Augsbordpass (2892 m) walks

Another high-altitude stage with a stop in Saint-Luc, then transfer to Zinal by post bus.

This fourteenth and final stage is the longest, but does not present any difficulties. The route from Sankt Niklaus to Zermatt is obvious. It follows the Matter Vispa, the river that flows down from Zermatt, and the rack railway line, which terminates in Zermatt. All the ingredients for a picture-postcard Swiss scene are there: the Matterhorn, glaciers, the torrent, churches with bulbous steeples, the little rack railway and the magnificent car-free village of Zermatt.

And here is the last stage of this route, and what a stage it is! A pleasant climb to reach Hannigalp and find the famous balcony trail that overlooks the valley leading to Saas Fee.

Grachen, an important village, dominates the Zermatt valley, which you will be flying over all day. After a gentle climb to Saint-Nicolas on its pedestal, you just need to pass from scree to scree to reach the welcome Refuge d'Europahutte after a long traverse.

See the guide on route moderation. The classic hike from Randa is very often closed. This hike starts at Herbriggen (accessible by train from Randa).The route is much steeper than the one starting from Randa; furthermore, once you reach Tälli, the ‘normal’ route is also closed due to rockfalls, and a new route has been marked out joining the alpine path linking the Topali Hut (Topalihütte) to the Barrhorn, which adds 400 metres of elevation gain. The difficulty rating is ‘very difficult’, to reflect the total duration of the hike, which takes into account the significant elevation gain covered in two main sections, and the steep nature of the first ascent. There are no technical difficulties other than the elevation gain (2,000 m elevation gain over 9.5 km).

This twelfth stage takes place once again in the high mountains and, depending on the season, may involve crossing snowfields. The trail is shared with the Apenpässe-Weg, marked with green stickers no. 6. From the Hotel Weisshorn, descend to the Combavert barn. The ascent to the Meidpass begins on a good path that passes close to Lake Combavert. The route is pleasant until the junction with Lake Armina. The final climb is over scree. The descent, which is steep at first, becomes gentler as you approach Meidsee. Then scree and pastures alternate until you reach the hamlets of Oberstafel and Mittelstafel. A good path then descends to Meiden/Gruben.The Meidpass is the French/German linguistic border.

After a night in this historic hotel, the third stage will take you to Zinal, a traditional village in the Val d'Anniviers. You will soon discover the Weisshorn and Bishorn mountains. At the small Bella Vouarda pass, you can admire the so-called imperial crown with five peaks over 4,000 metres high. As you descend towards Zinal, you will follow the end of the famous Sierre-Zinal race, more commonly known as the "Race of the Five 4,000s".

We started out in the Saint-Luc ski area before joining the Tour du Cervin trail to finish the stage in Gruben.

Final stage to finish at the Hospice (du Simplon). To round off this hike in style, you must spend a night at the Hospice du Simplon, where you will receive a warm welcome. Hike with a brief description, to be followed with the Visorando app.

A pleasant trail through the woods will take you to Gibidumpass, a viewpoint overlooking the Rhône Valley. You will gradually descend into the Nanztal, a quiet valley at the foot of the Fletschhorn. The Bistine Pass is the last pass to cross to complete this lovely loop and admire the Fletschhorn one last time. As you descend towards the Simplon Pass, Monte Leone will catch your eye.