Boucle des Carriers
MODERATE (1.9/10)Circular route from Meillerie
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Route briefing
What comes next
Climbs, descents and decisive places in route order. Not listed does not mean absent: it may not be mapped.
Start
0 m
Meillerie
Start
Route geometry · source 2026-04-10
About 0 min in
10.6 km remaining
+848 m remaining
Climb
440 m
248 m climb
1.5 km at 17.0% average
OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-10
About 11 min in
10.2 km remaining
+848 m remaining
Descent
2.3 km
134 m descent
1.1 km at 12.2% average
OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-10
About 55 min in
8.3 km remaining
+551 m remaining
Climb
3.4 km
467 m climb
3.1 km at 15.3% average
OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-10
About 1h 21m in
7.2 km remaining
+544 m remaining
Route note
6.1 km
Le Hucel
Peak
OpenStreetMap · source 2026-04-10
About 2h 26m in
4.5 km remaining
+76 m remaining
Descent
7.0 km
494 m descent
3.6 km at 13.7% average
OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-10
About 2h 49m in
3.6 km remaining
+15 m remaining
Finish
10.6 km
Meillerie
Finish
Route geometry · source 2026-04-10
About 4h 15m in
0 m remaining
Trail route lab
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Boucle des Carriers is a 10.6 km circular moderate hiking route in Switzerland, starting and finishing at Meillerie. The route covers 848m of ascent and 842m of descent, with elevations ranging from 373m to 954m. Allow approximately 4h 14m for the full route.
The route is divided into 3 segments. The toughest stretch is the 6.1 km from Meillerie to Le Hucel, climbing 754m.
About 58% of the trail is runnable, but the remaining steep sections will push most people into power-hiking mode. The steepest pitches reach 54% gradient.
Budget roughly 2,286 kcal of energy expenditure and 2.5 L of water.
Low-altitude route (max 954m). Hikeable most of the year.
Trail Splits
Waypoint-to-waypoint breakdown with estimated hiking times (Naismith's Rule).
| Segment | Dist | ↑ Ascent | ↓ Descent | Time | Cum. km |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
📍 Meillerie → Le Hucel | 6.1 km | +754m | -303m | 2h 43m | 6.1 |
⛰️ Le Hucel → Mont Chalon | 2.5 km | +70m | -106m | 41 min | 8.5 |
⛰️ Mont Chalon → Meillerie | 2.1 km | +25m | -433m | 49 min | 10.6 |
| Total | 10.6 km | +848m | -842m | 4h 14m | 10.6 |
Pace & Fuel Calculator
Adjust your flat 10K pace to see personalized finish time, calorie burn, and hydration needs.
Terrain Analysis
Surface & Technicality
Gradient describes steepness, not exposure, scrambling, footing or current conditions. Technical difficulty is unknown where no mapped rating is available.
Tree cover and UV
🌲 Largely under trees. Good canopy at lower elevations, so the open sections are the ones to plan for.
Canopy is inferred from elevation against a 2000 m Alpine treeline and from gradient below it, not from observed tree data — treat it as an estimate. It is a different question from the terrain shade above, which is about whether a mountain is between you and the sun at a given time.
Current Conditions
Based on 1991–2020 climate averages, the weather on Boucle des Carriers is usually best from April to October.
Weather this week
Loading the forecast for low point (370 m) and high point (955 m)…
Weather by month
Typical weather on this trail: at the lowest point (370 m) and the highest point (955 m). Select a month to see why it is rated as it is.
| Month | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weather | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Mixed | Mixed |
| High point, day / night | 4°/-1° | 5°/-2° | 8°/0° | 12°/4° | 16°/8° | 19°/11° | 22°/13° | 22°/14° | 17°/10° | 12°/7° | 7°/2° | 5°/0° |
| Low point, day / night | 8°/1° | 8°/1° | 12°/3° | 15°/7° | 20°/11° | 23°/14° | 26°/16° | 26°/16° | 21°/13° | 16°/10° | 11°/5° | 9°/3° |
| Rain, mm | 108 | 96 | 86 | 85 | 114 | 118 | 116 | 110 | 109 | 107 | 114 | 128 |
| Snow at high point | Possible | Possible | Possible | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Possible |
| Daylight | 8 h 58 | 10 h 18 | 11 h 49 | 13 h 31 | 14 h 57 | 15 h 47 | 15 h 29 | 14 h 15 | 12 h 38 | 11 h | 9 h 28 | 8 h 37 |
Source: TerraClimate 1991–2020 monthly averages. Averages for the area at each point’s elevation (4 km grid, corrected for height). Not a forecast or a report of current trail conditions. These values describe the whole trail's lowest and highest points. Snow at the high point is estimated with a simple snowpack model from these temperatures and precipitation, not observed; steep islands and high summits can hold more snow than it shows. Daylight is for the 15th of each month. Hut, transport and park seasons are separate: check them for your dates.
Averages cannot establish current trail conditions. Check recent local reports, the forecast and restrictions before departure. Snow and ice can persist on shaded sections or arrive outside the usual season.
Current snow conditions
Insufficient evidence
Enable “Current snow map” in the route map’s Map layers to see the surrounding snow evidence. Current conditions do not describe a future departure date.
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Safety & Bailouts
We do not have a verified emergency exit plan for this route. A nearby settlement, hut or route endpoint is not necessarily reachable or open. Do not leave the trail based on a straight-line distance or compass direction.
Review possible exits against current local information before your trip. In an emergency, contact local rescue services; this page is not live rescue guidance.
Suggested Gear List
Auto-generated based on 10.6 km, 848m ascent, max altitude 954.2m, ~4h duration.
- 👟 Trail running shoes / hiking bootsRequired for any trail
- 📱 Phone (charged) + offline mapNavigation & emergency contact
- 💧 3L hydration vestWater source information is incomplete; plan supplies before departure
- 🍫 Trail mix, bars & sandwichEst. 2286 kcal burn
- 🧴 SunscreenBasic sun protection
- 🧥 Light rain jacketWeather changes fast in the mountains
- 🩹 Mini first aid kitBlister plasters, tape, antiseptic
- 🥢 Trekking poles46% steep terrain, 848m+ ascent
- 🧊 Microspikes / light cramponsSnow risk in Jan, Feb, Mar
- 🦵 GaitersKeep snow out of boots
Nearby Points of Interest
⛰️ Peaks
- Le Hucel km 6.1 · 1.4 km off trail
- Mont Chalon km 8.5 · 1.7 km off trail
Route Details
- Network
- Local Trail Network
- Sport
- hiking
- Start
- Meillerie
- End
- Meillerie
- Start Coordinates
- 46.40532, 6.72025
- OpenStreetMap
- View on OSM →
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Route resources
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