This hike from Saint-Cergue offers a beautiful panorama and ends at an outlook point at 1,677 metres altitude.
After a hike of nearly half an hour, you are greeted by typical Jura landscape and surrounded by peace and quiet. A little higher, the vegetation changes, becoming more alpine and encircles the cirque of rocks of La Dôle. Buttercups and wild gentian stretch off into the distance. The panorama from the summit is majestic with Lake Geneva before you, the city of Geneva and its water spout to the west, and Mont Blanc to the south. A long descent, sometimes quite steep, goes through the trees.
Start at the station of St-Cergue; cross through the village in a southwest direction; after the roundabout, take the second road to the right to the "Vieux-Château".
Turn left above the houses; follow the path to the telecommunication antenna; the plateau at this spot offers a panoramic view of the lake; climb to the hillock at the entrance to the trees; this is the remains of the chateau of St-Cergue (14th-15th centuries); continue to the sawdust shed, passing above the ski slopes, then turn right into the forest.
After passing a group of buildings, follow the forest trail to the walking sign, then take a path through the woods at Guinfard. At the edge of the forest, descend towards the road at Vuarne, then follow it to the intersection with the route called "Chemin des Crêtes du Jura".
You come next to the Vuarne and La Dôle massif in the distance. Head left and follow the signs to the restaurant at Barillette. The view from the terrace opens again onto a broad panorama of Lake Geneva. Follow the paved road to the big antenna. The summit of La Dôle, with the white mushroom of the Skyguide radar station, comes into view. From the Col de Vuarne, head down towards the Châlet de la Dôle. Once past this point climb to the right to reach the ridge.
Once you've arrived, a breathtaking view spreads out before you.
On October 26, 1779, during a trip to Geneva, Goethe climbed to this spot and expressed these words with which one can only agree : "There are no words to describe the grandeur and beauty of this spectacle"
Once you have taken in the beauty of the scene, head towards the top station of the skilift at La Dôle then go down in the direction of Couvaloup de Crans. There you link up with the route to Trélasse, and from there across meadows to Givrine. The NStCM will take you back to St-Cergue.
