Le Buet to the Cascade de Berard
Our Rating
9
Exceptional
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Length
3.33km
Elevation + / -
116m / 116m
Altitude Range
1336m / 1429m
When to go
End Apr - Mid Oct
Hike duration
50 - 80 Mins
Run duration
25 - 40 Mins
Technical level
Easy
Natural beauty
Very Nice
Families
4+ Years old
Dogs
Dogs Allowed
Provision Sources
1 Snack Bar
Trail type
Loop
The Cascade de Berard is one our favorite waterfalls near Chamonix and this trail is the easiest and shortest way of getting there. You start off at the Le Buet car park or train station and from there you cross the main road and go up to the village of La Poya passing by the La Poya beginner ski area. The walk goes through beautiful forest and you will find wooden ornaments and carvings along the way. You will then reach the main destination of this trail: the Cascade de Berard. There is a metal bridgeway that take you right up to the start of the waterfall with a pretty spectacular view on all sides. After that you can climb up and cross the little bridge to the Buvette de la Cascade de Berard. A very nice snack bar perched right on top of the waterfall with a brilliant wooden deck. Behind the snack bar is a newly installed trail that takes you to the Grotte a Farinet. A small cave definitely worth visiting. After that we walk through the Poya ski field which features more beautiful trail and wooden sculptures before we cross the river and make our way back to the start.
Video of this Trail
We have made a video presentation for this trail. The video will provide full 3D fly over of the route and then give a great overview of the experience you can expect when you take on this trail. It is a great way to quickly understand if this is the perfect trail for you. Please visit our channel on YouTube and like the video and subscribe to our channel. Putting together these videos is a lot of work!
Photos of this Trail
Below are all the photos we have in our Chamonix Photos collection for this point of interest. All our photos are tagged with the GPS coordinates and linked to the trails that you can take to find the location where the photo was taken. So if you want to see the full details for a specific photo then just click on it.
Trail Directions & Safety Considerations
Risk Considerations & Difficulty Assessment
This route reaches an altitude of 1492 meters at the Cascade de Berard. The path going up to the waterfall should be snow free from late April to mid October at least but always check conditions and turn back if the path is not snow free enough for you. This trail is pretty popular in winter by the way as a snowshoe trail. The route is short and easy to navigate. There will be plenty of signs bringing you to the main waypoints of La Poya and the Cascade itself. You can just go back the exact way you came and that would be the shortest version. The version we present here turns this into a loop walk by crossing the river and walking along the river back to Le Buet. The trails are all easy with some rocks and tree roots and a few steeper sections.
Children
4+ Years old
Dogs
We recommend to keep your dog on a leash. The metal staircase from the viewing deck up to the buvette is probably too steep so walk around
Trail Starting Point
You can start the trail at the Le Buet train station near Vallorcine. There is a large car park at the train station too and the trail marker for the start of the trail is right across the road from the carpark. If coming by public transport then the train is the best option for sure.
Trail Directions
From the Le Buet carpark you cross the road and you will see a trail marker indicating the Cascade de Berard. Follow this trail past the La Poya beginner ski area. You will pass by the little hamlet of La Poya and take the trail further up the hill. You should then hear the waterfall and if you stick to the right you can reach the iron suspended walkways that bring you close to the waterfall. After admiring the waterfall, take the steeper metal staircase up to reach the Buvette. On the left side of the snack bar you will find the little trail that takes you to the cave entrance of the Grotte a Farinet. It is very close by and worth it. Once you are done, head back over the bride at the snack bar and turn left and then take the trail back down on the right side. Don't go down the same metal staircase that you came up with. Now stick to the right where you will find a 4x4 track used by the jeep that resupplies the Buvette. This is a nice little trail that crosses the beginner ski area at a higher altitude and has nice wooden sculptures on the sides of the road. At the first turn take a left to go down towards the trail that runs parallel below the one that you are currently on. Once you reach it take a right to continue in an eastern direction. You will end up at the large Chalet Skiroc along the main road. Cross the main road and turn right and then turn left at the first turn to make your way down a tunnel below the train tracks. Make your way down till you see a trail marker indicating the start of a foot trail. Take the little bridge crossing the river and turn left. Follow this trail till you reach another bridge. Use this bridge to cross the river and turn right to follow the river going north in the same direction. Walk a bit further till you see trail marker for Le Buet at Le Mayens. Take a left turn towards the tunnel to go below the train tracks again. Take another left back to the Le Buet car park.
Points of Interest
Our hiking and trail running trails around Chamonix are chosen for their natural beauty and variety. We also always try to combine as many sights, attractions and points of interests as possible in our trails. Below you will find a list of the points of interests linked to this trail.
