Aguilles de Baulme

-

 

🗺️ Overview

  • Starting point: La Gittaz Dessous, 1250 m

  • Highest point: Aiguilles de Baulmes, 1560 m

  • Distance: ~6.5 km

  • Elevation gain: ~350 m

  • Duration: ~3 to 3.5 hours

  • Difficulty: Moderate (steep sections, narrow paths)

  • Family-friendly: Yes, with caution (Cave Noire detour is short but exposed)


Download GPS file

This hike offers a taste of adventure, quiet Jura forest trails, and wide views over the lakes — all just above Saint-Croix. It includes a steep ascent to a ridge, an optional detour to the Cave Noire, and ends at the dramatic summit of the Aiguilles de Baulmes, a jagged crest with stunning cliff views.

The Trail

The hike begins at La Gittaz Dessous (1250 m), accessible via a small road from behind Saint-Croix. There’s a small parking area at the village, but the better option is to continue a little further — follow the left fork at the signposts instead of going to La Gittaz Dessus. You’ll find a larger and shadier parking area slightly up the road.

From the parking, a gravel road leads gently toward the mountains. After a few minutes, it splits — take the right-hand fork to continue.

After 15–20 minutes, a panel indicates a right-hand trail up to Cave Noire. And here… it gets steep! The first part is very vertical, though it eases slightly higher up. The trail remains narrow and rugged, climbing steadily through the forest.




Eventually, you reach the ridge at 1340 m. Just behind the signpost, a short detour to the left brings you to a viewpoint atop the cliffs — a great place for a break and a photo.



Detour to Cave Noire (Optional but Fun)

From the ridge, continue right. After 5 minutes, you’ll reach a rocky passage with a small sign indicating Cave Noire. The cave lies on the far side of the cliff, reachable by a short, adventurous trail.


⚠️ Caution: The detour is exposed and narrow — but manageable with care. I manages with a 4-year-old in any case. The cave itself is small but fascinating, and the detour adds just 10 minutes.



Along the Ridge to Aiguilles de Baulmes

Back on the main trail, continue along the forest ridge. The trees thin out at times, revealing beautiful views over the lakes and the plateau below. The trail rolls up and down and winds in and out of the forest. Just when you think you've reached the top… it continues a bit more!




From the point you reach the ridge, it takes around 40 minutes to reach the summit of Aiguilles de Baulmes (1560 m) — a craggy limestone peak with wide-open views and dramatic cliffs on the northern side.

Descent to Col de l’Aiguillon

The quickest descent is directly from the summit to the Col de l’Aiguillon. The path is steep and can be tough on the knees but only takes about 25 minutes.


After 20 minutes you’ll reach a gravel road. Follow it down to the Col, which is actually the closest drive-up point to the summit. If you happen to start your hike there, it makes for an even shorter loop.

To return to your starting point at La Gittaz Dessous, continue straight across the road. A forest path will bring you back to the asphalted road in 10 minutes, and another 10–15 minutes on foot will return you to the village.

If you parked in the shadier parking (the one recommended earlier), there’s also a shortcut path just before the asphalt road that cuts off 500 meters of walking under the sun — a nice bonus!


Location: Aiguilles de Baulmes, 1446 Baulmes, Switzerland

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Capanna Margherita: highest building in Europe

-
Image
Overview Starting point:  Staffal (1800m) Arrival point:  Capanna Margherita (4554m) Lift dropoff:  Punta Indren (3200m) Altitude gain:  1300m Time:  2 days (at least for normal people like me) Difficulty:  Difficult (especially due to the altitude) Technical difficiulty : Easy Download GSP file If you love mountaineering, you can't miss  Capanna Margherita . At  4,554m , it’s the highest mountain hut in Europe and, surprisingly, accessible to anyone with  average fitness . I went with a friend, joining a  guided tour  organized by  MonteRosaBooking . It cost us  €420 , and I can say— worth every cent! You can start your ascent from  Staffal (Gressoney)  or  Alagna . Either way, you take the lifts (included in our tour in our case)  up to Passo dei Salati (3,000m).  There we met our guide, Fabio. He immediately made us feel at ease, provided the necessary gear ( crampons and harnesses ), and then....
Read more

La croix de Châtel

-
Image
🗺️ Overview Starting point : Col du Mollendruz (1180 m) Summit : Châtel Cross (1442 m) Distance : 7.8 km round trip Ascent : ~270 m Time : ~1h30 with a brisk pace or 2h30–3h round trip with kids Difficulty : Easy Suitable for : Families, beginners, snowshoes in winter Download GPS file The hike to the summit cross of  Châtel , above Montricher, is one of my all-time classics. It’s easy, scenic, and family-friendly—perfect even with a 4-year-old, who managed (almost) the entire walk. Whether in  summer   or  winter , this route works beautifully—snowshoeing in the cold months or hiking under a clear June sky, as you can clearly see in the pictures below 🤣 . Bonus: there are cozy mountain huts along the way for tea, cake, or even fondue. The Trail While there’s a longer route starting from Montricher , I usually begin at Col du Mollendruz (1180m) , where the snowshoe trails are marked in winter. There’s ample parking, but it can fill up on sunny...
Read more

Pilatus Kulm and Esel

-
Image
Overview Starting point:  Alpnachstad Station (450m) Summit:  Pilatus Kulm (2070m) + Esel (2118m) Highest point:  Esel Distance:  1,680m of elevation gain incuding Esel Duration:  around 4-5 hours up Optional shortcut:  Take the funicular to Ämsigen mid-station (1350m) to cut the hike in half Descent:  Funicular down (or same way on foot for an even bigger adventure!) Download GPS file I started from  Alpnachstad Station  at 450m, right at the base of the Pilatusbahn funicular. Parking can fill up quickly, so it’s best to arrive early or avoid weekends if you can. From the base, you backtrack slightly through town to find a sign pointing uphill to  Pilatus Kulm . Within minutes, you rise above the houses and get sweeping views of the lake below. The first stretch follows the funicular tracks across green pastures—an idyllic start! Eventually, you pass underneath the funicular and enter the forest. A short road section follows, until a pa...
Read more