La Chaux-de-Fonds - Saut du Doubs
MODERATE (1.7/10)La Chaux-de-Fonds → Les Roches Bornels
Use this route
The walk, as far as the open data goes
Getting there
- Start: gare/Av.L-Robert bus stop, 36 m away
- Start: Gare bus stop, 73 m away
- Start: La Chaux-de-Fonds railway station, 119 m away
- Finish: Saut du Doubs railway station, 595 m away
Somewhere to stop
- Hôtel de France hotel
Mapped within 200 m of the line. Whether they are open is not something we have read.
Height and time
- High point 1,271 m
- Low point 693 m
- Climb 350 m from a 30 m terrain model, smoothed
- Swiss signpost time 3 h 54 the official method, on our line
Computed on 2026-09-20 from OpenStreetMap, the terrain model and the federal route layer — not read from the operator's own page, and not checked on the ground. Hikes we have reviewed say who published each fact and when.
Explore the route
Read the topography, inspect the climb, or preview the route over real terrain.
Route briefing
What comes next
Climbs, descents, huts and decisive places in route order. Not listed does not mean absent: it may not be mapped.
Start
0 m
La Chaux-de-Fonds
Start
Route geometry · source 2026-04-11
About 0 min in
12.9 km remaining
+350 m remaining
Hut
0 m
Ferme Sterchi
Hut
OpenStreetMap · source 2026-04-11
About 0 min in
12.9 km remaining
+350 m remaining
Climb
0 m
263 m climb
3.1 km at 8.4% average
OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-11
About 0 min in
12.9 km remaining
+350 m remaining
Descent
7.8 km
75 m descent
1.5 km at 5.0% average
OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-11
About 2h 20m in
5.1 km remaining
+42 m remaining
Descent
9.5 km
118 m descent
0.8 km at 15.2% average
OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-11
About 2h 51m in
3.4 km remaining
+37 m remaining
Descent
10.6 km
335 m descent
2.3 km at 14.4% average
OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-11
About 3h 09m in
2.3 km remaining
+0 m remaining
Finish
12.9 km
Les Roches Bornels
Finish
Route geometry · source 2026-04-11
About 3h 51m in
0 m remaining
Trail route lab
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La Chaux-de-Fonds - Saut du Doubs is a 12.9 km point-to-point moderate hiking route in Switzerland, running from La Chaux-de-Fonds to Les Roches Bornels. The route covers 350m of ascent and 663m of descent, with elevations ranging from 707m to 1,270m. Allow approximately 3h 50m for the full route.
With 86% of the route below 15% gradient, strong trail runners can maintain a good rhythm for much of the distance. Some pitches hit 60% gradient, so trekking poles are strongly recommended.
Budget roughly 1,826 kcal of energy expenditure and 2.3 L of water.
Low-altitude route (max 1271m). Hikeable most of the year.
Segment Breakdown
Auto-analyzed from the elevation profile. Each segment shows the dominant character for planning your effort.
| Segment | Dist | ↑ / ↓ | Time | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
La Chaux-de-Fonds → km 4.3 (1246m) 996–1,260m | 4.3 km | +267m / -17m | 1h 26m | 📈 Climbing |
km 4.3 (1246m) → km 8.5 (1182m) 1,182–1,270m | 4.3 km | +37m / -101m | 1h 04m | 📉 Descending |
km 8.5 (1182m) → Les Roches Bornels 723–1,185m | 4.4 km | +41m / -500m | 1h 19m | 🔻 Steep Descent |
| Total | 12.9 km | +350m / -663m | 3h 50m |
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 La Chaux-de-Fonds - Saut du Doubs is usually best from May to October. Snow is likely at the high point (1271 m) in January to February.
Weather this week
Loading the forecast for low point (693 m) and high point (1,271 m)…
Weather by month
Typical weather on this trail: at the lowest point (693 m) and the highest point (1,271 m). Select a month to see why it is rated as it is.
| Month | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weather | Poor | Poor | Mixed | Mixed | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Mixed | Poor |
| High point, day / night | 0°/-5° | 1°/-5° | 5°/-3° | 9°/0° | 13°/4° | 17°/8° | 19°/9° | 19°/10° | 15°/6° | 10°/3° | 5°/-1° | 1°/-4° |
| Low point, day / night | 3°/-3° | 4°/-3° | 9°/0° | 13°/3° | 17°/7° | 21°/10° | 23°/12° | 23°/12° | 18°/9° | 14°/6° | 8°/1° | 4°/-1° |
| Rain, mm | 107 | 98 | 94 | 87 | 110 | 109 | 111 | 109 | 108 | 113 | 113 | 135 |
| Snow at high point | Likely | Likely | Possible | Possible | – | – | – | – | – | – | Possible | Possible |
| Daylight | 8 h 53 | 10 h 16 | 11 h 49 | 13 h 33 | 15 h 02 | 15 h 53 | 15 h 34 | 14 h 18 | 12 h 39 | 10 h 58 | 9 h 24 | 8 h 32 |
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.
Planning ahead?
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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 12.9 km, 350m ascent, max altitude 1270.8m, ~4h duration.
- 👟 Trail running shoes / hiking bootsRequired for any trail
- 📱 Phone (charged) + offline mapNavigation & emergency contact
- 💧 2L hydration packWater source information is incomplete; plan supplies before departure
- 🍫 Trail mix, bars & sandwichEst. 1826 kcal burn
- 🧴 SunscreenBasic sun protection
- 🧥 Light rain jacketWeather changes fast in the mountains
- 🩹 Mini first aid kitBlister plasters, tape, antiseptic
- 🧊 Microspikes / light cramponsSnow risk in Jan, Feb, Mar
- 🦵 GaitersKeep snow out of boots
- 💰 Cash (CHF/EUR)Mountain huts often cash-only
Logistics
This route runs from La Chaux-de-Fonds to Les Roches Bornels (12.9 km by trail). You'll need to arrange transport back to your starting point.
Nearby Points of Interest
⛰️ Peaks
- Gros Crêt km 3.1 · 2.1 km off trail
🏠 Mountain Huts
- Ferme Sterchi 1.8 km off trail
📍 Nearby Places
- La Sombaille km 1.8 · 1.7 km off trail
- La Grébille km 2.4 · 2.5 km off trail
- Les Petites-Crosettes km 0.4 · 2.6 km off trail
- La Petite-Grébille km 2.4 · 2.6 km off trail
- Le Cerisier 2.7 km off trail
Route Details
- Network
- Local Trail Network
- Sport
- hiking
- Start
- La Chaux-de-Fonds
- End
- Les Roches Bornels
- Start Coordinates
- 47.09941, 6.82409
- OpenStreetMap
- View on OSM →
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Route resources
Specialist links and source details for this route. Everyday actions are kept in the route rail above.