Hike over Taillefer and the Montagnes d’Entrevernes

From the small village of Duingt, with its distinctive castle on Lake Annecy, a scenic and varied hike leads over the ridges of Taillefer (left) and the Montagnes d’Entrevernes (right).

From the car park by the church, the path first climbs steeply up the Way of the Cross to a Madonna sanctuary with a first beautiful view, before continuing to ascend through the sparse forest, repeatedly offering great views of the lake and the surrounding mountains, such as the Tournette, the Dents du Lanfon or the Massif de Bauges.

Having reached the summit of Taillefer (852 m), the path descends through early summer meadows in bloom and goat pastures into the village of Entrevernes, before climbing steeply again in many switchbacks up the wooded slope to the Col de la Cochette, reaching the peak at 1336 m shortly after. I chose the afternoon for this ascent to tackle the most strenuous part in the mountain’s shade and to get side-lighting for more sculptural photos.

At the summit, I can almost reach out and touch the paragliders as they pass by, so close do they fly their courses in search of the updrafts from the mountain slopes.

The route then descends in a direct line over the sloping ridge, which is why poles are definitely recommended for the tour. Via a small hamlet, it goes back over to Taillefer and from there back to Duingt, where I recuperated on a small beach by Lake Annecy to finish off.