When I take families walking in the Pays de Gex in summer, there is always that moment when a child stops dead in front of a cow in a mountain pasture, or plunges both hands into an icy stream, laughing. Here the mountain comes down to a child’s height. Between Lake Geneva and the Haute Chaîne du Jura we are lucky to have everything within reach: gentle paths, lakes to swim in, viewpoints that take your breath away without wearing out small legs. Here are my ideas for an active, refreshing summer to share as a family.
Hikes that really suit children
There is no need to aim for summits to fill small children with wonder. The Vattay plateau, with its open pastures and almost flat tracks, is perfect for a first outing: you walk among the herds, you hunt for bilberries at the end of summer, you picnic facing the ridges. The forests of the Haute Chaîne give shade on hot days, a real asset when the sun beats down. My advice as a Mountain Leader: plan short stages with a concrete goal each time, a hut, a viewpoint, a stream. A child does not count kilometres, a child counts discoveries.
A big thrill, gently
For families who want a bit of altitude without the effort, the Monts Jura resort is a safe bet. The Mont-Rond chairlift takes everyone up there, and the reward is huge. In clear weather Lake Geneva spreads out at your feet and the Mont Blanc closes the horizon. Then walk back down at your leisure. At the Col de la Faucille, the summer toboggan run is still unanimously loved by children, and it reassures parents who do not feel up to setting off on a real mountain path.
Cooling off when it is hot
Summer in the Pays de Gex can be heavy, and water then becomes your best ally. The lac de Divonne is ideal for an afternoon as a family: supervised bathing, pedalos, and an easy loop around the water that works for pushchairs as well as small bikes. Along the rivers and marshes you will find a thousand shady corners to catch your breath. Always take more water than you think you need, and sun cream: in the mountains as on the plain, the sun gives no warning.
A touch of adventure and culture
When children get older and want more action, Fort l’Écluse, clinging to the rock above the Rhône, mixes history and sensation with its stairways cut into the stone and its via ferrata for the older ones. It is the kind of outing that marks a childhood, somewhere between visiting a fortress and controlled vertigo above the river.
My tips so everyone comes away with a good memory
Set off early in the morning in summer, so you walk in the cool and leave the afternoon for swimming. Set the pace by the smallest in the group, not the biggest. Turn the walk into a game: spot the marmot, a colour hunt, counting the summits. And keep one simple rule: a small outing that works beats a big one that ends in tears. That is how you give a child the urge to put their boots back on the next day.
To take it further, have a look at our family hiking outings in the Pays de Gex, and for a nature adventure with a difference, try a mushroom discovery outing in the Jura forest, open to curious children.
Fancy discovering the Pays de Gex with a guide, someone who knows the right paths and the right pace for families? That is exactly what I offer with WhyTrek. Take a look at our activities and we will build your outing together.