After getting back to the valley from my hike to La Jonction, it was still relatively early so I took the bus to the village of Chamonix and tried to go the Aiguille du Midi, using the ropeway. Unfortunately, it was full for the rest of the day. So instead, I took the train to Montenvers to have a look at the Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice), France’s largest glacier (7km long, 200 m thick). The Ice Cave had already closed when I got there however.
La Jonction (The Junction) is a rocky area below the Mont Blanc where the Glacier des Bossons and the Glacier de Taconnaz meet. The first successful ascent of the Mont Blanc by Jacques Balmat and Michel-Gabriel Paccard in 1786 was made through there: The hiking trail goes past the rock formation (known as Gîte à Balmat) where the 2 men stayed at some point during that ascent. I followed this itinerary.
The Old Town of Annecy (le Vieil Annecy) is the most visited part of the city. It is located at the mouth of the Thiou river, an effluent of Lake Annecy on the way to the Fier River. It mostly developed starting in the 13th century when Annecy became the capital of the County of Geneva. Its most famous sights are the Castle, the Palais de l’Ile (which served as a court and a jail) and the canals. It is a pedestrian-only area and is host to many restaurants and shops, as well as a large market every Sunday morning.
During the summer, I took my bike on the SIBRA summer shuttle to the top of the Semnoz. My goal was go down to Lake Annecy using the paved road (there are tracks for downhill mountain bikes as well): It is an almost uninterrupted downward slope until the lake with relatively little car traffic. Before going down, I spent some time on the plateau, which serves as cross country skiing tracks during winter. I also went to the summit (Crêt de Châtillon). There was a good view on the Mont Blanc from up there. Finally, I took the road to Leschaux, then went down the Route du Col de Leschaux until I reached the lake at Sévrier.
At 2750m, Pointe Percée (Pierced Peak, so named because of this hole) is the highest peak in the Aravis range. It is also a very popular hike in the area, although it can be challenging. I followed this itinerary (Cheminées de Sallanches on the way up, standard trail on the way down).
A few weeks after my hike to Pointe de Tardevant, I came back to La Clusaz to walk another 2 of the 5 Combes des Aravis: Combe de Bella Cha and Combe du Grand Crêt. On the way, I also reached the summit of Tête Pelouse, between the two combes, as well as the Trou de la Mouche (Flyhole), an arch formed by rocks, located between the Combe du Grand Crêt and Combe de Paccaly. Unfortunately, there was a lot of fog at the higher altitudes so there was not much of a view… Here is a description of an itinerary similar to the one I followed.
The Mandallaz is a small mountain located at the north-west of Lac d’Annecy, between Annecy and Geneva. This page has an itinerary (although not the one that I followed) that starts in the village of Balme de Sillingy. It gives a good view of the fault mirror at the base of the mountain.
After looking at the Lac d’Annecy from all angles from the surrounding mountains or the shore, I decided to go on a cruise. I went for the 2 hour cruise, which goes to all the way to Doussard, at the south of the lake, and back. It makes a few stops on the way so it is possible to hop off and on later, but I just stayed on board for the whole loop.
The Chalets de l’Eau Froide are huts in the Bauges mountains. They are rumoured to have one of the best views on the Lac d’Annecy from the southern direction. However, there was a thick fog when I arrived there so I could not verify it… I basically followed these directions, with the map here (except at the end, where I continued a bit further).
The Aravis is a mountain range located west of the Mont Blanc in Haute-Savoie. The area near La Clusaz has 5 Combes (Grande Forclaz, Tardevant, Paccaly, Grand-Crêt, Bella Cha) that can be traversed in one go, although the path is long and not always obvious when crossing between them, as I found out… I went there in July, with the intention of hiking 2 of them: The Combe de Tardevant and the Combe de Paccaly. On the way, I also passed the Lac de Tardevant and went up the Pointe de Tardevant.