The Giffre river is a couple of minutes walk from the chalet and we often walk along the marked riverside trail to Samoëns, particularly on Wednesday mornings, when it's market day. If you turn back at the bridge over the Giffre, it also makes a perfect 5km loop for a short run too. The views up and down river are stunning with the distinctive peak and ridge line of the Marcelly to the west and Criou and Mont Buet to the east. However, the other day I decided to wander in th

Turn right over the bridge in Sixt, following signs for the Cascade du Rouget and carry on up past the waterfall until the road ends at Le Lignon. Park here, or as close as you can get, as it gets very busy in Summer and at weekends. The entire walk is within the Sixt-Passy National Nature Reserve, which covers some 9,000 ha ranging in elevation from 900 m up to more than 3,000m. The diversity of the environment within the reserve means it supports a wide variety of fauna a