Sixt, or, to give it its full name, Sixt Fer a Cheval is a small village beyond Samoens on a small road to the north of the main road to Chamonix and roughly parallel to it.
At the very end of this road is the Cirque du Fer a Cheval, mountains arranged in a horseshoe shape [hence Fer a Cheval.] This is a splendid spot at any time but must be quite stuning round April when melting snow fils the Cirque with waterfalls.
There are numerous walks and climbs of all standards here, the only downside for walkers being that they have to start and end with a path they share with numerous horses, not the cleanest or most salubrious of places. However the scenery and the geology of the area more than compensates for this.
There is a very good campsite and, although it's no longer super-quiet, it may be regarded as a major change after or before facing the hordes of Chamonix. [edit text][editors]
