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Cascade du Morel
The Morel torrent falls nearly 80 metres — a drop born of a diversion tunnel cut into the rock from 1902. The trail shows more than fifty falls.
At a glance
Type
Waterfall
Access
Free
Best season
June to September
Parking
Sport 2000 Mottet Sports car park, 333 rue de la Petite Prairie
Town
Grand-Aigueblanche
Winter access
closed
What is Cascade du Morel
The Cascade du Morel was not born natural: its near-80-metre fall issues from a diversion tunnel cut into the rock over nearly a kilometre from 1902. The Département, which documents the site, explains why: between 1620 and 1908 the torrent caused more than forty floods and landslides, before the great correction works — a dam in 1896, 57 sills in 1907, some 90 hectares reforested.
The sentier du Morel now passes more than fifty cascades over about 200 m of elevation, near the hamlet of Bellecombe. The Valmorel tourist office publishes a loop, 'Balade autour des cascades du Morel', from the Sport 2000 Mottet Sports car park (333 rue de la Petite Prairie, Grand-Aigueblanche), rated easy with +499 m — its sheet warns of a slightly technical uphill single-track and asks for care on the descent to the fall.
Activities
What you can do here
Practical
Practical information
Start
Sport 2000 Mottet Sports car park, 333 rue de la Petite Prairie, 73260 Grand-Aigueblanche
Season
June to September (Département)
Height
Main fall nearly 80 m; more than 50 cascades along the trail
Caution
Technical uphill single-track; care asked on the descent (tourist-office sheet)
When to visit
When to visit
June to September per the Département. The walk sheet asks for care on the descent — terrain to avoid in wet weather.
Winter
Winter season
Winter access window
Closed (road shut in winter) — Live status: savoie-route.fr
Winter infrastructure
Not specified
Snow panorama
Not specified
Equipment mandated
Loi Montagne II — winter tyres or chains required (1 Nov – 31 Mar)
Nearby
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Gallery
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Why is this called an 'engineered' waterfall?
The main fall, nearly 80 m, issues from a diversion tunnel cut into the rock over almost a kilometre from 1902, part of the torrent-correction works that followed more than forty recorded floods and landslides between 1620 and 1908.
How many falls does the trail show?
The Département counts more than fifty along the sentier du Morel, staged over about 200 m of elevation near the hamlet of Bellecombe.
Where does the walk start?
From the Sport 2000 Mottet Sports car park, 333 rue de la Petite Prairie in Grand-Aigueblanche, per the Valmorel tourist office's walk sheet.
Is it hard?
The sheet rates the loop 'easy' with +499 m, but flags a slightly technical uphill single-track and asks for care on the descent to the fall. Best avoided in wet weather.
Sources
Sources & verification
Multi-source verification at publication. Information may change — confirm with the official operator before travelling.
Nearby
Nearby
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