Dent de Jaman & Rocher de Naye Hike, Switzerland

This is a quick guide to one of the most challenging, fun, and beautiful hikes Megan and I have ever done!

Training

We discovered this hike the way we do a lot of hikes while traveling…using the AllTrails app. We LOVE AllTrails! It gives you the ability to search for hikes nearby and also to add filters. I have the annual membership ($29.99) which allows me to download trail maps for viewing offline. Very handy when traveling without data service or in areas with no reception (like mountains…). We searched for a challenging-looking hike near Montreux. Megan and I have limited gear while on our RTW trip, so gear selection was fairly simple. We took our Tevas hiking sandals, athletic clothes, rain jackets, and hats. We packed a lunch and water for the hike and also my trusty GoPro camera! We had the luxury of being able to borrow my mother-in-law’s car to get to the trailhead at Col de Jaman. We drove about 30 minutes from Montreux and parked at the gravel lot. Another great feature of AllTrails is it gives you directions straight to the start of the trailhead. There’s no charge to park in the lot and you can enjoy the sounds of the cowbells from the cattle grazing nearby on the hillside.

If you don’t have the option to drive, you can adjust your hike and use public transit. Your hike will be shorter than the route we took and will still include all the awesome views, but you’ll skip the most harrowing of the rock scrambles. From Montreux Gare, take the R train up to the Jaman station (at the time of writing this post, they leave each hour on the 17th minute). From there, you can hike out to Dent de Jaman, then back across the Jaman station and over to Rocher de Naye. Enjoy lunch or a post-hike drink at either Restaurant Panoramique Plein Roc or Restaurant Rocher de Naye at the top before taking the train down from the Rocher de Naye station to Montreux. This route will be more on the order of 3-4 miles in total length but will still have some challenging sections (see below for more detail).

The Ascent

From the parking lot, head up past the Restaurant Le Manoïre. You’ll see a hotwire fence “gate” (a plastic handle with a hook so you can move the hotwire aside and pass through). Head through there and up the ridge to start your hike. You’ll start climbing pretty quickly as you head up toward Dent de Jaman. Be sure to look out to your right as you climb to see sweeping views of Lake Geneva (pictured above).

You’ll keep climbing up toward Jaman until you get around to the backside. The trail will flatten out here and there is an offshoot that takes you up to Dent de Jaman (pictured above). We elected not to do the offshoot simply because we got started late and were concerned with time. If you take the public transportation route, you will start at the train station and head north about a quarter of a mile to reach Dent de Jaman (easily visible from the station).

Head along the trails past the Jaman train station and down into the little valley. Keep an eye out as there are quite a few different trails and it’s easy to accidentally get onto a different one, although they are also pretty well marked. Just pay attention to your map and the signs! We found some shade and rested for lunch. This is a good area to take a breather, because things start to get fun up next!

The Summit

After a quick lunch we continued up out of the valley behind Dent de Jaman through a little pass. The trail continues across a large rockslide. The frequent trail markers painted along the route make it pretty easy to follow (see above left). The trick here is to take your time and watch your footing. The rocks can be sharp and this side of the mountain was very shaded and moist, so things can be slippery.

At the end of the rocks you come to a series of cables, switchbacks, and staircases that will take you up to the edge of the ridge (both pictured above right). Take your time with these as you go up. At the top, you’ll make your way up along the very edge of the ridge toward the top of Rocher de Naye (pictured below). As you’re hiking, don’t forget to pause and look around you. The views in any direction are stunning! This section is fairly steep but you’re almost there.

The trail will flatten out at the top of the ridge with breathtaking views of Lake Geneva and the surrounding areas. You’ll even notice you’re above the cloud line if the weather is nice. This is another good spot to rest and enjoy the view with a snack. This is also the spot where you will encounter the fresh-faced folks who just hopped off the train at Rocher de Naye station a few hundred yards away…never mind them. 🙂

After a break here to enjoy views like the one pictured above, continue past the train station and restaurant at the top. Pause to check out the marmots in the fenced-in section behind the Restaurant Rocher de Naye before you continue on the trail out back. If you rode the train up to the Jaman station from Montreux, you can hop on here at Rocher de Naye for a ride back down.

The Descent

As you head away from Rocher de Naye the trail will slope gradually downward on an exposed hillside (above left). As we reached the low point and turned north, the clouds were rolling in through the gap in the mountains toward the lake. Once we turned the corner we were back in the shady, misty weather again. There is a pretty steep, rocky scramble down some switchbacks on this section (pictured above right). It’s not long, but it is dangerous, so take your time and give people space. There is a sign at the top that essentially reads: “This trail is dangerous. If you die, it is your own responsibility.” Ahh, Swiss subtlety. 🙂 That being said, we both agreed we’d much rather scramble down that side than go down the Dent de Jaman side!

The trail will level out again and you’ll cross the train tracks (wave to the cheaters as they go down!). You will pass through a wooded area before emerging on the grassy hillside just around from the parking lot. The cowbells will cheer you across the finish line!

Recovery

Here are some tips we recommend if you plan to give this a shot:

1. Select your footwear carefully! We only had our hiking sandals so we didn’t have much choice. We DO NOT recommend doing this in sandals. The grip and protection from a solid pair of hiking boots would have been much better! If you have trekking poles, those would be highly recommended as well.

2. Be sure to pack properly. Take a jacket, even if it’s warm as the weather can change significantly depending on which side of the mountain you’re on. Be sure to bring water and also a filter if you have one. There is a small stream on the backside of Rocher de Naye where you can refill if you have a purification system.

3. Have your route planned. Download/print a map and be sure you know which route you want to take. There are several out there and it is easy to get onto a different trail.

In summary, we LOVED this hike. It was challenging, beautiful, and unique! Below is a snapshot of our hike stats from the Strava app.

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Have you ever done this hike? Are there any other hikes nearby you loved? Drop us a comment and let us know!