Nature Walk - Brévent to Flégère and back, Chamonix

This is a long summer hike which you should expect to take all day out for, but since there are almost no climbs, completely doable with your child in a back carrier.

In the winter months, this is all part of a ski resort, so you will not be able to walk this route.

This is an across-and-down route, following the Brévent-Flégère liaison. Complete route can be found here.

Find a map of the area here.

Total Walking time: approximately 4 hours in total

The start point for this walk is the Brévent Cable car station. There is a car park at the cable car station itself, or it is a 10 minute walk from Chamonix centre to get there.

You will take the cable car up, and start the walk from the top station. Prices for tickets are as follows;

Family pass: 103.90 € (2 adults + 2 children & 3rd, 4th and 5th of the same family are free)
One way ticket for adult: 24.50 €
Round-trip ticket for adult: 33.50 € (Chamonix - Brévent)
One way ticket for a child : 20.80 €
Round-trip ticket for a child : 28.50 € (Same rate for seniors (65+)).

Free entry for children < 5 years.
Child entry valid for 5 - 14 years.
Group rate available for > 20 people.

Once you reach the top, you will climb up the hill for a short while then you will see a ski lift slightly to your right - there is a path which starts here along the flat section which is known as the Grand Balcon Sud (don’t go up the mountain!) which starts the path all the way to Flégère by hugging the side of the mountain all the way there. In front of you, you will have an unobstructed view of Mont Blanc which is spectacular on a clear day.

The path is well sign-posted so keep heading towards Flégère. There are a couple of splits in the route along the way, so be sure to pay attention to the signposts. There is just one section which has a couple of steps of a ladder type climb which we had to lift Luka up to, but otherwise it is a very flat route.

One point to note is that whilst most dog walkers seem to have their dogs off the leash, much of the route is a narrow single track, sometimes with a steep drop-off to one side, so if you have an excitable dog who runs around a lot, it can be quite dangerous to other hikers. When ever we passed other walkers/dogs, we made Luka drop back behind us (a command he knows as “follow”) to keep him from running around peoples’ feet.

You will then reach the top of the Flégère cable car where there is a Auberge where you can stop for a drink and use the bathroom if needed. The walk to this stop is about 1.5 hours. If you are feeling too tired to continue, you can get the cable car down from here and get the bus back into Chamonix. They don’t have much in the way of food here though, so best to come prepared with your own snacks and food for the little one.

Once you’ve had a rest, you start to climb across and down the mountain to the Brévent cable car lower station where you started. It is quite a steep drop down the main path for some time before you cut into the forest to go back across the mountain, so you really need to have good hiking socks and boots. There are many splits along the way, you need to catch the Petit Balcon Sud to bring you back to the lower station.

Once you get the steep descent out of the way, the walk across the mountain is very pleasant, through the woods. There are even a couple of streams depending on the time of year which gives your dog a chance to get some fresh water and paddle about.

Whilst it’s not a hike you would do every weekend, we’ve done it a few times now with our son. It is a great hike, which with some organisation is totally family-friendly. I hope you get to do it too!

Fun factor for child: 3/5 - enjoy the cool views along the way and do some walking on the flat sections (or have a snooze, as Kai tends to do)

Fun factor for dog: 5/5 - enjoy this extra long walk in the nature! This is Luka’s idea of heaven.

Pram-friendly: No. You will need a suitable back-carrier for your child

Water Access for dogs: There are one or two points in the woods on the return leg where there are some streams but otherwise be sure to bring water for your dog, especially on a sunny day.

Potable water: No - be sure to bring enough water for the whole family. Bottled water can be bought at the cable car lower station or the Auberge at the top of Flègere cable car.

Baby changing facilities: No

Please review the Disclaimer before attempting any walk or activity mentioned on this website.