Pré Communal path

An almost 4-hour hike through the forest, with beautiful views over the valley and surrounding peaks (waterfalls, the isolated, typically Savoyard hamlet of Hauteville, the Pré Communal mountain pasture...).

In winter, allow 5 hours for the entire snowshoe hike.

Start from the village square parking lot in Notre-Dame-du-Pré.
Head towards the church and follow the road on the left to the first waterfall (approx. 500 m).
Follow the road to the signposted Hauteville path (approx. 500 m).
Continue on this path through the forest to the hamlet of Hauteville (approx. 45 min).
In Hauteville, pass the old chapel and continue towards the fountain next to the communal bread oven. On the opposite slope, you can see the hamlet of Montfort above Moûtiers.
Continue along the same path above the fountain.
On leaving Hauteville, turn left at the hamlet's old quarry (approx. 40 m after the ruins).
Follow the small path that winds above the quarry, then continue on this larch-lined path to the Pré Communal road a little further up (approx. 10 min).
At the intersection with the Pré Communal road, there are two ways to get to this small hamlet of three houses:

- the easiest (+ 20 min)
Take the left-hand lane up the hill, which crosses the Pré Communal stream and leads to the hamlet after three hairpin bends.

- the most difficult (approx. 10 min)
Continue along the path you've taken so far, which climbs straight up to the hamlet. A steeper variant, but much shorter!

From Pré Communal, follow the road uphill for 10 min, leaving it some 50 m before the second hairpin bend.
Follow the path towards La Lèche, then Bois Renaud, and continue downhill on the same path to the Chaille waterfall.

From here 2 options:
+ short through the forest to "Les Foyères" (45 min from the village):
Take the path on your left before the bridge and go down to the forest road. Then turn right onto the Hauteville path to Notre-Dame-du-Pré.

+ long :
After the bridge, continue on the forest road that leads to the mountain pastures. Then pass under the ski lift cables.
There are two options at this point:

1st option: Continue straight ahead on the track until you reach the tarmac road, which you follow downhill to Notre-Dame-du-Pré (approx. 30 min).

2nd option:
Follow the small path alongside the ski lift cables on this old, steeper path down to the village (approx. 15 min).

All the way down to the Chef-Lieu, you'll enjoy exceptional views of the Tarentaise and Basse Tarentaise. If the weather's fine, you may even catch a glimpse of the summit of Mont-Blanc and its eternal snows!