The 20 Most Amazing Peaks around Montreux

Les Avants The village was one of the first ski resorts in Switzerland. In the nineteenth century, the spa town experienced a certain tourist development with the construction of the first hotels by the Dufour family. The construction of the Jaman tunnel in 1905, which provided a rail link with the Pays d'Enhaut, allowed the resort to become a strong tourist destination until the First World War, notably with the collaboration of the architect Louis Villard. Served by one of the first electrified railways, with a steep slope and no rack railways, the village is a popular destination for the English. It is also home to Switzerland's first bobsleigh run (which later became a toboggan run) and an ice rink. It was on this ice, which was actually tennis courts converted into an ice rink below the "Grand Hôtel des Avants", that the first European Ice Hockey Championship was held in 1910. Since 1910, the Les Avants - Sonloup funicular (still in operation, with the two carriages and the historic machines renovated between June 2012 and January 2013) has been operating on the Sonloup site, allowing sledders to climb to the top of the slopes again. The first war, especially the crisis of 1929, halted development and the large hotels gradually closed. Now competing with the many winter sports resorts created after the 1939-45 war, Les Avants was never to experience the tourist attraction it enjoyed at the beginning of the century. Ernest Hemingway had recently lived in the village for a few months in 1922 (at the "Pension de la Forêt" on the outskirts of Chamby) and wrote about his experiences and pleasures of the sled race there in several chapters of "A Farewell to Arms". In the second half of the century, the village developed into a residential area and experienced a tourist activity such as hiking and some winter activities in the low mountain range (sledding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, ski touring). Text / Source: SIA Les Avants https://www.lesavants.ch/histoire

Les Avants The charming village of Les Avants is located at an altitude of about 1000 meters and is part of the municipality of Montreux. It is at the gateway to the Pays d'Enhaut and the Vaud Prealps. The village was one of the first ski resorts in Switzerland and was home to the first Swiss bobsleigh run. 10 km from Lake Geneva, nestled under the Dent de Jaman and the Rochers de Naye, Les Avants is an ideal place for hiking. Many marked hiking trails, including the Daffodil Trail, attract hikers, especially in May when the hills are covered with the white flowers of daffodils. Also to discover is the flower clock, one of the oldest in Europe, on the Place de la Gare. Text / Source: SIA Les Avants https://www.lesavants.ch/

Done this morning on the north slope, climb, by mountain bike. Everything goes very well until Gros Caudon, 1450m. Then you have to push (but the mountain bike can be towed alone!) over a 130m drop. The first half is bad, steep on a gullied path, then ends in grass. It's painful but done pretty quickly. The continuation over the Col de Jaman via Soladier and Les Verraux requires passing large, very muddy landslides. But easy.

The pass offers a beautiful view of the Vanil des Arts. Between the Col de Soladier and the Col de Jaman the path is easy via the Chemin Transversal. From Montreux the last part of the climb is very steep on the other hand.

The Col de Soladier is a picturesque pass in the Swiss Alps that offers breathtaking views of Lake Geneva and the surrounding peaks.

Beautiful viewpoint at the highest point of the mountain. During the walk there you will not encounter any water fountains. It is important to bring enough water with you. There is a restaurant on the mountain if necessary.

Tough end. Nice view on Vanil des Artses. Easy connection with Chemin Transversal to go back to Col de Jaman.

The bike has to be pushed on the ascent