Hiking Tour Val d'Hérens

Val d’Hérens Hiking Tour a 6-Day Discovery Tour of the Val d’Hérens

Val d’Hérens Hiking Tour

Stages

Welcome in 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 http://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

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Col de Riedmatten, at an altitude of 2,900 m, part of the route of the famous skimountaineering 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 hut 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 wellpreserved 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.

1. Thyon - Dixence 2. Dixence - Arolla 3. Arolla - Évolène / Les Haudères / La Sage 4. Évolène / Les Haudères / La Sage - Becs de Bosson Hut 5. Becs de Bosson Hut - Nax 6. Return to Sion

ith breakfast • 6 nights w meal and evening ches with a n • 5 picnic lu drink n ort from Sio • Bus transp to d from Nax to Thyon an d of the Sion at the en Tour of one piece • Transport er person of luggage p r e of the Tou on each stag t) (except to hu er map and oth • 1 walking ents travel docum 670.– / Euro • From CHF 0 pers. in 500.– / £ 43 double room

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HIKING TOUR OF THE VAL D’HERENS

HIKING TOUR OF THE VAL D’HERENS

1

2

Day

Grande Dixence | Arolla

iedmatten The Col de R row and section is nar d the Pas very steep an ction is « de Chèvre se dders, la h it aerial» w lem for but is no prob . good walkers

Arolla

Remointse d’Arolla

Dixence

No te :

m altitude

Dixence

Allèves

Orchèra

Essertze

Les Gouilles d’Essertze

Thyon 2000

m altitude

Thyon / Les Collons

Col de Riedmatten

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 skimountaineering race « La Patrouille des Glaciers »; the pass offers superb views of the surrounding mountains.

Today’s walking time is around 5.30hrs.

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.

En route, you’ll see the magnificent Essertes 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.

The walk lasts around 5.15hrs.

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

Pas du Chat

Thyon | Les Collons | Grande Dixence

La Barma

Day

km km

4

5

HIKING TOUR OF THE VAL D’HERENS

Day

Becs de Bosson HUT

Pas de Lona

L’A Vieille

La Sage

m altitude

km

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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 hut (2,985 m) where views over all the most impressive summits in Valais are simply superb. The most beautiful views of the entire route.

Walking time from Evolène to the hut is around 5hrs.

La Sage

La Forclaz

La Gouille

Pramousse

Les Haudères

m altitude

Arolla

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 Evolène.

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 Evolène, with impressive views of the Dent-Blanche (4,357 m).

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

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

La Sage/Les Haudères/ Becs de Bosson Evolène | hut

Volovron

Arolla | La Sage/Les Haudères/Evolène

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Mayens de Cotter

HIKING TOUR OF THE VAL D’HERENS

3

Day

No te :

Les if you stay at La Sage, or s Haudère ossibility there is the p Post bus e of taking th reduce to e to Evolèn me to ti g n ki al the w the hut.

km

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HIKING TOUR OF THE VAL D’HERENS

Day

Stages

Switzerland

1. Thyon - Dixence 2. Dixence - Arolla 3. Arolla - Évolène / Les Haudères / La Sage 4. Évolène / Les Haudères / La Sage Becs de Bosson hut 5. Becs de Bosson Hut Nax 6. Retour à Sion

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Germany

Schaffausen

Basel Zürich Luzern

Bern

FRANCE

Vevey Genève

Sion

Lugano Italy

Nax

SION

On leaving the hut, 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.

Walking time is around 5hrs.

Austria

Brig

Valais

Becs de Bosson hut | Nax

St-Gallen

Thyon Les Collons St-Martin

Becs de Bosson hut

Evolène La Sage

La Combe

Col de Cou

Le Louché

Les Haudères

Nax

m altitude

Becs de Bosson HUT

Dixence

Arolla

km

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

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: hôtel**** or hôtel*** or hôtel** (not included in the package) Thyon-Les Collons: hôtel***, hut Dixence: hôtel**, hut Arolla: hôtel*** or hôtel** or hôtel* Evolène : hôtel** or hôtel* Les Haudères: hôtel*** or hôtel** La Sage: hôtel** St-Martin/Eison: hut or guesthouse Nax: hôtel**or hôtel***

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Access Road: Motorway Geneva - Lausanne Sion Rail: For information only, Paris - Sion approx. 5.30hrs journey.

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 ThyonLes Collons for the first night.

You can park your car in Sion or in Thyon-Les 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.

The first is for Sion station to Thyon-Les Collons with Car Theytaz (http://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 (http://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 8h30 at the hotel reception.

The luggage is transported from hotel to hotel but not to huts. If clients are spending a night in a hut, they must take everything they require for the night with them in their rucksack.

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

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Useful contacts Tourist Offices : Evolène : +41(0)27 283 40 00 www.evolene-region.ch Nax : +41(0)27 203 17 38 www.nax.ch Thyon : +41(0)27 281 27 27 www.thyon-region.ch St-Martin : +41(0)27 281 24 74 www.saint-martin.ch

Information and bookings Hiking Tour of the Val d’Hérens Val d’Hérens Regional Nature Park +41 (0) 27 281 28 15 info@valdherens.ch w w w. v a l d h e r e n s . c h

PARC NATUREL