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- Arcalod summit — The highest point of the traverse, and for good reason: steep limestone faces give way to a roomy summit with one of the best 360° panoramas in the Bauges. You’ll feel properly up on the roof of the range, with big alpine silhouettes on the horizon and fewer people than the famous peaks nearby.
- Mont Colombier ridge — A long grassy crest that’s lovely to walk and brutal to leave at sunset. It’s an easy-running ridge compared with the steeper cols, offering sweeping views without technical scrambling and ideal spots for a long lunch (or an impromptu nap).
- Lake and Mont Blanc vistas — From several high points along the traverse you can pick out Lac du Bourget, Lac d’Annecy and, on clear days, the jagged mass of Mont Blanc far off. Those big-water-meets-high-mountain pictures
- Arcalod summit — The highest point of the traverse, and for good reason: steep limestone faces give way to a roomy summit with one of the best 360° panoramas in the Bauges. You’ll feel properly up on the roof of the range, with big alpine silhouettes on the horizon and fewer people than the famous peaks nearby.
- Mont Colombier ridge — A long grassy crest that’s lovely to walk and brutal to leave at sunset. It’s an easy-running ridge compared with the steeper cols, offering sweeping views without technical scrambling and ideal spots for a long lunch (or an impromptu nap).
- Lake and Mont Blanc vistas — From several high points along the traverse you can pick out Lac du Bourget, Lac d’Annecy and, on clear days, the jagged mass of Mont Blanc far off. Those big-water-meets-high-mountain pictures are what make the Bauges feel like a quiet, underrated version of the Haute-Savoie classics.
- Alpine pastures, stone chalets and cheese culture — The trail threads through working summer alpages where you’ll see wooden chalets, grazing cows, and shepherds. It’s prime territory for tasting local cheeses and seeing traditional mountain farming up close — a cultural slice that turns a hike into a full day in rural France.
- Limestone cliffs, karst features and wildlife — The Bauges are full of dramatic limestone escarpments, small caves and sinkholes, plus carpets of alpine flowers in season. Keep an eye out for chamois on the crags, marmots whistling from the scree and raptors circling the thermals — wildlife encounters are a staple of the traverse.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past decade, I’ve backpacked through 80+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.