Rainbow circle
Rainbow in the fog at Station du Semnoz.
semnoz
Hike to Mont Durant & Tours Saint-Jacques
At the end of the summer of 2022, I went on a hike to Mont Durant and Tours Saint-Jacques on the west side of Semnoz. I had already been to Tours Saint-Jacques before but I was a bit out of time then. This day, I had a proper visit.
Hike to Grotte de Bange & Ruines du Cengle
At the end of the summer of 2021, I went on a hike to Grotte de Bange, a deep cave on the south side of Semnoz.
Hike to Crêts du Semnoz: Crêt de l'Aigle, Crêt de la Grande Danne, Crêt de Tertère & Crêt de Châtillon
At the end of the spring of 2021, I went on a hike on Semnoz. I walked through 4 bumps at the top of the mountain: Crêt de l’Aigle, Crêt de la Grande Danne, Crêt de Tertère & Crêt de Châtillon.
Hike to L'Étang, Vieille Grotte de Chantemerle & Fontaine aux Oiseaux (Semnoz)
In spring 2021, I went on a hike on the east flank of Semnoz: I walked from Sevrier to Annecy, passing trough L’Étang, Vieille Grotte de Chantemerle, Croix du Crêt and Fontaine aux Oiseaux (aka L’Ermitage).
Hike to Pointe de Bois Brûlé (Semnoz)
Last summer, I went on a hike to Pointe de Bois Brûlé, a little-known viewpoint on the south side of Semnoz.
Hike from Sevrier to Quintal & Vieugy
In winter 2020, starting in Sevrier, I walked across the Semnoz to Quintal and Vieugy, visiting Croix du Chef-Lieu, Belvédère de Sainte-Catherine and Grottes de Quintal on the way.
Snowshoe hike on Plateau du Semnoz
Last winter, I tried snowshoeing and visited a few of the nordic skiing resorts around Annecy. Most of them have prepared tracks (with packed snow) for walking and snowshoes. The first resort I visited was the one closest to Annecy, at Station du Semnoz.
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.
Hike to Sentier des 3 Croix (Semnoz)
Last January, I went on a hike to the Sentier des 3 Croix (3-Cross Trail), at the foot of Semnoz near Annecy.