Ski touring near La Clusaz and La Grand Bornand.

There are some great day tours in the Aravis mountains, only half and hour from Annecy TGV train station, and and hour from Geneva airport.  Staying with Karibuni in the Hotel Les Aravis you can access any number of them.

A particular favorite of Alex's is accessed from the car park at Lac de Confin (1300m). You can ascend 1000m up the Combe de Grand Cret, and enter Coombe Pacally, the next col along, through  a stunning natural arch known as the 'Trou de La Mouch' (hole of the fly). The arch is a great place to stop and enjoy stunning views across the Aravis range to Lake Geneva in one direction, and over the Mont Blanc range in the other. The skiing down Pacally is very steep and technical for the first 100m, (can be sideslipped) but then opens out into a very fun and varied terrain, which brings you to a cross country track you can use to return to Lac de Confin.

Fancy a variation with more downhill skiing for not much more vertical climbing? Hike in to the Coombe de Bellachat (look for tracks on your left as you near the top of the La Balme chairlift at La Clusaz). Ski down to the bottom of the coombe before skinning up and over in to Coombe de Grand Cret.

Map: Institut Geographique National 3430ET (Top 025 Series, La Clusaz/Le Grand Bornand)

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