2-day hike to the Sales refuge - Stage 1

Refuge located in a preserved valley in the heart of the Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval nature reserve. Family hike appreciated for its numerous waterfalls amidst ibex, chamois and marmots.Occupied by former alpine chalets, the Vallon de Sales is known for its access dotted with waterfalls, for the Dérochoir and its view of the Mont-Blanc massif and for the Platé Desert, geological curiosity. Roland and Elisabeth Mogenier created the refuge out of love for the mountains and nature in 1981, they were the guardians of the place for 32 years. Their children continued their family activity with the same values of simplicity, authenticity and respect for nature, while adding a touch of modernity, fantasy and dynamism.

Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval/Passy Nature Reserve, the biggest nature reserve in Haute-Savoie, covers a vast region and boasts two impressive glacier cirques (Fer à Cheval and Les Fonts), both bursting with spectacular waterfalls.Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval/Passy Nature Reserve, the biggest nature reserve in Haute-Savoie, is an exclusively limestone universe featuring a wide variety of forms sculpted by erosion: fissures, grooves, etc. It covers 9,000 hectares across different mountain levels: sub-alpine, alpine and nival, from the banks of the Giffre at 900 metres up to the top of Buet culminating at over 3,000 metres. This range of elevations and the diversity of terrains (wet zones, mixed forests, cliffs, grassy areas, etc., offer contrasting habitats that are richly populated with a wide variety of wildlife species. From the forests to the highest peaks, approximately 800 plant species have been recorded in the nature reserve, including 28 different orchids! Sixt forest is dominated by beech and spruce, but only the most compatible plants can be found in the mountain pastures. Because the habitat changes with the altitude, there is a huge diversity of animal species: deer, wild boar, marmot, mountain hare, etc.. Wild animals thrive in the tranquillity of the nature reserve: ibex, bearded vulture, rock ptarmigan and royal eagle. To view real-time car park attendance, please click here: affluences.com/parking-de-sixt-fer-a-cheval