Walk from Bellevue to the col de Voza mountain pass
Vue depuis le col de Voza. Tramway du Mont-Blanc.
Vue depuis le col de Voza. Tramway du Mont-Blanc. - Lucie Rousselot - Asters CEN74
Saint-Gervais-les-Bains

Walk from Bellevue to the col de Voza mountain pass

Flora
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Towering over the majesty of Mont Blanc, it's an easy walk in a pastoral ambience that's perfect for a stroll.
On an effortless trail through the pastures, you'll come across fields of flowers, marvel at the Hérens cows with their ornate collars (be careful not to disturb them and don't enter the grazing areas!) and listen to the chirping of crickets and the songs of the farmland birds. A delightful bucolic setting, just a stone's throw from the imposing Dôme du Goûter in the Mont-Blanc massif!

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    Credit: Points d'intérêts du parcours - Asters-CEN74

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6 points of interest

  • Prairie d'épilobes à feuilles étroites.
    Prairie d'épilobes à feuilles étroites. - Lucie Rousselot - Asters CEN74
    Flora

    The perfect background for your memento photograph of Mont Blanc, fireweed populates the area with its beautiful bright pink spikes.
    In addition to its aesthetic appeal, this nectar-rich plant attracts pollinators and grows easily. It is extremely useful for revegetating damaged alpine and northern environments. Its roots also help to strengthen the soil.
  • @LucieRousselot
    Flora

    The plants of the mountain pasture are mostly grasses (herbs) associated with multicolored flowers with pretty names such as Gentian, Willowherb, Holy Clover, Starthisles, Maidenstears, Bellflower...However, this enchanting scenery is a result of herbs' adaptation to the harsh mountain environment.

    At this altitude, due to accumulation of snow over a period of several months, the optimal season for plant development is very short, so the plants have to be extremely resourceful to reproduce within this timeframe. One such trick is to have large, colourful petals to attract pollinators.
  • @JulienHeuret

    Combat de Reines or Swiss Cow fighting

    With their dark, stocky bodies and black-tipped horns, you'd think they were a herd of bulls. Wrong! These are fighting cows: Hérens. This Swiss breed from the Val d'Hérens in the Valais is also renowned for its meat and milk. They fight among themselves to establish the hierarchy in the herd. The dominant cows (the queens) in each herd compete in "queen fights" to determine the queen of the canton or valley.
  • An empty Bellevue hotel…

    A trailblazer in high-altitude accommodation since the early 19th century, it closed in 1980. At the end of the 90s, it was decided to rebuild the hotel, located on the Mont-Blanc massif. 10 years and 3 projects later, planning permission has finally been obtained! The hotel's goal is to be the first "passive" hotel in France: very low energy consumption, thanks in particular to the use of solar energy. The hotel was due to open in 2010! But because the building permit was not complied with, this new-generation hotel was never able to open...
  • @JulienHeuret
    Fauna

    The Whinchat

    It's a tiny bird, but an important one! A native of meadows and mainly feeding on insects and spiders, its presence is a sign that the meadow it occupies is in a good state of health. It can be found here on this mountain pasture. The male, an avid singer, perches on high plants and stands guard over the female as she lays her eggs. However, the nest does not protect them from all dangers. The nest built on the ground makes the chicks very vulnerable. So be careful! Remember to keep your dogs on a leash in spring!
  • Ancienne soufflerie construite en 1937
    Ancienne soufflerie construite en 1937 - ONERA
    Flora

    The Mont Lachat: a renatured area

    Mont Lachat is a Sensitive Natural Area (ENS). This is an area recognised for its natural heritage, but which is threatened and/or vulnerable due to urbanisation or the proliferation of industrial activities. The Mont Lachat ENS has been the site of daring efforts to rehabilitate and renaturate the site. After dismantling an old wind tunnel, the soil was reseeded with a mixture of local seeds. A total of 5,000 square metres was restored by September 2015. For a site located at an altitude of 2,000 metres, at the foot of a glacier and exposed to the wind, this was truly an unprecedented scientific experiment.

Altimetric profile


Recommandations


Access and parking

The best way to get there is from the BELLEVUE stop on the Mont-Blanc tramway.
Second best way : Les Houches-Bellevue ski lift
From the Le Crozat car park [+ 45 min walk] Le Crozat - 
Bionnassay, Saint-Gervais

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