March 17, 2024

Hike to Le Brévent through Montagne de la Coquille

Last summer, I walked a loop in Chamonix: Starting from Le Brévent, I went down to Lac du Brévent then crossed Ravin du Brévent in order to reach Montagne de la Coquille. From there, I walked back up again to Le Brévent.

Here is a map of the path I walked:

In the morning, I took a train to Chamonix, then boarded Télécabine de Planpraz and Téléphérique du Brévent in order to reach Le Brévent. When I arrived, I didn’t make a detour to the summit platform but went down directly towards Lac du Brévent. From the lake, I walked to Col de Bellachat, like when I had been to Aiguillette des Houches. This time, instead, I walked a small trail towards one of the dams in Réserve Naturelle de Carlaveyron. At the dam, I found a small trail to cross Ravin du Brévent. Then I had to pass through a dense forest. When I emerged, I walked a narrow path below a cliff in order to finally reach Montagne de la Coquille.

From there, I followed a small trail for a little bit then started on the way up off-trail in the direction of Le Brévent. It was steep but not very difficult. After a while, I reached the dirt road that passes below Le Brévent and walked to the summit. After I rested, I went down to Chamonix using the cable car.

▲ Le Brévent seen from Chamonix.

▲ Mont Blanc seen from Le Brévent.

▲ Réserve Naturelle de Carlaveyron.

▲ On the way down to Lac du Brévent.

▲ At Lac du Brévent.

▲ Le Brévent.

▲ On the way to Col de Bellachat.

▲ Ruins of Chalets de Carlaveyron.

▲ Mont Blanc and marsh seen from Col de Bellachat.

▲ On the way to the dams of Carlaveyron. There was a faint trail, but I lost it at some point so I continued off-trail for a few minutes. After that, I found the trail I had already taken the last time I was in the area.

▲ Blueberry.

▲ Small stream.

▲ The stream that comes from Lac de l’Aiguillette.

▲ Le Brévent.

▲ Small dam. There are few in the area linked with canals. Apparently, they were used for small scale hydro-electricity generation.

▲ I looked around for a path but I was not looking at the right place at first.

▲ In the center of the photo, the path that emerges from the dense forest I will go through after this.

▲ I found a small trail and went down.

▲ Pointe Noire de Pormenaz.

▲ Ravin du Brévent, which is just the outflow of Lac du Brévent.

▲ Entering a dense forest of green alders. There was a visible path but the low-lying trees made it sometimes hard to pass. I almost gave up there…

▲ Out of the forest.

▲ On the way up to Montagne de la Coquille.

▲ Looking back at the path.

▲ Diosaz river below.

▲ Pointe Noire de Pormenaz.

▲ Diosaz river towards Pont d’Arlevé.

▲ From there, I took a wrong fork and walked through wet grass and stones for a while.

▲ Montagne de la Coquille (not really a mountain, more of a slope) towards Le Brévent (not visible).

▲ I walked a small trail I had scoped out earlier in the summer when I had tried to do this path in the other direction (but could not find the path down to Ravin du Brévent and ran out of time).

▲ Walking up off-trail. It was actually not very difficult.