Hiking and trekking in Valais

ByTravesía Pirenaica
Zermatt, Switzerland / Photo: Joao Branco (unsplash)
Zermatt, Switzerland / Photo: Joao Branco (unsplash)

The Valais, in southern Switzerland, straddles the Rhone Valley and includes the entirety of the Pennine Alps, with France and Italy forming its southern and western borders. It has the largest collection of 4,000-metre peaks in Western Europe and charming valleys and hillsides dotted with chalets and hay barns. The region is crowned by iconic mountains such as the Matterhorn, Dent Blanche, Monte Rosa and the Combin.

Routes in the region range from the popular Mattertal and Saastal valleys to the quieter parts of the Fieschertal and the picturesque Val d'Hèrens. Explore the deep valleys of the region, including Lötschental, Saastal, Mattertal, Val d'Anniviers, Val d'Hérens and Trient.

Index

Practical guide

When to go?

Valley walks should be possible between the end of May and the end of October, but for the higher routes, the best time to do them is between the end of June and mid-October.

Cities & Services

Zermatt, Saas Fee, Grächen, Zinal, Les Haudères, Arolla, Champex, Fiesch, Kippel and Blatten are just some of the centres used for walking in the Valais.

Not to be missed

  • The views of the colossal peaks of the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, The Dom, Zinalrothorn, Weisshorn, Ober Gabelhorn, Dent Blanche, Bietschhorn and the Grand Combin form the backdrop to the routes.
  • Magical valleys such as the Lötschental. Saastal, Fieschertal, Val d'Anniviers, Hèrens and Bagnes.
  • The Grosser Aletschgletscher is the longest ice field in the Alps.

Routes

Home to the Matterhorn and Dent Blanche, the routes are in the region of the Fieschertal and the Aletsch glacier, the Lötschental, Saastal, Mattertal, Turtmanntal, Val d'Anniviers, Val d'Herens, Val de Bagnes, Val Ferret and Vallée du Trient.

  • Fieschertal and the Aletsch Glacier // Fieschertal - Burg Hut - Fieschertal / Fieschertal - Gletscherstube Märjela / Burg Hut - Gletscherstube Märjela / Fiescheralp - Gletscherstube Märjela / Gletscherstube Märjela - Aletschgletscher - Biel - Fiescheralp / Gletscherstube Märjela - Aletschgletscher - Riederfurka / Riederfurka - Aletschwald - Hängebrücke - Belalp /
  • Lötschental // Ferden - Kummenalp - Fafleralp / Ferden - Kummenalp - Lötschenpass Hut / Lötschenpass Hut - Selden - Kandersteg / Fafleralp - Petersgrat - Kandersteg / Fafleralp - Krindeln / Fafleralp - Anen Hut - Fafleralp / Fafleralp - Blatten - Goppenstein / Ried - Bietschhorn Hut /
  • Saastal // Gspon - Kreuzboden / Kreuzboden - Weissmies Hut / Kreuzboden - Trift - Saas Grund / Kreuzboden - Almagelleralp - Saas Almagel / Saas Almagell - Almagelleralp - Almageller Hut / Saas Almagell - Saas Grund - Saas Balen / Saas Almagell - Furggalp - Saas Almagel / Saas Almagell - Furgtälli - Saas Almagel / Mattmark - Antrona Pass - Saas Almagel / Mattmark - Ofental - Mattmark / Mattmark - Monte Moro Pass - Mattmark / Saas Grund - Saas Fee (via Kapellenweg) / Saas Grund - Seng - Saas Fee / Saas Fee - Saas Almagell - Saas Fee / Saas Fee - Gletschergrotte - Spielboden / Saas Fee (Hannig) - Mischabel Hut / Saas Fee (Hannig) - Gletschersee - Saas Fee / Saas Fee (Felskinn) - Britannia Hut / Saas Fee (Plattjen) - Britannia Hut / Saas Fee (Plattjen) - Hannig /
  • Mattertal // Jungen - St Niklaus / St Niklaus - Randa - Täsch - Zermatt / St Niklaus - Grächen / St Niklaus - Gasenried / Grächen - Hannigalp - Saas Fee / Grächen - Gasenried / Randa - Schaliberg - Randa / Täsch - Täschalp / Täschalp - Täsch Hut / Täschalp - Täsch / Zermatt (Sunnegga) - Täschalp - Täsch / Zermatt (Sunnegga) - Fluhalp - Findeln - Zermatt / Zermatt - Findeln - Eggen / Zermatt (Riffelberg) - Riffelsee - Zermatt / Zermatt (Rotenboden) - Monte Rosa Hut / Zermatt (Schwarzsee) - Hörnli Hut / Zermatt (Schwarzsee) - Stafelalp - Zermatt / Zermatt - Zmutt - Zum See - Blatten - Zermatt / Zermatt - Herbrigg - Hubel - Zmutt / Zermatt - Zmutt - Schönbiel Hut / Zermatt - Trift / Zermatt - Trift - Höhbalmen - Hubel - Zermatt / Zermatt - Höhbalmen - Zmutt - Zermatt / Zermatt - Höhbalmen - Schönbiel Hut / Zermatt - Trift - Rothorn Hut / Zermatt - Trift - Mettelhorn /
  • Turtmanntal // Gruben - Chalte Berg / Gruben - Meidpass - Hotel Weisshorn / Gruben - Augstbordpass /
  • Val d'Anniviers // Chandolin - Cabane d'Illhorn - Illhorn / St-Luc (Tignousa) - Bella Tola / St-Luc (Tignousa) - Meidpass - Gruben / St-Luc (Tignousa) - Hotel Weisshorn - Zinal / Zinal - Forcletta - Gruben / Zinal - Hotel Weisshorn - Ayer / Zinal - Cabane de Tracuit / Zinal - Roc de la Vache - Zinal / Zinal - Cabane d'Ar Pitetta / Zinal - Cabane du Grand Mountet / Zinal - Cabane du Petit Mountet / Zinal (Sorebois) - Cab. du Petit Mountet - Zinal / Grimentz (Moiry) - Col de Sorebois - Zinal / Grimentz (Parking du Glacier) - Cab. de Moiry / Grimentz (Barrage de Moiry) - Haut Tour du Lac / Grimentz (Barrage de Moiry) - Lac des Autannes / Grimentz (Moiry) - Sex de Marinda - Grimentz / Grimentz - Zinal /
  • Val d'Hérens // Les Haudères - La Sage / Les Haudères (Ferpècle) - Bricola / Les Haudères - Veisivi - Roc Vieux / Arolla - Lac Bleu - La Gouille / Arolla - Les Haudères - Evolène / Arolla - Cabane de la Tsa / Arolla - Plan de Bertol / Arolla - Pra Gra / Arolla - Cabane des Aiguilles Rouges - Arolla / Arolla - Pas de Chèvres / Arolla - Col de Riedmatten - Cabane des Dix / Le Chargeur - Cabane des Dix / Le Chargeur - Col de Riedmatten - Arolla / Le Chargeur - Cabane de Prafleuri - Le Chargeur /
  • Val de Bagnes // Verbier - Clambin - Cabane du Mont Fort / Cabane du Mont Fort - Cab. de Louvie - Fionnay / Fionnay - Cabane de Panossière / Mauvoisin - Cabane de Chanrion /
  • Val Ferret // Praz de Fort - Plan Bagnet - Cabane d'Orny / Ferret - Grand Col Ferret / Ferret - Lacs de Fenêtre / Ferret - Champex / Champex - Sembrancher / Champex - Cabane d'Orny / Champex - Alp Bovine - Col de la Forclaz / Champex - Fenêtre d'Arpette - Col de la Forclaz /
  • Vallée du Trient // Trient - Chalet du Glacier - Trient / Trient - Col de Balme - Croix de Fer / Trient - Ref. Les Grands - Col de Balme - Trient /

Multi-day trekking