A short and beautiful loop from Col de la Croix. Just over 12 kilometers with about 400m of elevation gain. Beautiful fields, lots of cows, three lakes and plenty of hikers out to enjoy the last days of summer. Autumn is almost upon us.

Mid-way there was Lac de Chavanne, a crisp mountain lake at 1700m which doubled as a mirror for cliffs decorated with a forest. Absolutely gorgeous. At one end of the lake there is a small restaurant which was filled with people on the day we passed through the area.

The views were just amazing in every direction. These mountains are high but not too high; steep, but still covered in forests.

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It’s easy to fall for the beautiful views, but when you look up close there is also beauty. We also discovered that at 1700m in Switzerland the you find plants that grow in Iceland at much lower altitude. No surprise there, I suppose.

If you want to learn more or even prepare your own hike, the Switzerland Mobility website should be your first stop.