Nant Bordon Suspension Bridge and Lac Vert Loop

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Features Lake · Wildflowers

This is a worthwhile excursion if you are looking for a rainy day, low elevation activity or if you don't have much time to spare. Fans of suspension bridges will appreciate the engineering and length of this one!

Only a couple handicapped parking spots at the "official" start of this trail - so either get dropped off, or park in town and walk to start of trail.

Starting as mapped at the gate next to a hairpin bend on Promenade Marie Curie road: two huge wooden sculptures guard the entrance to this hike. The first quarter mile or so follows along a shady, paved road and ascends gently. Eventually, you come across a long section of stone wall and some huge boulders.

The Nant Bordon suspension bridge spans the Nant Borden ravine. This well built, metal bridge crosses a torrent of water rushing down the eroded hillside.

Continuing along the paved road, you'll get some views through the trees over the Passy valley. The trail arrives at Lac Vert and the restarant, terrace, and parking area. Lac Vert is small but picturesque, with benches and a few picnic tables along the shore. To circumnavigate the lake, head up the rocky dirt road beyond the restarant. This rugged 4WD trail is mostly loose and eroded. You'll get glimpses of the lake from higher up on the trail.

Eventually you'll get gentler grades on smoother trail that is covered by springy pine needles. This route takes you through the lower slopes of the Plaine Joux ski area. With luck, you'll see paragliders launching from the astro-turf take-off zone. After doglegging through a wooded area and below a large carpark, begin a steep descent. The downhill is wooded but less pleasant as it crosses the road in places and does not offer views. The trail ends at the Promenade Marie Curie road, just slightly uphill from the "official" start with the wooden sculptures.

Nant means torrent, Bordon is the name of a family who established a mill on this river. During heavy storms, several thousand cubic meters of sediment are washed down this channel as mudslides and in 1983 the road to Lac Vert was destroyed. This footbridge from the plateau of d'Assy village to Lac Vert is a single span flexible structure modeled on footbridges in the Himalayas. Lac Vert owes its fame to its color caused by blue algae living here. The lake probably formed from a landslide in the 15th century. Max depth is 9.3 m and temp is 7.5 to 8.5C. The nearby Sancellemoz Sanatorium was built in 1931 and cared for Marie Curie before her death in 1934. She was the only female scientist to win 2 Nobel prizes. She died at age 66 from an anemia illness related to her work with radiation.