August 16, 2026

Hike to Mont des Dunes (Aravis)

At the beginning of summer, I went to Le Bouchet-Mont-Charvin, on a hike to Mont des Dunes: On an old map (Carte d’État-major 1820-1866), it is the name given to the small range between Col de l’Épine and Col du Fer, above Marlens. I had already been there in winter, but looking at the aerial photos, I saw what looked like a grass patch above the cliff that maybe had a good view on the valley, so I came back to check it out. I was right!

Here is a map of the path I walked:

In the morning, I took the bus from Annecy-le-Vieux to Thônes, then boarded a summer shuttle (Aravis Bus line V) to Le Bouchet-Mont-Charvin. I started walking from there: First, I went down to La Chaise (a river), then walked up to Col de l’Épine. I kept going up towards Mont des Dunes, made a detour to the viewpoint, then went to the summit (no view). After that, I went down to Col du Fer. Finally, I closed the loop and walked down to Le Bouchet-Mont-Charvin to take the bus back to Thônes.

▲ Looking towards Mont des Dunes from Le Bouchet-Mont-Charvin.

▲ Towards La Chaise.

▲ La Chaise.

▲ Passerelle du Vieux Moulin.

▲ The Vieux Moulin (Old Watermill). The ruins were recently cleared as part of the creation of the hiking trail Boucle Culturelle du Bouchet (Le Bouchet Cultural Loop).