On the way up
We took a taxi from Evian to the village of Bernex. Cost us about 38 CHF.
The hike starts in the forest but soon one reaches the alpine pastures and Chalet d'Oche. View of Chateau d'Oche is from there:
We followed the usual route, which took us to the West Ridge of Dent d'Oche. The trail gets a bit steeper here and soon you are scrambling rather than walking. Chains are there to help those uncomfortable with exposure.
The ridge offers beautiful views down towards the village and Lake Geneva further in the distance. You are sure to notice some imposing towers along the way.
At the top
Quite unexpectedly we came upon a structure in a location more suited for an eagle nest than a human dwelling. This turned out to be the refuge of Dent d'Oche adorned with flags on the strings in Nepalese fashion. Oddly enough, Nepalese food is also served here. You could taste some delicious looking mo-mos.
From here the summit is within reach. The views are fantastic. You see Chablais mountains and white Alpine peaks further away.
On the other side, Lac Leman, so huge that even from 2000 meters above it you cannot see it all. A view towards Montreux shows the northen part of the lake.
Going down
On the way down the East Ridge we were greated by curious creatures so common up here. We saw one ibex after another posing on seemingly unreachable rocks.
The whole hike took less than five hours at a leasurely pace. As we had not arranged for transportation for our return trip, we decided to simply walk 17km down to Evian. This took another three and a half hours to make for a wonderful day in Haute Savoie
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