How to reach the tourist office?
This hike takes you to the summit of the Criou, the symbolic mountain towering over the town of Samoëns. There is a breathtaking panoramic view from the summit over the Giffre Valley, Mont Buet, Rousse des Chambres and Les Dents Blanches.
Time taken: 5 hours
Starting altitude: 717 m
Finishing altitude: 2,207 m
Particular difficulties: none up to the chalets at Le Criou. The ridge at the top of Aouille du Criou overlooks the very sharp drop of the north face of the Criou.
Itinerary for guidance only.
A walk through the hamlet of Les Vallons means discovering a society that was structured around a dairy farm where the milk was harvested every day, in winter on the farms, and in summer at the Criou mountain.
At an altitude of 2,207 metres, the Aouille (peaks in patois) of the Criou is an essential walking destination.
Starting point of many hikes and circuits, the Refuge du Folly will allow you to discover the extraordinary fauna and flora of our mountains. Accessible to all types of hikers, from the most experienced to the first steps.
This aerial route is a wonderful viewpoint over the Chablais, Haut Giffre and Mont Blanc massifs. The Joux Plane lake is an artificial lake used to water the herds of the mountain pasture and to regulate the course of the Valentine torrent.
