You'll probably have to wait for warmer weather for this one, as some mountain passes are closed for a long winter period. But if you're in Annecy between May and September and looking for a great ride, look no further!

With 4 passes on the program, you should normally have plenty of elevation gain to work with, going from the classic Col de la Forclaz by the lake, to the little-known Col de l'Arpettaz, to the classic Col des Aravis and finally to the Col de la Croix Fry to conclude everything.

But be warned, the rest of the route isn't necessarily very flat. In short, a great day out for the memories is in store.

We begin gently by following the left bank of the lake, along the hills above Veyrier, then head towards the Bluffy pass, leaving the beautiful Menthon castle on your right. Behind it lies the Forclaz pass, your next destination. You can probably already spot many paragliders there. After the Bluffy pass, turn right to gently reach the foot of the Forclaz pass. You have 7km left to reach it, but be careful at the beginning, which isn't too difficult, because the last three kilometers will leave you with a few memories! Once at the top, enjoy the view and savor the height above the lake.

Where there's an uphill climb, there's a downhill climb, and this one is fast (be careful, it can also be dangerous because the road is sometimes narrow, especially after the village of Montmin).

You now have a little over 10km of flat terrain to loosen up your legs before the next climb, which is the biggest challenge of this route: the Col de l'Arpettaz. It's not very well known, but believe us, you'll be delighted to have discovered this pass – we'll bet on it!

16km at an average gradient of over 7%, but above all, 48 hairpin bends for your cycling pleasure as you seek out hidden gems of the Alps. Once at the top, the view is magnificent. You can have a snack at the refuge and enjoy the atmosphere as you transition from the mid-mountain terrain around Annecy to the high mountains! Be careful once again on the descent, which is narrow and winding.

You rejoin the Val d'Arly road at the bottom, which takes you downhill to the foot of the Col des Aravis. Be careful on this road, which has very few flat sections, to avoid wasting energy. When you reach Flumet, turn left (to the right is the Col des Saisies, and straight ahead is the climb to Megève).

The Col des Aravis via Flumet isn't insurmountable (12km at an average of 5%), it's relatively easy up to the village of La Giettaz. But from the village onwards, while you can still enjoy the scenery, the road becomes tougher but remains consistent all the way to the summit.

Once at the summit, you descend towards La Clusaz on a beautiful, wide trail (this time). But don't rush too fast towards the Aravis resort, as your route turns left towards the Col de la Croix Fry. The advantage of coming from the Col des Aravis is that you have less than 4km of climbing to reach the summit. The descent is once again beautiful and quite long (almost 13km) with breathtaking views of the Tournette. Once at the bottom, head towards the Thônes valley, but we suggest returning via the balcony trails; it's quieter and more scenic before passing back over the Col de Bluffy, the starting point of your ride.All you have to do then is glide down to the edge of the lake to finish your beautiful outing and enjoy a refreshment and/or a little swim in the lake!

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