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SALÈVE AND VALLÉE VERTE SALÈVE WALK 1 Salève Orjobet/Grande Gorge Alt. 1285m (Salève Geneva region) Difficulty Time Height gain Maps Depart from Signposting Medium; steep up and down 4hrs 619m Editions Didier & Richard IGN No. 3 Massifs du Chablais Faucigny & Genevois 1:50,000 Cartes IGN 3430 OT Top 25 Mont Salève/St Julien-en- Genevois/Annemasse 1:25,000 Carte Touristique du Salève 1:25,000 (published by the Club Alpin Suisse Geneva Section) Le Coin 666m Could be clearer white signposts, posts with yellow arrows on green background; these have replaced the faded blue splashes and red/white GR markings, but are not very frequent, so where they are missing, follow blue splashes; at the top you are on the Balcon Paysager des Crêtes Though steep in places, this is a lovely walk up the Salève within easy reach of Geneva, and is very popular. It is better to do the walk when the leaves are off the trees as you have magnificent views on the way up and down as well as on the summit. Bear in mind, though, that you are walking up the north side, so snow may linger here in spring. The Salève is pitted with grottoes and its sheer rock faces are well-known for rock climbing and abseiling. Access (from Geneva) Go through Vernier or Troinex customs and turn right towards Collonges sous Salève. Watch for the filter on 51
WALKING IN THE HAUTE SAVOIE BOOK 1: NORTH Walk 1 Salève Orjobet/ Grande Gorge 7 D145 8 5 La Grande Gorge * 6 Alt. 1286m 1 P Le Coin Alt. 666m 2 3 Grotte d Orjobet Les Crêtes D41 4 D45 N 0 1 km 52
SALÈVE AND VALLÉE VERTE: SALÈVE WALK 1 the right to Bossy/Salève, which goes back left over the motorway and upwards to Le Coin (this is the better road). At Le Coin there is a junction. Go up right, signposted La Croisette/Salève, and at La Croisette park your car in the large parking area on a corner. Alternative Go through customs at Croix de Rozon and straight on across the main road, signposted Collonges sur Salève. At the crossroads take the road up the Salève signposted La Croisette which leads to Le Coin. Proceed as above. The Route (1) Take the narrow tarmac road which goes up on the left of the road to the Salève, across from the car park. There is a signpost indicating you are at Le Coin 666m and a signpost to La Corraterie and La Croisette. The road soon becomes stony and on the left-hand side there is a clearing with an orientation map which gives information about the geological and botanical terrain of the region (in French only). The path narrows and goes upwards through woods to reach a fork. (2) Go right following a wooden post with yellow arrows on a green background and then left following the sign to Orjobet. This is a well-defined sunken track, often quite steep, through woods. Take this path upwards following carefully the sporadic yellow arrows on a green background, faded blue splashes and intermittent GR signs (red/white splashes). After 20mins the path becomes rocky and you get your first superb view on the left of the Geneva countryside below, with the Jura on the horizon. Follow blue splashes to the right and do not go straight. There are some rocky steps and a lovely viewpoint to the left (25mins). Continue upwards on the rocky path which bears to the left. You are climbing around an overhanging rock face on natural rocky steps with an iron cable for security. About 5mins later there is an opening in the rock face which is the entrance to a large, impressive grotto, the Grotte d Orjobet. A plaque on the wall says Sentier d Orjobet crée 1905 par la Section Genevoise du Club Alpin Suisse. First you climb across a long wooden plank with steps and then walk up large steps cut out of the natural stone with another iron cable for safety. Looking back there is a magnificent view of the wooded slopes of the Salève and the mountains framed in the rock it takes about 5mins to climb through and out on to the other side. The path bears round to the right if you go straight you will go over the edge, but this is evident! This grotto was discovered in 1799 by the well-known Geneva scientist H B de Saussure, who named it Orjobet after his guide, a peasant from the village of Le Coin. In 1905 the Geneva section of the Swiss 53
WALK 2 Along the Top of the Salève Alt. 1285m (Salève Geneva region) Difficulty Time Height gain Maps Depart from Signposting An easy walk along the top of the Salève 2hrs None Editions Didier & Richard IGN No. 3 Massifs du Chablais Faucigny & Genevois 1:50,000 Cartes IGN 3430 OT Top 25 Mont Salève/St Julien-en- Genevois/Annemasse 1:25,000 Carte Touristique du Salève 1:25,000 (published by the Club Alpin Suisse Geneva Section) La Croisette 1175m Follow Sunburst signs for the Balcon Paysager des Crêtes and yellow arrows on green background plus red/white GR signs at the start. A classic, easy walk along the top of the Salève, giving magnificent views of Geneva and the surrounding countryside, with the Jura in the background on one side and the whole range of the Alps on the other. In early spring the top of the mountain is carpeted with small white and purple crocuses, followed later by a blaze of dandelions. (See Walk Number 1 and the section on Salève in the introduction for more information on this region.) Access (from Geneva) Go through Vernier or Troinex customs and turn right towards Collonges sous Salève. Watch for the filter on the right to Bossy/Salève, which goes back left over the motorway and upwards to Le Coin (this is the better road). At Le Coin there is a junction. Go up right signposted La Croisette/Salève. At La Croisette you will see the large parking area on a corner. Alternative Go through the customs at Croix de Rozon and straight across the main road, signposted La Croisette, which leads to Le Coin see above. 57
WALKING IN THE HAUTE SAVOIE BOOK 1: NORTH Walk 2 Along the top of the Salève La Grande Gorge * P Alt. 1286m * 7 6 4 5 Grange Gaby Grotte d Orjobet D41 La Pile 8 Les Crêtes 3 2 Auberge des Montagnards N 1 La Croisette 0 1 km 58
SALÈVE AND VALLÉE VERTE: SALÈVE WALK 2 The Route (1) Facing the line of Alps, turn left (signpost says Télépherique 6km/ Monnetier 11km), walk by the Auberge des Montagnards and bear right up a jeep track. Go straight along this grassy track, passing a house on the left and keeping parallel to the road do not go right. To the left is a fantastic view of the valley below and the town of Geneva with the Jura mountains on the horizon. Behind is the Bellegarde Gap with the Fort Ecluse one side and the Vuache ridge (see Walk Number 6) on the other. Regain the road after 10mins (it goes all the way along the top and you meet it again later on) following the signpost Balcon Paysager des Crêtes. (2) Follow the road up for about 10 mins (up on the left is the TV aerial of Les Crêtes). After passing a wooden chalet on the left, look for a jeep track going down right and a signpost Sous les Crêtes, alt. 1220m, indicating Balcon Paysager des Crêtes (20mins). (3) The fenced jeep track initially loses height as it traverses round the mountain with the Alps on the right. You come to a large barn and house called La Pile, alt. 1230m. Follow the track in front of the farm buildings, which then becomes wide and grassy as it goes through an attractive old gnarled beech wood, passing two stagnant ponds, the second one in front of a newly renovated house called Grange Gaby. The view of the Alps and Mont Blanc along this path is considered the finest in the Geneva region, and it inspired the famous 18th-century Genevese naturalist H B de Saussure to explore the Alps further. (4) Just before Grange Gaby, turn right before a gate and follow the yellow arrows down and round, skirting the house and pond to reach the wide track again. Turn right at another signpost at Grange Gaby, alt. 1210m (45mins). (5) Go up left, following the sign Balcon Paysager des Crêtes on a track going up gently through woodland there are carpets of white crocuses all along here in springtime. Follow the posts with yellow arrows bearing up right at a fork to reach the D41 at an iron gate. You see the building of the television tower ahead (1hr). (6) Cross the road (you can also detour up the road to the TV tower where there is a wonderful view over Geneva with the Jura beyond) and go through a gap in the fence on to a grassy path. This path goes left and back along the top of the Salève parallel to the D41 on the left. There are detours to the right which are worth taking to get good views of the dramatic gorge (La Grande Gorge, see Walk Number 1) which dissects the north face of the mountain, and the lake and town of Geneva in the valley below. After a few minutes you meet the road again briefly before bearing 59
End of extract from Walking in the Haute Savoie: North For more information and to buy this book click here ISBN: 9781852844103 CICERONE Guides for walkers, trekkers, mountaineers, climbers and cyclists www.cicerone.co.uk