September 9, 2020

Abandoned train tracks in Annecy & Tunnel de la Puya

The railway line from Annecy to Albertville started operating in 1901 and closed to passenger traffic in 1938. Freight traffic kept running until 1964 when it shut down for good. In 1975, parts of the line on the west side of Lake Annecy were converted into a bike path: The Voie Verte du Lac d’Annecy. More of the line (until Ugine, near Albertville) was converted later in 2005. However, some of the rails in Annecy, west of the train station until a bit before Tunnel de la Puya (under the Semnoz), still remain. There is also a section of abandoned tracks in the Zone Industrielle de Vovray that used to be connected to the old Annecy-Albertville line.

I walked alongside those train tracks last fall: First, I walked from the train station to the ends of the train tracks in Vovray. Some parts were fenced off so I had to walk around. Some other time, I went back to the place where the line branched off towards Albertville and followed its course until Tunnel de la Puya, which was walled off. I walked on the Semnoz to get to the other side, in Sevrier. The exit of the tunnel was still open. I walked a little in the tunnel from there, but it was pretty dark so I didn’t go very far.

August 17, 2020

Hike from Poisy to Cran-Gevrier: Gorges du Fier, Parc Altaïs, Parcours Nature Fier et Erbe, Cercle de l'Eau

Last fall, I walked from Poisy to Cran-Gevrier near Annecy, passing through Gorges du Fier, Parc Altaïs, Parcours Nature Fier et Erbe and Cercle de l’Eau.

August 10, 2020

Hike to Crêt de la Dame

Last fall, I went on a hike to Crêt de la Dame, a small mountain near Pont de la Caille.

April 16, 2020

Hike around Tête de la Cicle: Col du Joly, Col de la Cicle & Col de la Fenêtre

Last fall, I went on a walk around Tête de la Cicle, in the Beaufortain mountains near Mont Blanc: I started at Col du Joly and walked through Col de la Cicle and Col de la Fenêtre, two passes on opposite sides of Tête de la Cicle.

April 13, 2020

Walk along the Arve river: From Annemasse to La Jonction in Geneva

Last fall, I went on a walk along the Arve river, from Annemasse (Haute-Savoie) to La Jonction in Geneva.

April 12, 2020

I exist! (on Google Street View)

Last summer, while I was walking around in Annecy-le-Vieux, I saw a Google Street View car doing its thing. Since then, every couple of months, I had been checking that location on Google Maps for an update. After more than 6 months, it was finally updated recently and I am now officially on Google Street View! I appear on 3 photos.

April 3, 2020

Église Saint-Joseph (Annemasse)

Église Saint-Joseph is a catholic church in Annemasse build in the 1940’s based on a design by architect Dom Paul Bellot, who also designed Basilique Saint-Joseph-des-Fins in Annecy.

March 17, 2020

Hike to Cascade du Nant Trouble, Gorge des Usses & Pont de la Caille

Last fall, starting from Andilly not far from Col du Mont Sion, I walked through Cascade du Nant Trouble, Gorge des Usses (visiting the Bains de la Caille there) and Pont de la Caille.

March 12, 2020

Ruins of Bains de la Caille

The Bains de la Caille (Baths of La Caille) are former thermal baths, now lying in ruins at the bottom of Gorge des Usses below the Ponts de la Caille, between Cruseilles and Allonzier-la-Caille in Haute-Savoie. There have been baths on the site since the middle ages, because of the presence of a source of sulfur water. However, the modern Bains were built in the mid-19th century. It drew customers from Annecy and Geneva and there was extensive construction done over the years, including a hotel, a church and even a casino. The Bains closed for good in 1960. Most of the buildings have been dismantled it seems but, for some reason, the building containing swimming pools is still standing today. There is also a small metal bridge (which is kinda falling apart) to cross the Usses river near the swimming pool building, as well as ruins here and there on both sides of the river.

Visiting the Bains is officially forbidden and dangerous (apparently there is a risk of rockfall from the cliff above) but the ban is not really enforced and the path is not blocked very convincingly. The most direct way to come is by hiking down from the Ponts de la Caille (Bridges of La Caille), on the Allonzier side: There is a steep road with many switchbacks that goes to a large bridge over the Usses and then to the Bains nearby. However, erosion over the years and lack of maintenance have transformed it into more of a trail (barely passable at one point). There is also an easier path from the mouth of Gorge des Usses: This is the one I took on the way in, hiking from Copponex (I used the direct road to the Ponts on the way out). I will post more details about that hike in a few days.

February 26, 2020

Hike to Crêt de Chambellon & Source du Biel (Faverges)

Last fall, I went on a hike in Faverges, south of Lake Annecy: I walked up to the summit of Crêt de Chambellon, a small mountain that overlooks the town, then walked along the Eau Morte river, making a detour to the Source du Biel, which used to provide drinking water to Faverges.

haute-savoie