Allières – Les Avants

Parc naturel régional Gruyère Pays-d'Enhaut - Two passes, two worlds

ith an elevation gain of 900 metres, the route down from the Hongrin valley to Lake Geneva is not for the faint-hearted, and is best suited to seasoned hikers.

The trail begins in Allières, a hamlet in Haut-Intyamon. The initial ascent leads to the Orgevau pasture. The second stage runs up to L'Urqui pasture, where lush meadows gradually give way to a mountain landscape, first the Pre-Alps and then the Alps. The third stage runs through the small combe of Pierra Perchia and its limestone pavements. This distinctive karst landscape, which was formed by water erosion, is peppered with sink holes and underground passages.

The following descent leads along the Les Verraux mountain range, below the peaks of the Cape au Moine and the Corbé, to the Col de Jaman. This mountain pass is the shortest route between the Pays-d'Enhaut, the Gruyère region and Lake Geneva, and was long the only way to reach the region's high valleys. The Col de Jaman is also a great spot to watch migrating birds, and even has a bird ringing station. The final stage, which includes several switchbacks, continues down through the forest to the pastureland not far from Jor before finally reaching Les Avants, a village famed for its fields of wild narcissus.