Môle (Le)

Overview

The Môle is a real bastion which controls the crossings of the Arve Valley in the west and the breaks of the Giffre and the Risse in the north east. It is the first real mountain you see from the highway coming from Geneva. The Môle is the balcony of the Mont Blanc Massive and also the balcony of the Aravis, the Bornes, the Salève, the long crest of the Jura, the town of Geneva and the french-swiss prealps of the Chablais : a unique panorama of 360° and 1400 meters lower the two towns of Bonneville and Cluses look like lilliputian cities. The Môle is the first mountain which has been identified on a painting : Konrad Witz painted the Môle in 1444 on the painting "La pêche miraculeuse" (the Miraculous Draught of Fishes - Geneva - Museum of Art and History).

Horace Benedict de Saussure (the second winner of the Mont Blanc) himself wrote about the Môle in his book "Voyage dans les Alpes" (Trip in the Alps) in 1760 :
"The mountain of the Mole, from Geneva, looks like a pyramid which rises between the east and south-east: it shows in the distance, in the interval leaved between the mountains of Salève and Voirons. Its foot is at a distance of 12 miles of the city. At this distance, the greenery which covers the mountain, and the snow covered Alps which are behind, make it appear of an obscure color. This color, joined to its conical form, made believe some people who had seen it only by far, that it could have been a volcano; but the least vestige of fire is not found there. It does not have even the pyramidal assigned form; it is stretched in the direction of the west-north-west to the south-eastern east; but from Geneva you see it in a short cut, the length entirely disappears. Its form, seen from the opposite side appears so different from that which it presents of profile, so that you can hardly recognize it. Some people curious to see the mole at closely went to Bonneville, capital of Faucigny, located at the foot of this mountain; but they returned without having seen it, because, misled by its form, they ignored it, and took it for another mountain which is on the other side of Arve."

Photo gallery

Getting There

Nerarest towns : Bonneville and Cluses (railway stations)

Nearest airport : Geneva

Bonneville and Cluses can be reached from Geneva with the highway A 40 (Autoroute Blanche)

Start point of the normal route : Marignier.
-Take D6 from Bonneville over Ayse.
-Take D 19 from Cluses over Thyez.
Start point of the routes "chez Beroud" and "chez Folliex" : Saint Jean de Tholome.
-From Bonneville D 12 direction Faucigny and then at the right D 20 direction Saint Jean de Tholome.
-From Cluses over Bonneville or over Marignier and (D 26) Saint Jeoire. After Saint-Jeoire in La Tour take D20 at the left to Saint Jean de Tholome.

Normal Route

There is no hut in the Môle massive, but the ascent is possible in one day.
The normal and easiest route is over Marignier.
Take the D306 to La Combaz and the forest road on the left. Park at the end of this road (point 1330 m). Take the path near the water pool and turn to the left to the Chalets and Col des Granges (1396 m).At the level of the three houses, climb the east slope of the Môle and then the south-east shoulder (1587 m) to the summit cross (1861 m) and the principal summit (1863 m).

Red Tape

No permits required. The different forest roads are free. The Môle is a hunting reserve. Dogs in leaves. Camping forbidden.

When To Climb

All the time.
In winter for Ski Mountaineering beginers
By stormy weather, leave the crest of the Môle.

Mountain Conditions

Meteo Cluses

Tourist Informations

TOURIST OFFICES :
- BONNEVILLE 154 place de l'Hotel de Ville, 74130 BONNEVILLE , tél. 33 (0)4.50.97.38.37, télécopie : 33 (0)4.50.97.19.33, Email : officetourismebonneville@wanadoo.fr
- CLUSES Office du Tourisme 100, Place du 11 Novembre Tél 33 (0)4 50 98 31 79
- LA ROCHE SUR FORON Office du Tourisme tél 33 (0)4 50 03
36 68
- MARIGNIER Syndicat d'Initiative Mairie, 74130 MARIGNIER , tél. 33 (0)4.50.34.60.22,
- SAINT JEOIRE Office du Tourisme Rue Faucigny, 74490 SAINT-JEOIRE-EN-FAUCIGNY , tél. 33 (0)4.50.35.91.83, télécopie : 33 (0)4.50.35.81.58, Email : lesbrasses@wanadoo.fr, http://www.alpes-leman.com/upload/villages/saint-jeoire/.

HOTELS :
- HOTEL DU FAUCIGNY** Les Bords de l'Arve 74950 Sconzier Cluses Tél 33 (0)4 50 98 16 71

CAMPINGS
-CAMPING BOIS DES TOURS * *
314, rue des Bairiers - 74130 Bonneville
-CAMPING CENTRAL CAMPING *
4, rue du Chablais - 74130 Bonneville
- CAMPING LA CORBAZ***
460, Avenue des Glières 74300 Cluses Tél 33 (0)4 50 98 44 03

Books

- Chablais Franco-Suisse - Faucigny - Genevois 177 Randonnées pédestres Edition Didier Richard

Ayse - The vineyards of the Môle

On the south side of the Môle, at 500 m height in Ayse, Bonneville and Marignier, a vineyard produces the wine of Ayse : white wine or sparkling wine. The type of the wine is Gringet or Roussette d'Ayse.

Les Brasses - The skiresort near of the Môle

With its privileged gegraphic situation, the family station of Les Brasses is the nearest to Geneva. The massive des Brasses offers to you the panoramic ski vis-a-vis of the Mont Blanc, ski on a varied, significant field and equipped with 15 skis-lift, 3 chair-lifts including 1 disengageable, and more than 50 km of green, blue, red and black tracks. Snow-blowers guarantee the return to the station. 40 monitors of the french ski school ensure the courses for any style of ski . The plate of Plain-Joux. in 1250m altitude, offers more than 100 km of langlauf tracks marked and rammed with the new techniques (skating + alternatif).

External Links

• Meteo Cluses
  Mountain conditions
  

Images

View Môle (Le) Image Gallery - 17 Images