The Tour of Saint-Bernard Six day trek in Napoleon’s footsteps T R E KKI N G
SWITZERLAND | VALAIS
THE TOUR OF SAINT-BERNARD
ZURICH
GENÈVE
SUMMARY
THE TOUR OF SAINT-BERNARD BY JULES-HENRI GABIOUD
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INFORMATION The Tour of Saint-Bernard at a glance
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Useful information
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Accommodation
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Useful addresses
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THE SAINT-BERNARD REGION
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THE AOSTA VALLEY
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STAGE 1 | From Bourg-Saint-Pierre to the Grand Saint-Bernard Pass 20 STAGE 2 | From the Grand Saint-Bernard Pass to the Bonatti Refuge 24 STAGE 3 | From the Bonatti Refuge to La Fouly
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STAGE 4 | From La Fouly to La Tsissette
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STAGE 5 | From La Tsissette to the Cabane de Mille
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STAGE 6 | From the Cabane de Mille to Bourg-Saint-Pierre
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THE HIKING GUIDE’S FAVOURITES 48
Produced by
suisse-itinerance.ch
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THE TOUR OF SAINT-BERNARD
Cabane de Mille, 2472 m
BY JULES-HENRI GABIOUD
Jules-Henri Gabioud grew up in La Fouly (Valais), at the foot of Mont Dolent, 3820 m above sea level, on the border between Switzerland, France and Italy. He has run in trails in Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain and Nepal, frequently appearing on the podium. Jules-Henri is an accomplished hiking guide and winter sports instructor with an ability to communicate his love and knowledge of life in the mountains. Suisse Itinérance is delighted with Jules-Henri’s involvement in the making of this topo and in the collection as a whole. Feel his passion for the mountains through the descriptions, make the most of these moments on the trail and do not hesitate to contact Alps Xperience for their offers on organized treks !
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FROM BOURG-SAINT-PIERRE TO THE GRAND SAINT-BERNARD PASS 1
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STAGE 1
STAGE PROFILE 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000
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From Bourg-Saint-Pierre to the Grand Saint-Bernard Pass
6 h | 13.7 km |
FROM BOURG-SAINT-PIERRE 1 h 20
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1300 m |
TO THE TOULES DAM
500 m
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The trek begins in the centre of Bourg-Saint-Pierre village by the church. Go through the village in a southwest direction, once over the stone bridge above the Valsorey stream leave the road and continue on a wide grassy path. The route changes bank; walk south along the rough off road track passing by two stone buildings. Join a footpath and carry on till you find a dirt track leading to the top of the Toules dam at 1820 m.
FROM THE TOULES DAM 2 TO THE END OF THE LAC DES TOULES 0 h 45
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From the dam, follow the dirt track along the lake. After 700 m leave the track and cross the stream following the trail until the mouth of the Dranse D’entremont river in the lake.
THE TOULES DAM The Toules dam was built between 1960 and 1964 and was one of the first dams of its type in Switzerland. Its construction required a new access road to the Grand Saint-Bernard pass, resorting in the closure of the road located at the bottom of the valley. In the 1800s a hostel called l’auberge de la cantine de Proz located at the end of the current lake served as rest place where you could relax and eat before continuing your way to the Grand Saint-Bernard pass. Due to difficulties getting to the pass, a telephone line connecting the
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A six day trek in the Alps between Switzerland and Italy. The Saint-Bernard tour offers elevated and wild landscapes. The passage at the Grand Saint-Bernard pass or the Combe de L’A nature reserve, rich in wildlife, as well as the crossing of the Malatra pass, will offer you unforgettable moments. The Saint-Bernard tour is now officially signpostetd as from summer 2016.
ISBN 978-2-88341-270-5
9 782883 412705