Gorges de la Radaz Walk
Carved by the Radaz stream tumbling off the flanks of the Aravis, this narrow limestone gorge sits almost entirely within the commune of Demi-Quartier and is virtually unknown to the day-tripping crowds who flood Megève. A signed trail follows the torrent through moss-covered walls and past natural plunge pools whose water runs an improbable turquoise from glacial minerals.
The Trail
The path enters the gorge from a small car park on the Route de la Radaz, roughly 2 km east of the village centre, and follows the left bank of the stream for 3 km before opening onto alpine meadows at around 1,200 m altitude.
The narrowest section — locally called the Étroit — squeezes between 15-metre limestone walls streaked with iron-red and ochre mineral deposits; it is the most photogenic 200 metres in the entire commune.
Wildlife and Flora
The gorge's constant humidity supports a microclimate unusually rich in ferns, mosses and liverworts; botanists have recorded over 40 fern species along this single trail, including the rare Asplenium seelosii found only in calcareous alpine gorges.
Dippers — small, white-breasted birds that walk underwater — are resident along the Radaz year-round and almost certain to be spotted; grey wagtails and common sandpipers join them in summer.
Extending the Walk
From the meadow at the gorge's upper end, a signed GR path continues to the Chalets de la Radaz (1,480 m), a cluster of summer-pasture huts where a seasonal shepherd sometimes sells fresh tomme cheese in July and August.
The full loop back to Demi-Quartier via the forest ridge takes 4.5 hours total and gains 480 m — a satisfying full-day outing without requiring any specialist equipment.
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