Val d'Hérens Hiking Tour

VAL D’HÉRENS HIKING TOUR

VAL D’HÉRENS DISCOVERY TOUR: 2, 3 OR 6 DAYS

VAL D’HÉRENS HIKING TOUR WELCOME TO THE VAL D’HÉRENS! Set out to explore a valley of pure natural beauty enhanced with tradition and authenticity!

Surrounded by ridges and mountain tops, you’ll find wide open spaces, well preserved villages - heritage of our ancestors - unspoiled nature and the respect of traditions and life on the mountain pastures.

During the hike, discover the highest gravity dam in the world, the Grande Dixence www.grand-dixence.ch, a gigantic structure some 285 meters high. Walking along the shore of Lac des Dix, you arrive at the foot of the glaciers dominated by the magnificent 3,500 meter summits. Another legendary section is the Col de Riedmatten,

at an altitude of 2,900 m, part of the route of the famous ski-mountaineering race « La Patrouille des Glaciers ». This pass offers spectacular views over legendary Alpine summits. Then head back down to typical Val d’Hérens villages, which are still so well preserved, testifying to mountain life as it was in days gone by. Your walks will take place under the watchful eye of the Val’s emblematic mountain, the Dent Blanche towering at 4,357 m. Next, you head up to a mountain cabin for magnificent views over the whole of the Valais Alps, before dropping down into a small protected valley where Nature reigns.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WALK Val d’Hérens villages, typical, traditional, and extremely well-preserved

Prices* / pers. in double room Nights with breakfast and evening meal Picnic lunches with a drink Bus transport

High mountain landscapes in the heart of the Valais Alps, with lots of viewpoints, passing very close to the summits.

A region which is relatively unknown, intensifying the feeling of being in a really preserved and intact environment.

6 DAYS

3 DAYS

2 DAYS

CHF 734.Euro 602.-

CHF 559.Euro 458.-

CHF 346.Euro 284.-

6

4

3

5

3

2

from Sion to Thyon and from Nax to Sion

from Sion to Thyon and from Évolène to Sion

from Sion to Évolène and from Nax to Sion

Transport of one piece of luggage per person on each stage of the Tour (except to cabin) 1 walking map and other travel documents 1 certified Val d’Hérens welcome gift (Free) 1 sampling of local products (Free) * Approximate price subject to modification. Valid from mid-June to mid-October.

HIKING TOUR OF THE VAL D’HERENS st

1 STAGE

THYON | LES COLLONS | GRANDE DIXENCE Departure from Thyon - Les Collons, at approx. 1,900 m, in the direction of the Grande Dixence dam, where you take the route of the Thyon-Dixence running race.

On the way, you’ll see the magnificent Essertze peat bogs, where signs explain the wealth of nature in the area.

This first stage takes you along hillsides, with the Val des Dix in your line of sight, and as you draw closer, the world’s largest gravity dam, the Grande Dixence, rises more and more impressive ahead of you, as do the summits of the Val des Dix, over 3,500 m high, which remain snow-capped all year round.

Accommodation is at the Hôtel du Barrage de la Grande Dixence or the Prafleuri cabin.

DIXENCE

ALLÈVES

ORCHÈRA

ESSERTZE

LES GOUILLES D’ESSERTZE

THYON 2000

m altitude

THYON / LES COLLONS

The walk lasts around 5.15hrs.

km

HIKING TOUR OF THE VAL D’HERENS nd

2

STAGE

GRANDE DIXENCE | AROLLA Walk alongside the 6km long Lac des Dix and you’re getting closer to the magnificent summits that have been keeping you company all day : Mont Blanc de Cheillon 3,869 m, Pigne d’Arolla 3,772 m, La Luette 3,548 m, Le Pleureur 3,703 m, Mont Collon 3,637 m.

Another legendary passage is the Col de Riedmatten, a pass at 2,900 m altitude and part of the route of the famous ski-mountaineering race « La Patrouille des Glaciers » ; the pass offers superb views of the surrounding mountains.

AROLLA

REMOINTSE D’AROLLA

COL DE RIEDMATTEN

PAS DU CHAT

LA BARMA

NOTE The Col de Riedmatten section is narrow and very steep and the Pas de Chèvre section is « aerial» with ladders, but is no problem for good walkers.

m altitude

DIXENCE

Today’s walking time is around 5.30hrs.

km

HIKING TOUR OF THE VAL D’HERENS rd

3 STAGE

AROLLA | LA SAGE/LES HAUDÈRES/ÉVOLÈNE Descent into the Val d’Arolla with the possibility of passing by the Lac Bleu (Blue Lake), a little piece of paradise in the middle of a forest of Arolla pines, and arrival in the typical villages of La Sage, Les Haudères or Évolène.

If you wish to shorten this stage, a variation is possible by taking the Post bus from Arolla, from the place known as « Les Farques » and from there, setting off in the direction of Lac d’Arbey, a beautiful little plateau above Évolène, with impressive views of the Dent-Blanche (4,357 m).

Depending on the route, overnight accommodation possible at La Sage, Les Haudères or Évolène.

LA SAGE

LA FORCLAZ

LES HAUDÈRES

LA GOUILLE

PRAMOUSSE

m altitude

AROLLA

The walking time according to the itinerary is 4.30 to 5.00hrs.

km

HIKING TOUR OF THE VAL D’HERENS th

4 STAGE

LA SAGE/LES HAUDÈRES/ÉVOLÈNE | BECS DE BOSSON CABIN You leave the villages of the Val d’Hérens to head up high, with a substantial uphill climb over the day’s walk. You’ll pass through different Val d’Hérens Alpine pastures, known for their raclette cheese production and the Hérens breed of cows. You arrive at the Pas de Lona, which straddles the Val d’Anniviers and the Val d’Hérens, a wonderfully wild area (lakes, flowers…) and attack the last climb in the direction of the Becs de Bossons cabin (2,985 m) where views over all the most impressive summits in Valais are simply superb. The most beautiful views of the entire route.

BECS DE BOSSON CABIN

PAS DE LONA

L’A VIEILLE

VOLOVRON

MAYENS DE COTTER

NOTE If you stay at Les Haudères or La Sage, there is the possibility of taking the Post bus to Évolène to reduce the walking time to the cabin.

m altitude

LA SAGE

Walking time from Évolène to the cabin is around 5hrs.

km

HIKING TOUR OF THE VAL D’HERENS th

5 STAGE

BECS DE BOSSON CABIN | NAX On leaving the cabin, you head down in the direction of the Vallon de Réchy, a magnificent, isolated and protected little valley where no construction is allowed and where Nature rules undisturbed (eagles, marmots, marshes…).

Then an easy descent to Nax to end the tour. Situated on a promontory, the village of Nax offers magnificent views of the Rhône Valley and unforgettable sunsets, the latest in the area.

COL DE COU

LE LOUCHÉ

LA COMBE

NAX

m altitude

BECS DE BOSSON CABIN

Walking time is around 5hrs.

km

STAGES 6 DAYS 1 2 3

4

5 6

3 DAYS

Thyon - Dixence Dixence - Arolla Arolla - Évolène / Les Haudères / La Sage Évolène / Les Haudères / La Sage - Becs de Bosson Cabin Becs de Bosson Cabin - Nax Return to Sion

1 2 3

Thyon - Dixence Dixence - Arolla Arolla - Évolène / Les Haudères / La Sage

2 DAYS 4

5

Évolène / Les Haudères / La Sage - Becs de Bosson Cabin Becs de Bosson Cabin - Nax

6 Nax

SION

1 Thyon Les Collons

5

St-Martin

Becs de Bosson Cabin

Évolène

4 La Sage

2 Dixence

Les Haudères

3 Arolla

PRACTICAL INFORMATION DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMMODATION The hotels and guesthouses have been selected for their comfort and friendly welcome, or their selection has been imposed, as they are the only possibilities in a given place.

Sleeping arrangements are in double rooms (or in certain cases triples).

Single rooms, if available, are subject to an extra fee.

Sion: hotel**** or hotel*** or hotel** (not included in the package) Thyon-Les Collons: hotel***, cabin Dixence: hotel**, cabin Arolla: hotel*** or hôtel** or hotel Swiss Lodge Évolène : hotel** or hotel* Les Haudères: hotel*** or hotel** La Sage: hotel Swiss Lodge St-Martin/Eison: cabin or guesthouse Nax: hotel**or hotel***

ACCESS Road: Motorway Geneva - Lausanne - Sion Rail: For information only, Paris - Sion approx.

5.30hrs journey.

GERMANY

Schaffausen

Basel Zürich Luzern

Bern

FRANCE

Vevey Genève

AUSTRIA

Brig Sion

Valais

St-Gallen

Lugano ITALY

Check times on 0041 900 300 300 (pay service) or on the website www.cff.ch (Swiss Railways Company).

Arrival in Sion by train or by car (parking possible) then departure by coach to Thyon-Les Collons for the first night.

You can park your car in Sion or in ThyonLes Collons. La Cambuse Hotel offers free parking for tour participants for the 6 days of the tour. In this case you will need to return to Thyon at the end of the tour to collect your vehicle : Nax - Sion by postal bus, then Sion - Thyon by Theytaz coach.

It is also possible to stay in Sion the first night.

TRANSPORT Two coach transport vouchers per person are included in the package.

The first is for Sion station to Thyon-Les Collons with Car Theytaz (www.theytaz-excursions.ch). The Theytaz coach stop is on the right as you exit Sion station.

The second voucher is for the Nax to Sion station journey with the Post bus (www. sbb.ch/en) (yellow coach).

It is possible to book additional coach transport at extra cost, per journey and per person (please request terms).

Luggage transport during the tour is provided by two coach companies.

Luggage must be deposited by clients before 8.30 at the hotel reception. The luggage is transported from hotel to hotel but not to cabins. If clients are spending a night in a cabin, they must take everything they require for the night with them in their backpack.

Their luggage will be transported to the next hotel where it will be waiting for them the following day.

INFORMATION AND BOOKINGS

USEFUL CONTACTS

Hiking Tour of the Val d’Hérens info@valdherens.ch +41 (0) 27 281 28 15 www.valdherens.ch

Tourist Offices : Évolène : +41(0)27 283 40 00 www.evolene-region.ch Nax : +41(0)27 203 17 38 www.mont-noble-tourisme.ch Thyon : +41(0)27 281 27 27 www.thyon.ch St-Martin : +41(0)27 281 24 74 www.saint-martin-tourisme.ch

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