Le Monal (Village)

Not a winter walk. The Échaillon track isn't cleared, so from about December there's no easy way in — reaching Le Monal becomes a full snowshoe or ski-touring day: untracked, unsigned, crossing avalanche terrain, with no mobile signal in the valley.

It's a route for people with proper touring experience or a guide, carrying a transceiver, shovel and probe, and only after checking the avalanche bulletin. If that's not you, save it for summer — the walk from Échaillon is easy, and the hamlet is at its best in the sun anyway.