Experienced hill-walkers wanting a stiff but straightforward mountain ascent could tackle La Tournette (2351m), which dominates the east side of the lake with its patchy snowfields and crenellated summits. A road just north of Talloires crosses the Col de la Forclaz, doubles back to the left before the hamlet of MONTMIN, and ends in a steep but drivable track up to the Col de l'Aulp, less than 1000m from the summit. From the col, the climb is immediate, steep and clear, leading to a refuge, where late snow and increasing exposure demand extra care. Some scrambling (with fixed chains and handrails) is required to take you up to a broad, exposed shoulder. You cross some scree slopes and after a little more scrambling, arrive at the summit. To the east, the Chaîne des Aravis stretches before the snowbound massif of Mont Blanc on the horizon, just 50km away, while in the other direction the turquoise lake and Annecy itself lie at your feet.Facing La Tournette on the lake's opposite shore, the wooded ridges of the Semnoz mountains offer less radical Hiking. From the village of Duingt, a four-hour walk leads southwards up the Taillefer ridge, involving just over 300m of ascent to the 765-metre summit of Taillefer itself. From the town church follow the signs for Grotte de Notre Dame du Lac, a steep walk up the ridge, and follow the red and yellow markers thereafter. Towards the summit of Taillefer, there's some scrambling, but nothing too difficult, and 1500m after the peak the path turns round and returns north via the hamlet of LES MAISONS. The highest peak in the Semnoz is the Crêt de Châtillon, 16km directly south of Annecy along the D41. At 1699m it offers panoramic views, most impressively east past La Tournette towards Mont Blanc. A twenty-minute walk across meadows from the road's highest point leads to the cross on the summit and an orientation table pointing out the surrounding features.
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