Cornettes de Bise
2,432 m
Switzerland, France
Also known as Les Cornettes de Bise, კორნეტ-დე-ბიზიAlso known as
Les Cornettes de Bise · კორნეტ-დე-ბიზი
- Elevation
- 2,432 m
- Prominence
- 1,058 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Approximate line — not for navigation
An automated check found that parts of this line could not be matched to mapped trails, so it may stray far from the real route. Use it for planning only, with a map and a guidebook.
Why? 2 check notes
- the line does not follow 'La Calaz', the route's namesake (193 m away): mislabelled
- waypoints not on the route line: La Calaz (161 m off the trail)
Sources differ: T2 (Camptocamp) · Very difficult (French walking scale) (Léman Mountains Explore / Portes du Soleil)
The shortest and most popular way up, from the French side: from the Chevenne chalets (about 1,217 m) above La Chapelle-d'Abondance to the Col de Vernaz on the border, a steep grassy ridge to the La Calaz alp (2,067 m), limestone pavement to the Pas de Chaudin (2,250 m) and a zigzag path up the summit pyramid. About 1,200 m of ascent; 5½–6½ hours return.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- ≈ 5.2 km
- one way
- Ascent
- ≈ +1,221 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 2,432 m
- Time Up
- ≈ 4h 44m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- ≈ 3h 07m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the free car park at the Chevenne chalets (about 1,217 m, at the end of the road from La Chapelle-d'Abondance), follow a wide track north towards the Col de Vernaz, crossing to the right bank of the Ruisseau de Chevenne. At a fork keep right (the track left goes to the Crêt Pèzerin), follow the stream, then climb a few hairpins to the Col de Vernaz (1,815 m), called Col de Verne on the Swiss side. Turn north up the broad, steep grassy ridge in many zigzags to the La Calaz alp (2,067 m), said to be the highest chalets in the Chablais. Bear north-west through pasture below the Saix de la Calaz and the Rochers de Chaudin, across the top of the Calaz couloir (slightly exposed, and icy or snowy early in the season) and through limestone pavement to the Pas de Chaudin or 'col des Cornettes' (2,250 m), where yellow Swiss signposts stand. Go west over rocks and sharp lapiaz to the foot of the summit pyramid, then climb its south-east face in zigzags between rock steps to the grassy border crest and the summit; keep away from the cliffs on the north side. Descend the same way. The rock on the upper section is polished by heavy traffic and very slippery when wet. There is no water on the route. Ibex are often seen on the limestone pavement between La Calaz and the Pas de Chaudin.
Start
Chalets de Chevenne1,217 m
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chalets de Chevenne → Les Cornettes de Bise | 5.2 | 1,221 | 6 | 4h 44m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Chalets de Chevenne1,217 m
- Col: Col de Vernaz1,814 m
- Feature: La Calaz2,165 m
Alp chalet (not on route line)
- Col: Pas de Chaudin2,257 m
- Summit: Les Cornettes de Bise2,432 m
Key Passages
- Steep grassy ridge from the Col de Vernaz to La Calaz
- Slightly exposed crossing of the top of the Calaz couloir
- Lapiaz between La Calaz and the Pas de Chaudin
- Summit pyramid (south-east face) with short exposed steps
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
A 2,432 m limestone summit on the French–Swiss border above the Abondance valley and Lake Tanay, joint second-highest in the Chablais. A steep, popular walk from Chevenne over limestone pavement, often among ibex, leads to a summit cross with views of Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc.
The Cornettes de Bise stand on the frontier between Haute-Savoie and the Valais, between the Val d'Abondance and the Tanay valley. At 2,431–2,432 m they share second place in the Chablais with the Mont de Grange, behind the Hauts-Forts. The mountain is a perched, overturned syncline of massive Upper Jurassic limestone: the north and west sides fall in two tiers of cliffs above the Lac de Bise and the Chaux du Milieu, while the south side is a long structural slope of grass, scree and lapiaz.
The usual ascent climbs that south side from the Chevenne chalets above La Chapelle-d'Abondance, crossing the border at the Col de Vernaz and reaching the summit over limestone pavement and a short rocky pyramid. Swiss walkers come up from Le Flon above Vouvry via Tanay or the Vallon de Verne, and a third path from the Chalets de Bise crosses the Pas de la Bosse. The south-facing walls carry many bolted multi-pitch rock climbs, and in winter the peak is a classic ski tour.
Both sides are protected: in France the massif is part of a protected natural zone and Natura 2000 site, and in Switzerland it lies within the federal inventory site of Lac de Tanay. A cross-border population of Alpine ibex lives on the mountain, along with chamois and mouflon.
Climbing Notes
A demanding but non-technical walk: about 1,200 m of ascent and 5½–6½ hours return from Chevenne, on steep grass, stony paths and sharp limestone pavement with a few short exposed passages near the top. Sure-footedness and good boots are needed, and the polished rock of the summit pyramid is very slippery when wet. Carry all your water.
The route is usually snow-free from June to mid-October. Early-season snow in the Calaz couloir crossing and below the summit can make it dangerous without crampons and an axe. Start early in summer, as the south-facing slopes get hot and thunderstorms are common in the Chablais.
Keep dogs on a lead because of livestock and ibex, watch for livestock guard dogs (patous) around the sheep flocks in the Vallon de Verne, and do not camp or light fires in the protected area.
History
Coal was mined on the south flank above the Toper chalets in the 19th century: the Toper seam, discovered in 1823 by the mineralogist Claude François Delafaye, was granted as a concession in 1825 and worked until about 1850. The summit cross was erected on 15 August 1996 by the caving club of Vouvry.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Not advisable
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Ski touring for experienced parties; avalanche risk
- Feb
- Ski touring; Calaz couloir variant PD+
- Mar
- Spring ski touring
- Apr
- Spring snow; late ski tours
- May
- Snow on the upper route; exposed crossings dangerous without crampons
- Jun
- Walking route opens from June depending on snow
- Jul
- Main season; hot on the south side, thunderstorms
- Aug
- Main season; busy at weekends
- Sep
- Often stable and clear
- Oct
- Good until the first snow; tourist office lists the route to 15 October
- Nov
- Early snow; icy limestone
- Dec
- Ski touring once snow cover allows
Access & Permits
- Fees
- Chevenne car park is free
- Rules
- French side: protected area (Arrêté de protection de biotope, Pays d'Évian – Vallée d'Abondance) — no wild camping or bivouacking, no fires, no motor vehicles, no picking plants, no litter
- Dogs must be kept on a lead because of livestock and wildlife; livestock guard dogs protect flocks, notably in the Vallon de Verne
- Swiss side: the area lies in the federal inventory of landscapes of national importance (Lac de Tanay)
- Getting There
La Chapelle-d'Abondance (France); Vouvry (Switzerland)
Geneva (GVA)
- By car from Thonon-les-Bains up the Val d'Abondance to La Chapelle-d'Abondance, then the Route de Chevenne to the Chevenne chalets car park (about 1,217 m); on foot from the village add about 30 minutes
- Swiss side: road from Vouvry to Miex and the car park at Le Flon (about 1,050 m)
Hazards
- Exposure
- Weather
- Avalanche