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Chavanne Vieille

Our Rating

4

Below Average

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Trail Length

Length

8.72km

Trail Elevation

Elevation + / -

736m / 736m

Trail Altitude Range

Altitude Range

1007m / 1726m

When to go on this trail

When to go

Mid Jun - Mid Oct

Trail Hiking Time

Hike duration

2.0 - 3.5 Hours

Trail Running Time

Run duration

1.0 - 2.0 Hours

Trail Technical Difficulty Level

Technical level

Easy

Natural Beauty of this Trail

Natural beauty

Nice

Family Friendliness of this Trail

Families

9+ Years old

Dogs Allowed on this Trail

Dogs

Dogs Allowed

Provision Sources on this Trail

Provision Sources

None

Trail Type

Trail type

Out and Back

The Chavanne Vieille lies in a wide gulley cut out by the Glacier du Bourgeat and at an altitude of 1726 meters there is an old hut with a nice view up the gulley to the glacier and down to the valley floor below. The trail marker on this hut says Chavanne Vieille making me uncertain on whether the entire gully or just the hut carries this name. The hut is quite charming and it was open the last time I visited it. This trail does not see a lot of tourists and even in the peak months of July and August you are unlikely to run into a lot of people. If you don't have much time in Chamonix then this would probably not be one of the trails I would recommend you do first, but if you know your way around Chamonix and think you have seen it all, then I challenge you to add Chavanne Vieille to your list! The trail starts at the Le Solerey Brewpub which is nice location to start and end your trail. I did this trail as a loop where I crossed the stream beyond the Chavanne Vieille and then went down via de Montagne de Taconnaz on the other side of the gulley. I believe an avalanche wrecked most of that trail though and I do not know if it has been cleared and rebuilt since. On the IGN map the option to cross the stream and go down via the Montagne de Taconnaz is no longer possible and without first hand knowledge I do not want to recommend doing this loop.

Video of this Trail

We have made a video presentation for this trail. The video will provide full 3D fly over of the route and then give a great overview of the experience you can expect when you take on this trail. It is a great way to quickly understand if this is the perfect trail for you. Please visit our channel on  YouTube and like the video and subscribe to our channel. Putting together these videos is a lot of work!

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Photos of this Trail

Below are all the photos we have in our Chamonix Photos collection for this point of interest. All our photos are tagged with the GPS coordinates and linked to the trails that you can take to find the location where the photo was taken. So if  you want to see the full details for a specific photo then just click on it.

Trail Directions & Safety Considerations

Risk Considerations for this Trail

Risk Considerations & Difficulty Assessment

This route reaches an altitude of 1726m at the Chavanne Vieille hut. Because its orientation there will be snow cover till quite late in the year. The best time to visit is probably between mid June and mid October but check ahead of time and if there is snow then turn back in case you start feeling uncomfortable. The trail to Chavanne Vieille is well marked and there is only one trail heading there. Just follow the signs and use the same route to go back. The trail itself is not difficult

Family Friendliness of this Trail

Children

9+ Years old

Are dogs allowed on this trail

Dogs

We recommend to keep your dog on a leash

Trail Starting Point

Trail Starting Point

The trail starts at Le Solerey Brewpub in Les Houches. You can park your car here or take the bus.

Trail Directions

Trail Directions

From Le Solerey head left on the main road towards Les Houches town center. Take a left to go into Chemin des Longues which is long road that runs next the skiing beginner area right next to Le Solerey. Follow this road next to the river till you reach the end where the trail bends left. The trail goes into the forest. Follow the signs for Chavanne Vieille and there will be only one trail that takes you all the way to the hut. Once you are done having a look around inside and around the hut, simply take the same trail back to Le Solerey

Points of Interest

Sorry, there are no Points of Interests currently linked to this Trail. Contact us to suggest one.

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