Some hikes stay with you as much for the walk as for the break at the top. Le Bouc Blanc, above La Tania, is firmly one of them.
The route starts in a beautiful spruce forest, climbs steadily, then opens out onto high pastures. As you gain height, the view widens over the peaks of Courchevel, Méribel and the Three Valleys. And at the top, at around 2,000 metres, a huge sun terrace turns the hike into a proper holiday day out.
This is exactly the kind of outing we love: adaptable, scenic, and — if you fancy it — with lunch at the mountain restaurant Le Bouc Blanc.
Family profiles: Discovery & Contemplative
| Season: Summer
| Start: Courchevel La Tania
| Difficulty: Moderate
In short — around 3 hours of walking there and back and +500 to +600 m of ascent from La Tania, up to a mountain restaurant at roughly 1,950-2,000 m. Moderate difficulty, and a genuine reward at the end.
⚠️ Important — summer 2026. The La Tania gondola is exceptionally closed for works this year. To take a lift part of the way up, the restaurant recommends going via Le Praz and the Forêt chairlift, advertised as free for pedestrians and running seven days a week, with a break from 12:30 to 1:30 pm. This information dates from 8 August 2026: check it again before each new season.
The hike in numbers
The figures below describe the family outing we are presenting. The exact route varies depending on where you park in La Tania and which variants you take.
| Start | Courchevel La Tania |
|---|---|
| Goal | The Bouc Blanc mountain restaurant |
| Arrival altitude | roughly 1,950 to 2,000 m |
| Indicative time | about 3 hours on foot there and back, depending on route and pace |
| Indicative ascent | about +500 to +600 m |
| Ma Passion Montagne rating | Moderate — no technical difficulty, but a real climb |
| Terrain | Forest paths, tracks and high pastures |
| Suited to | Families used to walking, teenagers and adults |
| The big plus | Lunch or a drink at altitude, facing the mountains |
| Season | Summer, subject to trail conditions and opening dates |
These are indicative figures from our outing, not certified GPS data — we would rather say so than display false precision. They will be replaced once we have a recorded track.
Worth knowing: the sign photographed on site reads “Le Bouc Blanc — 1,950 m”, while tourist listings generally place the restaurant at around 2,000 m. That fifty-metre difference makes no practical difference to the walk.
Leaving La Tania: into the forest first
One of the charms of this hike is that it begins in the woods.
You quickly leave the resort behind and walk beneath tall spruces. Light filters through the branches, the ground is carpeted with needles, cones and roots, and some stretches are almost fully shaded.
In high summer this first section is precious: it lets you start climbing in the cool before you reach the open ground.
For children, the forest is already an activity in its own right:
- recognising a spruce by its prickly needles and hanging cones;
- picking up — and putting back — pine cones;
- listening for birds and working out where the song comes from;
- looking for animal tracks on the ground;
- noticing how the vegetation changes as you climb.
It is also a good moment for a simple rule: in the mountains, stay on the paths and respect the vegetation.
La Vettaz: a junction that makes you want to explore
Along the way, the La Vettaz junction at 1,655 m shows just how interconnected the trails are in this corner of the Three Valleys.
When we passed through, the signpost read:
- La Tania — 2.2 km, 55 min;
- Méribel Altiport — 4.1 km, 1 hr 30;
- Courchevel 1850 via Le Bouc Blanc — 3.9 km, 1 hr 20;
- Lac Bleu — 4.2 km, on the same blade as the Col de la Loze.
These signs are useful for reading the terrain, but they do not replace proper preparation: the times shown are indicative and depend on your pace, the weather and the state of the paths.
For a family outing, Le Bouc Blanc is already a fine objective. For stronger walkers, the area then opens up towards Courchevel, Méribel and the Col de la Loze.
From forest to high pastures
The climb is enjoyable because the landscape changes gradually.
At first, spruces dominate. Then the forest thins. Clearings appear, and the slopes open out onto the high pastures.
This is where the change of season really sinks in. In winter, these slopes belong to the ski area. In summer, they become walking country again. The lifts and pistes are a reminder that this is one of the largest ski areas in the world — yet in August the mountain feels far quieter.
Le Bouc Blanc: the reward at the top
Then the chalet appears, perched above the slope.
Sitting at around 2,000 metres, the restaurant has a very large terrace facing the mountains. Arriving changes the whole feel of the hike: instead of turning back after a few photos, you settle in, take your time and enjoy the place.
That is one of the strengths of this outing as a family. Leave in the morning, walk at an easy pace, have lunch at altitude, then come back down in the afternoon. For children and adults alike, having a concrete goal at the top makes the climb far more motivating.
Can you eat at Le Bouc Blanc?
Yes. Le Bouc Blanc is a mountain restaurant serving traditional and Savoyard cooking, with dishes suited to children.
For summer 2026, Courchevel Tourisme lists opening from 1 July to 31 August, daily from 9 am to 5 pm. The sign photographed on the path confirms the same seasonality: “open every day, July-August”. The prices displayed when we checked:
- children’s menu: €15;
- dish of the day: €20;
- menu of the day: €30.
The official website states that booking is by telephone only, on +33 4 79 08 80 26 — the same number shown on the trailside sign. In busy periods, it is worth calling ahead.
📅 Opening times and prices change from season to season. Those given here were recorded on 8 August 2026. Check them before you go, especially if you are reading this in a later year.
A story tied to La Tania
Le Bouc Blanc did not end up here by chance.
The restaurant tells how the site was once pasture belonging to the commune of La Perrière, where the owning family’s grandparents brought their herds up for the summer.
La Tania itself grew quickly in the run-up to the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics — the resort was built to house athletes. The restaurant opened in 1990 and has remained a family business ever since.
That small piece of history adds something to the break: behind the terrace and the ski lifts, there is still a direct link to the pastoral past of this mountainside.
Summer 2026: taking a lift up
This is the thing to know this year.
The official Bouc Blanc website states that the La Tania gondola is exceptionally closed for works in 2026.
To cut the effort by using a lift, the restaurant recommends heading to Le Praz and taking the Forêt chairlift, next to the lake. What we found for summer 2026:
- Courchevel’s summer lift season: 4 July to 30 August 2026;
- chairlift running times: 9:30 am – 12:30 pm, then 1:30 pm – 4:45 pm;
- access advertised as free for pedestrians on the Bouc Blanc website.
Mind the midday break: it falls exactly at lunchtime. If you plan to ride back down after your meal, make sure you are not stuck at the top between 12:30 and 1:30 pm — or accept walking down, which is the better option anyway.
🔄 To check again every year: whether the La Tania gondola is running, which lifts open in summer and when, the Bouc Blanc’s opening dates, its prices, and trail conditions.
Which family profile is it for?
★★★★★
Our favourite version: walk a real part of the climb, use the forest for observation, the La Vettaz signposts to learn navigation, and the pastures to understand how a ski resort becomes hiking country. Lunch is the finale.
★★★★☆
The aim is a lovely day out, not mileage. With a lift you shorten the climb, wander the pastures and spend the time you save on the view and the terrace. In 2026, that means the Le Praz route.
★★★☆☆
Le Bouc Blanc on its own will feel short. It makes an excellent staging post, though: the signposting lets you carry on to Courchevel 1850 or onto the higher routes. At that point the day changes scale entirely.
Not sure which profile fits you? Take our “What kind of family are you?” quiz (in French).
What about the Col de la Loze?
The Col de la Loze, at 2,304 metres, is one of the great landmarks of the area. It links Courchevel and Méribel, offers superb panoramas, and owes its fame to cycling and the Tour de France.
From La Vettaz, the signpost already points towards the col, so it can be reached on foot from this side. But the official itinerary published by Courchevel, “Col de la Loze via Dos des Branches“, starts from Courchevel rather than La Tania: 14.7 km there and back, around +960 m, for an indicative 6 hrs 15.
In other words, that is a completely different day. The col deserves to be prepared as a full mountain hike — and, for us, an article of its own rather than a paragraph tacked on here.
In the meantime, if the col appeals to you, we have already told its story by bike: the climb to the Col de la Loze from Tincave, with Loïc.
Our tips before you set off
This may not be a summit push, but it still takes place in the mountains.
- Check the forecast the evening before and again in the morning.
- Confirm opening times for the restaurant and the lifts — seasonal information is always the weak point.
- Proper footwear: the path is earthy, with roots through the forest.
- Water, even if you plan to eat at the top.
- Sun protection: above the treeline the pastures are very exposed.
- A warm layer and a jacket in the bag, even in August.
- Pick the route for the least trained member of the family, not the fastest.
- Avoid exposed ground if storms are forecast.
Walking times are always indicative. With children, allow extra margin and enjoy the way up.
What we liked
- Starting in the forest, in the shade, when the valley is baking.
- The way the landscape unfolds, opening gradually rather than all at once.
- A concrete goal at the top: with children, that changes everything.
- The terrace and the deckchairs, which turn a hike into a holiday day.
- How adaptable it is: all on foot, or with a lift to help.
- The link to the pastoral history of the site, still readable behind the resort.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Le Bouc Blanc?
On the slopes above Courchevel La Tania, in Savoie. The sign on site reads 1,950 m; tourist listings give around 2,000 m.
Can you walk up to Le Bouc Blanc from La Tania?
Yes. Several paths and tracks lead up from La Tania. Allow around 3 hours there and back, depending on the route you choose and your pace.
How much ascent is there?
About +500 to +600 m for a full walk up from La Tania, depending on your exact starting point and the variant you follow.
Can you eat at Le Bouc Blanc in summer?
Yes. For summer 2026, Courchevel Tourisme lists opening from 1 July to 31 August, daily from 9 am to 5 pm. Booking is by telephone only, on +33 4 79 08 80 26.
Is the La Tania gondola running in summer 2026?
No. The Bouc Blanc website states that it is exceptionally closed this year for works. The recommended access is via Le Praz and the Forêt chairlift, advertised as free for pedestrians.
Is this hike suitable for children?
It suits children who are used to walking, provided you adapt the distance and the pace. For a family that walks little, shorten the climb or use a lift when one is running.
Can you carry on to the Col de la Loze?
Yes, but that becomes a considerably longer and more strenuous hike. The official “Col de la Loze via Dos des Branches” route is 14.7 km for about +960 m and 6 hrs 15, starting from Courchevel.
Explore further
At Ma Passion Montagne we like offering several ways to experience the mountains as a family: contemplating, discovering, or heading off on an adventure.
- The Petit Mont-Blanc hike from Courchevel — the other side of the valley, considerably tougher;
- The Croix de la Porcière from Le Pré — a panoramic loop above Tincave;
- Our easy hikes with children around Bozel;
- Things to do in Bozel and the valley in summer.
🏡 Staying in the valley? La Tania is about thirty minutes from Bozel by road. Discover our chalet in Tincave, above Bozel (page in French) — a good base camp for stringing together outings like this one.
Sources and things to check before you go
- Official Le Bouc Blanc website — summer access, 2026 closure of the La Tania gondola, booking, history of the place
- Courchevel Tourisme — Le Bouc Blanc listing — season dates, opening hours and prices
- Les 3 Vallées — Courchevel lift opening
- Courchevel Tourisme — “Col de la Loze via Dos des Branches” route
- Signage photographed on site at La Vettaz and on the Bouc Blanc path
Seasonal information last checked: 8 August 2026. Lift timetables, opening dates and restaurant prices should be checked again before every outing, and the boxed notes in this article updated each year.
Photos: Ma Passion Montagne — hiking to Le Bouc Blanc, summer 2026.
Ma Passion Montagne · Tincave, Bozel · Savoie