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Hard Hiking Trails near Thonon-les-Bains

21 routes near Thonon-les-Bains qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 30.5 km and 904 m (2,966 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 207 km.

That is 75 percent of the 28 routes we map near Thonon-les-Bains. The climbing is steeper too: 904 m (2,966 ft) on average versus 692 m (2,270 ft) across the wider area.

Hard routes mean sustained ascent, long descents and a real need to watch the clock and the forecast. These lean toward the demanding end, so plan for a full day and check the forecast before you commit.

Trails

Les Pléiades , sommet des préalpes suisses au-dessus de Vevey, (1 360 mètres d'altitude), dans le canton de Vaud.
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Fribourg · Switzerland

Distance
19.4 km
/ 12.1 mi
Elevation gain
536 m
Typical duration
4 hr 59 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Le Lac de Lovenex, le Rocher de la Croix et le Léman (au fond), vus depuis le Pas de Lovenex. Juin 2008.
Hard

43-Alpine Passes Trail

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
13.9 km
/ 8.6 mi
Elevation gain
608 m
Typical duration
3 hr 49 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Blick auf Buckelpiste Chavanette
Hard

40-Alpine Passes Trail

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
21.0 km
/ 13.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,027 m
Typical duration
6 hr 5 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Rochers de Naye, and Hotel de Caux, Lake Geneva, Switzerland. 1 photomechanical print : photochrom, color.
Hard

Via Alpina

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
13.6 km
/ 8.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,758 m
Typical duration
5 hr 28 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Le village de Vinzel , vu de la route du Vignoble.
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
29.8 km
/ 18.5 mi
Elevation gain
382 m
Typical duration
7 hr 13 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Canton de Genève vu de La Barillette .
Hard

Jura Crest Trail

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
24.8 km
/ 15.4 mi
Elevation gain
637 m
Typical duration
6 hr 25 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Switzerland , Vaud , hike along Lake Geneva from St. Saphorin to Lutry
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
18.9 km
/ 11.7 mi
Elevation gain
357 m
Typical duration
4 hr 35 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
L'église réformée Notre-Dame de Saint-Prex.
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
18.2 km
/ 11.3 mi
Elevation gain
259 m
Typical duration
4 hr 16 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Trametes sp.
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Geneva · Switzerland

Distance
27.6 km
/ 17.1 mi
Elevation gain
249 m
Typical duration
6 hr 30 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
View onto the Lake Geneva form Torgon
Hard

42-Alpine Passes Trail

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
9.5 km
/ 5.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,010 m
Typical duration
3 hr 30 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Vue sur le Jura Vaudois
Hard

Jura Crest Trail

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
21.3 km
/ 13.3 mi
Elevation gain
848 m
Typical duration
5 hr 54 min
  • Waymarked route
Chalet d'alpage "Le Crot" sur la commune de Bassins, en Suisse
Hard

Jura Crest Trail

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
16.7 km
/ 10.4 mi
Elevation gain
329 m
Typical duration
4 hr 2 min
  • Waymarked route
Hut in the Bois Faucan of the Jorat.
Hard

ViaJacobi

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
29.8 km
/ 18.5 mi
Elevation gain
533 m
Typical duration
7 hr 27 min
  • Waymarked route
Borne frontière Haute-Savoie (France) - Valais (Suisse) 62
Hard

41-Alpine Passes Trail

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
14.9 km
/ 9.3 mi
Elevation gain
704 m
Typical duration
4 hr 10 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Mural by Cosey decorating a hangar near Morges railway station, in Switzerland.
Hard

ViaJacobi

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
30.7 km
/ 19.1 mi
Elevation gain
90 m
Typical duration
7 hr
  • Waymarked route
HBG was a low frequency time signal transmitter for the Swiss time reference system. Due to aging infrastructure, the Swiss Federal Government decided to shut down HBG on 31 December 2011.
Hard

ViaJacobi

Geneva · Switzerland

Distance
27.6 km
/ 17.1 mi
Elevation gain
192 m
Typical duration
6 hr 24 min
  • Waymarked route
Building of the railway station of Fey.
Hard

Chemin des Blés

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
22.5 km
/ 14.0 mi
Elevation gain
429 m
Typical duration
5 hr 33 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Dents Blanches Occidentales : Voie normale depuis les Allamands
Expert

Tour des Dents Blanches

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
44.6 km
/ 27.7 mi
Elevation gain
3,917 m
Typical duration
15 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Vineyards of Begnins in Automn
Hard

The Toblerones Trail

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
22.1 km
/ 13.7 mi
Elevation gain
88 m
Typical duration
5 hr 33 min

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Via Francigena - 03 part SwitzerlandValais/Wallis207 km3,717 m54 hrExpertJuly to September
Alpine Panorama TrailFribourg19.4 km536 m4 hr 59 minHardApril to October
43-Alpine Passes TrailValais/Wallis13.9 km608 m3 hr 49 minHardJune to October
40-Alpine Passes TrailValais/Wallis21.0 km1,027 m6 hr 5 minHardJune to October
Via AlpinaVaud13.6 km1,758 m5 hr 28 minHardJune to October
Alpine Panorama TrailVaud29.8 km382 m7 hr 13 minHardApril to October
Jura Crest TrailVaud24.8 km637 m6 hr 25 minHardJune to October
Alpine Panorama TrailVaud18.9 km357 m4 hr 35 minHardApril to October
Alpine Panorama TrailVaud18.2 km259 m4 hr 16 minHardApril to October
Alpine Panorama TrailGeneva27.6 km249 m6 hr 30 minHardApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Via Francigena - 03 part Switzerland, Alpine Panorama Trail, 43-Alpine Passes Trail. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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