Pralognan-la-Vanoise: Bochor balcony trail

Bochor-Barmettes balcony trail

This balcony trail, with beautiful mountain flowers all around, leads from Mt. Bochor to the alpine meadows in La Glière Valley.

Guidebook with maps/step-by-step :

From the Bouquetin parking lot, walk up the main street to the aerial tram (if you want to hike to the top of Mt. Bochor on foot, take trail no. 7 starting in Les Fontanettes).
From Mt. Bochor, walk along an easy, well-maintained balcony trail (with a little exposure here and there) above Bois de la Glière forest. This trail leads to the Les Barmettes Hut. Once there, take the time to walk through the Les Glières alpine pastures. The path through the pastures is lined with recently restored stone walls that use to mark the old town road leading to Col de la Vanoise Pass. This itinerary is full of history.
Lots of beautiful mountain flowers line the trail. Some are rare, like the Austrian dragonhead and viola pinnata. When in bloom, the area is filled with butterflies and it is possible to observe several different species of bird: rock thrush, red-billed chough, wallcreeper, common kestrel, common buzzard/hawk…
For the descent, take the GR55 trail (trail no. 13) just below the hut. It takes you downhill along the Les Fontanettes ski run all the way to Pralognan via Les Fontanettes and Les Bieux.

ALTERNATIVES for the descent:
Below the Les Barmettes Hut, cross the Doron de la Glière River while still above the forest, and walk downhill along the left bank of Les Glières falls, heading towards Arcelin Cirque. Red level hike.
From the glacial cirque, walk to Les Fontanettes on the Toboggan trail, and then to Pralognan via Les Bieux.

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