Walking Routes in Les 2 Alpes — 5 of Our Favourites

Starting at the bottom of the Vallée Blanche chairlift, take the path on the right following the signs for La Moliere and La Kanata. This takes you through woodland until you emerge on a gravel track after about 400m. Follow this uphill for a few metres before taking the path on the right signposted La Moliere.

Keep following the path into the forest and you will end up at the La Moliere farm where you can visit and even try some local cheeses. There are several variations in this forest, so look out for the signposts and if in doubt take the lower path.

If you continue past the farm you will reach La Moliere restaurant in a few more minutes. There is a good viewpoint nearby if you follow signs to the ‘Table d’Orientation’.

To get back to resort, follow the same route.

Start near the Diable chairlift and the new ticket office. Keeping the access track to the chairlift on your left, follow Rue du Ser Palor then Rue des Perrons. Head towards the end of the resort until you reach the bus parking area. From here you will pass the paragliders’ take-off area and walk into a forest.

Turn left at the junction to head towards the resort on a path that is just a bit higher than the one you arrived on. This would take you back to the start if you stayed on it, but you would miss out on the best views. Instead, take the path which leads up into the trees on the right after a hundred metres or so.

Keep going right to reach the Les Perrons viewpoint in about fifteen minutes. After relaxing and enjoying the views into the Veneon Valley, retrace your steps to pick up the path leading back to the resort. If you're feeling energetic, a longer alternative is to take the path which continues steeply up the ridge from Les Perrons, then turn left to return to Les Deux Alpes.

This adds around 20 minutes to the route and makes it a bit more strenuous.

From the bottom of the Vallée Blanche chairlift, take the path on the right that is signposted Kanata. This leads through the woods until it emerges onto a gravel track. Bear left and follow the track upwards until you reach Kanata Bergerie. This converted farmhouse restaurant is a good place to stop for a break.

The easiest way to ascend from here is to keep following the gravel track as it winds up the hill to the top of the Vallée Blanche chairlift. Watch out for bikes here as a couple of sections are shared with the green mountain bike trail.

A more scenic route is to take the path which leaves the track just below the Kanata. This passes below the top of the Côte chairlift (closed in summer) then takes a rising traverse on the right to reach the end of the Fioc ridge. Rounding the ridgeline, a few zigzags take you up to join the main track just before the top of the Vallée Blanche chairlift.

From the top of the chairlift it is worth following the ridge a further 500 metres to the high point of Le Mais (2,106m), where you will be rewarded with a view over Bourg d’Oisans and the Romanche Valley. This is near the top of the Super Venosc chairlift, which is also closed in summer.

You can return by the same route or continue to the Col de Mais and take the path on the left which takes you on a steep descent directly to Les Deux Alpes. Take care on this path as it's quite tricky in places and leads up above a rocky drop.

To make the walk shorter and easier you can take the Vallée Blanche chairlift up and then just do the walk down, taking around 45 mins.

From certain points on the main street it's the highest point you can see, and its sheer sides certainly give it an imposing aspect. The summit offers fantastic views back into Les Deux Alpes.

Starting point: Venosc gondola bottom station.

The most popular route to the summit is via the Col du Vallon, which is not difficult but it does feel exposed. From here an airy ridge leads to the top. Our suggested route follows a loop taking in the Muzelle and Lauvitel lakes as well as the col and the peak. The peak itself tends not to be too busy, but the two lakes can attract the crowds on a hot summer day.

From Les Deux Alpes, you can either take the Venosc gondola or drive to the starting point in Venosc. At the gondola station, cross the main road and follow the signs for the Adventure Park. The track will take you down to a bridge over the River Veneon. Cross this and take the path on the left into the woods. Pass the Adventure Park and stay on the path until you reach a clearing with a bridge to your left. Do not cross this bridge but bear right and stay on the path following signs for Lac de la Muzelle and Refuge de la Muzelle. This takes you up wooded hillsides before climbing a long valley to reach the refuge and lake. Take a moment here to admire the view, and perhaps eat something at the refuge.

Skirt rightwards around the lake until you see a path leading off to the right. This is where you will leave most other hikers behind. Follow this up ever steeper mountainsides until you reach the Col du Vallon. From here, turn right and follow the airy ridgeline to the summit with its jaw-dropping views into the valley and across to Les Deux Alpes.

Retrace your steps to regain the Col du Vallon. The shortest route back from here would be to return by the same route. For our suggested itinerary though, you should turn right to descend on the other side of the col. Go down carefully until you arrive at the northern end of Lac Lauvitel. This is a very popular swimming and picnic spot. The next couple of kilometres are likely to be busy as you mix with the crowds walking to the lake and back.

After the lake, follow the path down to La Danchere. This little village has a gîte and a buvette where you can stop for sustenance. Follow the road out of the village for a few minutes looking for a path on the right. This descends gradually to the river which you can follow back to Venosc.

The route takes you on a circuit around Pied Moutet – the rocky peak that dominates the smaller Vallée Blanche side of the resort. Start at the bottom of the Vallée Blanche chairlift (see map above) and take the path leading into the trees to the right (as you look uphill).

When this meets a gravel track, cross over and follow the path marked ‘La Moliere’. Keep following this until you arrive at the La Moliere restaurant. There are a number of paths which criss-cross in the forest, so keep looking out for the signposts. If you stray too low and find yourself on a metal road, just follow this to the restaurant. If you find yourself climbing the hillside on a zigzag path you have gone too high, so retrace your steps.

From La Moliere, follow the path beyond the restaurant towards Les Travers and Le Sapey. A steadily rising traverse takes you across a hillside studded with pockets of trees. Make sure you avoid the path on the right which descends to Les Travers, and climb to the bergerie (shepherd’s hut) at 1,710m.

If you want a more challenging start to the walk, you can begin at the foot of the Super Venosc chairlift. From here, a steep path climbs the mountainside directly to the Col de Mais. If you want to take in the peak of Pied Moutet, a path to the left leads to the summit. This path has some steep scrambling and sections are equipped with wires and rungs for aid. Return to the Col de Mais by the same route. From the col, continue north-west to descend on the far side. Bear left at the fork and you will reach the bergerie to join the route described above.

From the bergerie, the path continues through woodland for a little over two kilometres. At any junction, take the more well-trodden route. After a while you will arrive at a flat area of open pasture land on the shoulder of Pied Moutet. A good path leads to the ancient farming hamlet of Le Sapey. The twelve houses here were home to over seventy permanent residents at the end of the nineteenth century. The good state of repair of much of the houses shows that they are still used from time to time by locals, even if there is no longer a resident population.

Continue through Sapey and take the path which winds high along the steep sides of the Veneon valley. This part has some tricky sections where care is needed. It is not suitable for small children or those who suffer from vertigo. Short passages are protected with wires, and there is potential for a long fall in a few places.

The path becomes easier as you approach Venosc and find yourself ones more in deep woodland. When you reach the ruined hamlet of Ferarret you have two options. You can keep to the main path and descend via the old Venosc village to the lift station. The gondola will return you to Les Deux Alpes in a quick ten-minute ride. Alternatively, you can turn left at Ferarret to climb uphill for a few metres. Turning right at the next junction will take you on a well-marked discovery trail footpath to the top of Venosc village. A steep climb takes you from here to Les Deux Alpes in a little under an hour.