Tête Nord des Fours

The nature reserve

The roman route
Before the Roman invasion, Val-Montjoie was home to Ceutrons, a Celtic tribe practicing livestock breeding. For their cheese production, they imported salt from Moutiers via the Col du Bonhomme mountain pass. They participated in the establishment of these routes leading to Italy, which were taken by the Romans during the invasion of the Alps.
Observe the section of Rochassets, it was carved in the rocks in order to create a passage for the charriots!

Notre Dame de la Gorge

The bogs at la Rosière
Originating from the ice age, this wetland was first a depression eroded by the glacier in which the melting ice stagneted. It’s a paradise for carnivorous plants such as Alpine Butterwort or the Round-leaved Sundew...

The round-leaf Sundew
It is called "Rossolis or Sundew" because of the scintillation of this substance in the sunlight.
This species is fragile and protected, please do not touch it !

The roman bridge
This route, which has become the GR5 since, is a popular tourist destination.
The bridge overlooks the gorges of Bont Nant.
Admire the natural pools that the torrent has shaped slowly but surely!

The mountain refuge of Nant Borrant
In 1842 the commune of Les Contamines authorized to establish an inn on this location. It will be called "Mountain Hotel" until 1976. With the development of the long-distance hiking trail "Tour du Mont Blanc", it has become a refuge. But since its creation it has always belonged to the same family! It is open from June to the end of September.
The Nant Borrant refuge is located at the gates of the nature reserve which starts just behind the torrent...

The mountain pasture
Without the grazing of domestic animals at this altitude, this environment would be composed by few species of bushes and according animal species. The alpine pasture is a rare example of human activity generating biodiversity in both animal and plant species, more abundant than what the natural evolution of the environment would produce. It hosts many species of plants, birds, invertebrates, mammals...

Cow mountain
The breed called "Abondance" was born in the village of the same name in the Chablais area in Haute-Savoie. It can be recognized by its mahogany-colored coat and belly and its white head.
The "d'Herens" breed is coming from the Valais region in Switzerland. More stocky, it has a plain coat, often black, sometimes dark red or chestnut. Its lively and belligerent behavior is used during the traditional "Fight of the queens" in the 3 areas around Mont-Blanc. But don’t panic, these games are harmless for the competing animals!

The mountain refuge of la Balme
Estimate the height of the roof and imagine that during the winter only the chimney isn’t covered by the snowpack!
This refuge is open from June to September.

The Arctic Rush
It is recognizable thanks to its total absence of leaves and thanks to its few blackish flowers placed in the upper third of the stem.
It is protected in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It’s prohibited to pick or destroy it.
It is a typical species of certain alpine environments such as meadows and stream banks.

Black glaciers
And yet, glaciers buried under a layer of sediments have recently been discovered there!
These glaciers are called "black glaciers", as opposed to "white glaciers". The layer covering these glaciers protects them from the sun, and slows down the melting process comparing to white glaciers.

Tumulus of Plan des Dames

Studies and Ibexes
Various successive reintroductions in the entire Alps region have made it possible to increase the numbers of the populations although the stability of these populations is still threatened.
In the nature reserves of Haute-Savoie, Ibexes are included in the monitored species and research programs intended to study its health conditions or to improve the management of its populations.

Excessive trail frequentation, the actions of Asters CEN74
How to restore a degraded trail?
The team collected local seeds, raked the areas to be revegetated and installed geotextile membranes (made of coconut fiber) to increase seed growth.
Help us make this work last! Going off the hiking trails destroys the surrounding flora. Like scars, the new paths will encourage soil erosion causing the disappearance of vegetation. Be carefull! Stay on the main trail!

Excessive trail frequentation, the actions of Asters CEN74

Col du Bonhomme
Thanks to its strategic location, this pass has always been a passage frequented by the Romans, peddlers, crystal collectors and livestock traders... In 1860, during the French annexation of Savoy and the county of Nice, a free zone was established on a large northern part of Savoy, of which the pass was one of the limits.

The Bonhomme rock
The latter would have been called this way because it looks like a male face... Have you seen it?

The Rock Ptarmigan

Singular sandstones
Why is this rock called this way? Because they look like nothing known at the time! These rocks are precious evidence that shows that only the inner part of the Mont-Blanc massif was raised during the Jurassic period.

Tête Nord des Fours
Use the orientation table to discover the names of the surrounding peaks. In front of you admire the 5500 ha of protected areas of the nature reserve: forests, alpine pastures, cliffs, alpine lakes, glacier... with nearly 3000 m of altitude variation.

Resistance at the top
Description
- Cross the footbridge over the torrent to reach the track.
- Stay on the main track following the torrent upstream.
- Stay on the GR and take the ancient roman route which rises in front of you.
- Stay on the route and cross the "Pont romain".
- At the bifurcation, take the path on the left direction “Col du bonhomme”
- At the col du bonhomme mountain pass, follow the path on the left, going up to “Col des fours”
- At the bifurcation, take on the left “Col des fours”
- Continue on the upgoing path on the left following the direction of "Tête Nord des fours"
- You have arrived.
Altimetric profile
Sensitive areas
contact@cen-haute-savoie.org
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Transport
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