avals valley below the Plan de la Porte (15 minutes).
Then take the a wide dirt track to the right which doubles back as a ridge path above the waterfalls before leading back into the forest; there is a wonderful view over the Poux waterfalls from the railed platform.
In the forest, take the first forest path, then 250 metres after a hairpin bend, look out for a small path which leads down and back to the parking area at la Rosière.

Duration: 1 hour 35 minutes

Difficulty Rating: Easy to medium – short but some steep sections

Mont Blanc peering over the Crests of Mont Charvet

From the chalet bar at the Lac de la Rosière, cross the mountain stream and immediately take the path of the Cascade des Poux on the right. After the waterfalls, and after crossing the milky-coloured water welling up from underground springs, the path gets steep and winding before coming out into the Avals valley (55 minutes).

Cross a first plateau (the Kia plain) then join another one, le Biol, where there is a stone stands as a relic of an old refuge washed away by an avalanche in February 1999. A few dozen meters further on, take the path that rises up to the left and ends in numerous winding paths on a flat shelf at the intersection of several paths. Take the path on the left which rises up to a large grassy mountain pasture slope up to the col of the Grande Pierre, the highest point on the walk.

On the left, once you have climbed up the first small peak, the Mont Charvet ridge extends opposite the Mont Blanc range. An aerial path winds down among the swallow holes in the gypsum. At the end of the ridge, take the left path, which leads to the col de la Dent. Continue left again to commence a rather steep descent leading to the floor of the small la Rosière valley.

Duration: 5 hours

Difficulty Rating: Sustained effort and a long hike.

From the Le Praz cable car, cross the Plantrey ski piste passing in front of the Snow Park chalet to join the "Chemin des Écureuils" (squirrel path), which you follow for 20 minutes. Along this route, you will cross the path of the Lac Bleu (blue lake) on the left, the Le Praz path by the Sentier des Étapes (path of steps) on the right and the Fontaine Chapuis loop on the right.

50 metres before crossing the "Les Jockeys" piste take the path on the right: "Le Praz par le sentier du Plane" (Le Praz via the Plane route). Go along the Bouc Blanc forest route and continue down along "Le Praz par sentier du Plane". Leave the Fontaine Chapuis path on the right and continue descending. Leave another path on the left and continue down. Follow the Chantery forest route to the left (west) for 5 minutes.

50 metres after passing under the cable car line, take the path right: "Le Praz par sentier de la Colombière" (Le Praz via the la Colombière path). At the clearing in the forest, take the path on the right that descends. Cross a stream with its source 5 metres to your right. At the ski lift pylon, take the left path. At the "Les Murettes" ski piste, follow the path to the right leading into the forest (do not take a shortcut, as this is a park is home to herds of animals). 50 metres before highway 91, take the path on the far left to return to the lake and arrive outside the le Praz Tourist Office.

Duration: 2 hours

Difficulty Rating: Easy

Dent du Villard in winter

From the chalet bar at the Lac de la Rosière, cross the mountain stream and proceed left towards the water. Then take the forest path to the right, leaving the lake, which leads up into the forest. After 30 minutes of walking on a good route take a path on the right that is well marked, leading steadily up into a spruce forest, this gradually turns into mountain pines. At the second hairpin bend in the path, leave the normal route up to the Dent du Villard on your right and continue straight on. Less frequented and narrower, this path overhangs the cliffs of the “Dent” and then rises up in small paths above the Bozel valley in a beautiful forest of shaded pines, bathed in the sweet scents of orchids and juniper. Just before the summit, rejoin the normal path for the ascent to the Dent.

On the way back down from the summit, follow the ridge to the south. The path winds among the gypsum swallow holes before turning off left to descend several meters on to the eastern slope (the side of the Planay valley) and then get back on the Courchevel slope. You then come out on the Chal “col” (mountain pass). Take the path to the right, which gets very steep after several meters on the flat (very slippery in wet weather) and quickly descend to the la Rosière valley.

When you arrive at the foot of the slope, cut across the botanic trail before reaching the mountain stream. You then return to the chalet bar on the right where you began your walk.

Duration: 4 hours (of which 2 hours and 30 minutes ascent)

Difficulty Rating: Fairly arduous, take plenty of water, not suitable for young children.

Lac Rosiere

The Chalet opens in July and August from 12.00 to 6.30pm. This beautiful calm place at the bottom of the Avals Valley, with its stretch of water and area equipped to welcome your barbecues, is the starting point of numerous walks of varying difficulty levels. You may discover numerous species of plant life on the botanical walk conceived by Father Fritsch, whilst in the refreshment chalet you will see exhibitions of the local fauna and flora (a collection of fresh flowers) geology, apiculture (a real beehive under glass).

A permanent orientation route is organised on this site, there are 2 possible itineraries and maps and documents are available at the Rosière refreshment chalet for just 1€.

From the Chalet de la Rosière, turn right after the bridge, then walk 50 metres and take the first path to the left. The botanic trail is maintained throughout July and August and many information boards enable you to identify the plants you spot along the way. This snakes along the eroded slope of the “Dent du Villard”, its craggy relief creating a unique variety of exposed areas, producing an exceptional array of flora. This mountain slope really explodes into bloom in July. First to arrive is the lily of the valley that soon makes way for the lady’s slipper orchid, then for some beautiful rare and protected orchids. Away from the path, you will also see the Pyrenean dead-nettle which is the only place it is found in the Alps, dark columbine (aquilegia), the Turk’s cap lily (martagon) and last, but not least, the less noticeable species: gypsophila, which likes gypsum, the bog-star, the butterwort or the bird’s nest orchid. All these plants live on this mountain of gypsum in a forest of varied fragrances which, from August onwards is adorned with thousands of coloured berries and the first mushrooms.

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Difficulty Rating: Easy

NB If you have time, try a little excursion to the “Creux de l'Âne”, where an underground river wells up out of the mountain, then a little detour to the newt pool, where tadpoles, frogs and alpine newts frolic in the clear waters.

Ibex (Bouquetin)

Go around the Lac du Praz on the right (west), cross the walkway and take the path rising up to the right. Leave the bank of the lake and pass alongside the fishing hut. When you arrive on the path, 50 metres from the highway, take the first path on the left signed "Courchevel 1850". After four winding small paths, leave the path on the right and continue straight on.

At the Trois Bassins, take the path on the right skirting round them. During the ascent, proceed to a walkway then to an intersection and take the path to the far right. Follow the Chantery forest route and take the path which rises up under the cable car. Before arriving at a gully, take the path on the left "Courchevel 1850", then 5 minutes later, take the path which rises up to the right. 20 metres before the cable car line and leave the path on the right and continue straight on. Rejoin the Bouc Blanc forest route by the path on the right. Follow this forest route for 15 minutes. Cross the ski pistes, take the bridge on the left (which crosses a ski piste) then go back up towards la Croisette to the Courchevel 1850 Tourist Office.

You can go back down to le Praz by cable car; follow the signs for the "Télécabine du Praz" (Praz cable car) at the exit of the Croisette, by the post office.

Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes

Difficulty Rating: Medium to hard, sustained effort required (warning: route also used by mountain bikers in parts)

Lac Merlet

Walk up the path which rises up slightly to the left leading to a small valley, which is serves as the Rochers ski piste in winter. It then turns off to the left before arriving at the Passage des Chapelets. Continue due south then, after slight descent, go to the left and take the ridge path which joins the Avals valley. Then follow the alpine pasture route to the first chalet and then go right in the direction of a first refuge, the Grand Plan refuge. Above the refuge, take the path which rises up on the left to the lower lake Merlet (second refuge).

Return: a little path rises up steeply behind the refuge of the Lacs Merlet, before taking the ridge path (descending gently) to the col de la Platta. From the col, follow the dirt track to the right of the ski lift, then after around 10 minutes take a path on the right which descends through the mountain pastures to le Bel Air.

Duration: 3 hours 45 minutes

Difficulty Rating: Medium

Cheese Making Cows

From Courchevel 1650, head to the hamlet of Belvédère then, in vehicles, go right along a dirt track in the middle of the mountain pastures (warning: visibility may be limited). This path goes past the Beaufort d’Ariondaz cheese chalet to reach the parking area the “pyramids”. The path then follows a steeper slope to the col de la Platta at the summit of the ski lifts. Continue straight on towards the south along the ski lift route to enter La Vanoise National Park. Then stay on the path on the far right, which rises up slightly past a promontory and then descends to the Lacs Merlet refuge (Lac Merlet inférieur (lower Merlet lake)). A path leads off to the right from the refuge on the bank of the stretch of water and the upper lake Merlet (Lac Merlet supérieur) is now 15 minutes away (2,450m). Take the path back to the lower lake, follow it and then take a path on the right that rises gently on to the moraine, overhanging the grassland of the Pêtre Plain before going back down near to the lake. After climbing back up a few meters from the banks of the lake, return to the valley via a mountain pasture track. When you arrive at a fork in the track, take the left fork that goes up to the refuge on the large plain. Once you are above the refuge, follow the path that leads off to the right to return to the col de la Platta.

Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes

Difficulty Rating: Medium