Hikes in the French/Swiss Alps?

[d0zer]

Hoping some of you cc'ers have recommendations on hikes in the Alps.

 

Looking for input on multiday hikes I can do with my significant other in September of next year. We'll be in France and Switzerland and I'm looking for something nontechnical, ideally a multiday hut-to-hut experience where we don't have to carry much. She's doesn't enjoy sufferfests like I do.

 

3-4 day stuff would be fantastic. Thanks for any beta!

 

 

[bedellympian]

Not specific but the village of Trient is a nice spot at the NE end of the Mt. Blanc Massif just across the border in Switzerland. That end of the Massif had way fewer crowds and less glacial gnar to deal with. Several nice huts I visited up next to glaciers. You could hike around the Massif's NE end, sure there are some good mellow hut-hut hikes there that would meet your criteria.

[Pete_H]

What part of the French Alps? Are you limited to the Savoie near the border with Switzerland or are you open to other areas?

 

 

[Pete_H]

If you can swing heading a bit further south I would highly recommend the Tour de Queyras in the southwest Alps especially if you're looking for something off the beaten path (at least for the Alps).

[Raoul Duke]

Not specific but the village of Trient is a nice spot at the NE end of the Mt. Blanc Massif just across the border in Switzerland.

 

Speaking of which, you can make a very casual two night crossing of the border, spending night one in the Cabane du Trient (Switz) crossing the Col du Tour the next day to the Refuge Albert (France) and possibly climbing the Aiguille du Tour along the way if you enjoy loose 4th class. We did it in that direction and descended to Tour, 20 mins up valley from Chamonix on day 3. Lots of gentle and non technical glacier walking. You would need crampons and an ax, a 30m rope if you want to look like a sporty professional.

 

Looking towards the col from the Trient Hut, easy country:

 

[Off_White]

"Why would you want to go to France, it's full of French people!" -Jean Reno

 

Also, Switzerland is really (really) expensive.

 

Go to the Dolomites in Italy, great hiking, lots of refugios, amazing scenery, good cheap food.

 

[sprocket]

"Why would you want to go to France, it's full of French people!" -Jean Reno

 

Also, Switzerland is really (really) expensive.

 

Go to the Dolomites in Italy, great hiking, lots of refugios, amazing scenery, good cheap food.

 

 

Not to cause thread drift but any day hikes in the Dolomites you'd recommend? We are planning on heading there in 2017 mainly to ride our bikes but plan on doing some hiking too.

 

Thanks.

[d0zer]

Thanks everyone for the input. If I wasn't totally clear, my significant other is not a climber so would not be up for 4th class stuff, or roped-up glacier travel. I know this is a climbing forum and I'm asking for non-climbing advice...

 

If you can swing heading a bit further south I would highly recommend the Tour de Queyras in the southwest Alps especially if you're looking for something off the beaten path (at least for the Alps).

 

Any good links on this one? We're not just limited to Savoie area -- we're in the planning stages now, and can go just about anywhere. The Dolomites seem a bit far, however.

 

Not specific but the village of Trient is a nice spot at the NE end of the Mt. Blanc Massif just across the border in Switzerland.

 

Speaking of which, you can make a very casual two night crossing of the border, spending night one in the Cabane du Trient (Switz) crossing the Col du Tour the next day to the Refuge Albert (France) and possibly climbing the Aiguille du Tour along the way if you enjoy loose 4th class. We did it in that direction and descended to Tour, 20 mins up valley from Chamonix on day 3. Lots of gentle and non technical glacier walking. You would need crampons and an ax, a 30m rope if you want to look like a sporty professional.

 

Looks great, except for the actual climber part. Partner can't do that. Any info on the huts or difficulty of terrain?

"Why would you want to go to France, it's full of French people!" -Jean Reno

 

Also, Switzerland is really (really) expensive.

 

Go to the Dolomites in Italy, great hiking, lots of refugios, amazing scenery, good cheap food.

 

Dolomites seem a bit far off what our other plans might be, such as Paris and up into Germany, urban areas. Thanks for the suggestion, but anything similar in other parts of the Alps?

[Pete_H]

Google "tour du Queyras hiking."

[ScaredSilly]

For something different check out Cinque Terre:

 

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/cinque-terre

 

http://wikitravel.org/en/Cinque_Terre

 

Better weather, better wine, and better food than you will get in the huts (though it is pretty good).