La Tournette: Lake Annecy’s Queen of Hikes, With No Sugar-Coating

From the quays, it’s the great pyramid closing off the east shore. La Tournette tops out at 2,351 metres — the roof of the basin, nearly 1,900 metres above the water — and its silhouette is why half of all visitors eventually ask: “can you climb that?” Yes. But not any old way, and not everyone.

The classic route: via the Col de l’Aulp

The normal route starts above Talloires-Montmin, from the Prés Ronds car park, and climbs to the Col de l’Aulp and its chalet-refreshment hut — already a worthy outing in itself, with the lake spread below. Above it, the scenery changes: pasture gives way to limestone, the path steepens, and the mountain becomes a real mountain.

The finale is equipped: handrails and ladders take you over the rock steps to the summit — a perched block known as the Fauteuil, the “Armchair”, which you haul yourself onto for the final photo. The fittings are in good condition, but they don’t turn the climb into a stroll: you need sure footing, no fear of heights, and both hands free.

What you see from the top

Everything. The lake along its full length — its two basins finally make sense — the Bauges, the Aravis, and Mont Blanc sitting at the back. It’s the only place in the basin from which the Semnoz panorama looks small.

Who it’s for — honestly

• Regular hikers, fit, who start early with water and layers. It’s a full mountain day, not an after-lunch leg-stretch.
• Not for young children or anyone uneasy with heights: the cabled finale is playful for one person and paralysing for another.
• Not on wet rock or with storms forecast. The limestone finale turns soapy when wet, and a ridge at 2,300 m is no place in a thunderstorm — the same weather reflex as for the Semnoz, only more serious.

If the finale puts you off, the Col de l’Aulp on its own is a lovely half-day: the view over the lake is already exceptional, and the chalet’s terrace makes for perfect afternoons.

What we wouldn’t do

• Start at noon in summer. The climb bakes in the sun and summer storms come in the afternoon. Leave in the cool, summit before midday.
• Climb in smooth-soled trainers. The final step is climbed with hands and feet: you need soles that grip.
• Underestimate the descent. The handrails have to be reversed, tired — that’s where mistakes happen.
• Treat it as the only “real” hike around. The Roc de Chère or the Semnoz ridge give you the lake without the commitment.

La Tournette rewards in proportion to the effort: the finest viewpoint in the basin, reserved for those who come and earn it. Everyone else can watch it from a pontoon at sunrise — and that is no consolation prize.