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Road & mountain biking

The new Diamant Verte circuits make this area a brilliant place for mountain biker beginners, novices, or just plain lazy bikers who want the thrills without all the hard work. The idea is that you use the local lifts that are open in the summer to take you and your bike up the mountain; all you have to do is then ride down to the bottom of the next lift in the circuit and repeat the process. Of course, for those who are happy to cycle up-hill aswell, the circuits are available during Spring and Autumn too. The Diamant Vert consists of three combinable circuits, is 90 kms long in all, uses 11 different lifts, has a total of 5380 metres of downhill and costs only €13 per day, no matter how many lifts you use nor how many times you use each one. The Diamant Verte website is currently only in French, however it gives you a map of the circuits and photos.

The opportunities for cycling are endless. During the summer months, lifts in St Gervais, Les Contamines and Megève will effortlessly carry you and your bike high into the mountains. For mountain bikers this opens up all sorts of off-road opportunities, from open alpine pastures through to tight and technical single-track through the trees. By riding all the way down from Mont d'Arbois to Le Fayet there are a staggering 1250 metres of descent. And if you don't mind long hard climbs, then there are lots of options for epic days out, crossing between the St Gervais and Megève valleys. 

It's also possible to take bikes to the Col de Voza via the rack and pinion railway. From here there are some very technical and demanding rides to the Bionnassay glacier, followed by sublime trails back to St Gervais.

For road cyclists there are some excellent training rides within the valley with climbs and descents of varying severity. It's also easy to nip down to the open expanse of the Arve valley floor to put in some longer mileages. And from St Gervais it's quite possible to take in classic Tour de France routes such as the Col de Aravis and Col de Colombiere. If you fancy a big day out, then why not ride from St Gervais to Annecy, taking in as many cols as you can handle, safe in the knowledge that you can leap on the train back to St Gervais when your legs pack up! For the more casual cyclist, the Bettex lift enables a leisurely half day meandering down the roads, taking in the breathtaking scenery and exploring the ancient hamlets.

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Walking & climbing

St Gervais and the Mont Blanc region are at the very heart of the European mountaineering scene. Surrounded by many of the most famous peaks, there are spectacular views in every direction. To the west the skyline is dominated by the 4807 metre Mont Blanc and the glacier de Bionnassay. To the east is the unmistakable outline of Mont Joly with it's spectacular ridge walk. From the door of the chalet you can walk make your way to alpine pastures, or head out for long and strenuous hikes to summits and ridges. 

Within close proximity of St Gervais and Les Contamines are dedicated rock climbing area's with fixed protection and secure abseil points. There are easy climbs for beginners as well as more strenuous moves for the experienced rock jockeys.

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Adventure and swimming

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Kids

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