Trek from Fionay to Saas-Fee

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In the Swiss valley, this particularly pleasant hike allows you to explore the many 4000 m peaks that surround the route.

N.B. this route is outlined on Openmap which doesn't have the details of our fine IGN maps. Before being able to get your hands on a Swiss map, which are more precise, the route and GPS layouts will be handy for this pleasant trek.

Details

n°105315
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 101.39 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7 days 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Very difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 8,407 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 8,023 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,979 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,134 m

Photos

Gare metro alpin
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Ah les vaches

Stages of the route

This route needs several days, find the details below:

  1. S
    Fionay - Cabane de Louvie

    Fionay - Cabane de Louvie

    ↔3.24 km ↗790 m ↘54 m
    First stage of the trek linking the village of Fionay to Saas Fee. A pleasant stage to reach the Cabane de Louvie, built on the edge of the lake of the same name.
    View the route
  2. 2
    Cabane de Louvie - Cabane de Prafleuri

    Louvie Hut - Prafleuri Hut

    ↔10.16 km ↗1,067 m ↘641 m
    The second stage of the route involves crossing two passes, the Louvie and the Prafleuri, both of which were snow-covered.
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  3. 3
    Cabane de Prafleuri - Gîte de La Sage

    Prafleuri hut - La Sage lodge

    ↔19.76 km ↗1,319 m ↘2,297 m
    Today's stage is unusual: it starts with a descent before a long climb, a second descent and a chairlift transfer, followed by a flat walk and a bus ride to the lodge.
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  4. 4
    Gîte de la Sage - Cabane Bella Tola

    Lodge de la Sage - Bella Tola Hut

    ↔22.61 km ↗1,454 m ↘769 m
    Long climb up the Col de Torrent before reaching Lac de Moiry, then Saint-Luc by bus, Tignousa by funicular railway and finally Bella Tola on foot. Remember to adjust the distance using the information provided by the points (6) and (7): you need to subtract 10 km.
    View the route
  5. 5
    Cabane de Bella Tola - Gruben

    Bella Tola Hut - Gruben

    ↔10.29 km ↗506 m ↘1,017 m
    We started out in the Saint-Luc ski area before joining the Tour du Cervin trail to finish the stage in Gruben.
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  6. 6
    Gruben - Grachen

    Gruben - Grachen

    ↔17.00 km ↗1,678 m ↘1,841 m
    Today's stage is divided into three parts: on foot from Gruben to Jungu, by cable car from Jungu to Saint-Niklaus, and by bus from Saint-Niklaus to Grachen.
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  7. E
    Grachen - Saas-Fee

    Grachen - Saas-Fee

    ↔18.33 km ↗1,593 m ↘1,404 m
    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.
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Notes

Water sources are available at each stage and their location mentionned in each stage description.

For this long 7 stage trek, the hiker needs:
- minimum training
- to be used to several day treks, for a first timer this trek could be a bit tricky
- respect schedules as there are lots of postal bus connections
- be able to carry a somewhat substantial amount, you're backpack will weigh between 10 and 12 kg
- the European Health card in case of an incident

To carry out the trek we used these accommodations:
D1: Cabane de Louvie,
D2: Cabane de Prafleuri,
D3: Gîte de l'Ecureuil,
D4: Cabane de Bella Tola,
D5: Hôtel Schwarzhorn (Gruben),
D6: Hôtel Alpina (Grachen),
D7: Hôtel Gletschergarten (Saas-Fee).
You can check out the services of these different places on the internet. Transportation costs (ski lifts, buses, trains) are also available.

To complete the daily rundown Smartphone owners can download the SuisseMobile app giving them access to the Suisse "IGN" map which has a lot more detail than the OSM enclosed here.

Worth a visit

Zermatt and all the other villages you'll pass by and to finish off, Saas-Fee, another gem nestled at the foot of the huge summits of this mountain range.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

Reviews and comments

marc24
marc24

Hello, is it possible to do it completely autonomously? So bivouac?

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Other walks in the area

Walking Fionay - Cabane de Louvie

Visorando member
Fionay - Cabane de Louvie
↔3.24 km ↗+790 m ↘-54 m ◔3h 10 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Bagnes (Valais)
First stage of the trek linking the village of Fionay to Saas Fee. A pleasant stage to reach the Cabane de Louvie, built on the edge of the lake of the same name.

Walking Louvie Hut - Prafleuri Hut

Visorando member
Cabane de Louvie - Cabane de Prafleuri
↔11.69 km ↗+1,225 m ↘-809 m ◔6h 50 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Bagnes (Valais)
This sixth stage takes place in the high mountains and, depending on the season, may involve crossing snowfields.From Lake Louvie, climb up to Col Termin and rejoin the balcony path that comes from the Montfort Hut. Continue to Col de Louvie (possibility of snowfields). After descending Col de Louvie, the path passes at the foot of the Grand Désert Glacier. The trail then crosses scree; look out for the red and white markings and follow the signs for Prafleuri. Climb Col de Prafleuri. Descend to Torrent de Prafleuri (small bridge); on the left, a trail leads to the Prafleuri Hut.

Walking Louvie Hut - Prafleuri Hut

Visorando member
Cabane de Louvie - Cabane de Prafleuri
↔10.16 km ↗+1,067 m ↘-641 m ◔8 hrs ▲Very difficult
⚑Departure from Bagnes (Valais)
The second stage of the route involves crossing two passes, the Louvie and the Prafleuri, both of which were snow-covered.

Walking Brunet Hut - Louvie Hut

Visorando member
Cabane Brunet - Cabane de Louvie
↔8.78 km ↗+1,016 m ↘-893 m ◔5h 25 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Bagnes (Valais)
This fifth stage crosses the Val de Bagnes. To the right of the Cabane Brunet, follow the path that descends directly to Fionnay. Be careful, this very steep path with countless tree roots can be slippery and dangerous in wet weather. Cross the road that leads to Fionnay. The path to the Louvie Hut is signposted in the centre of the village, on the right bank of the torrent. The trail is well marked all the way to the hut. Ibex often come close to the hut. A little further on, it is possible to see chamois.

Walking Brunet Hut - Panossière Hut

Visorando member
Cabane Brunet - Cabane de Panossière
↔6.70 km ↗+858 m ↘-326 m ◔4h 20 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Bagnes (Valais)
The route passes through the Col des Avouillons before descending to the rest of the Corbassière glacier, which is crossed via a spectacular 200 m long footbridge over a 70 m drop. The high mountains reveal themselves after the pass in a grandiose setting.

Walking Panossière Hut - Chanrion Hut

Visorando member
Cabane de Panossière - Cabane de Chanrion
↔15.64 km ↗+1,195 m ↘-1,372 m ◔7h 55 ▲Very difficult
⚑Departure from Bagnes (Valais)
This is a fairly long stage but set against a magnificent backdrop. The Mauvoisin dam is impressive, as are all the waterfalls along the right bank of the lake. The route passes through the easy and beautiful Tsofeiret Pass.

Walking Prafleuri hut - La Sage lodge

Visorando member
Cabane de Prafleuri - Gîte de La Sage
↔19.76 km ↗+1,319 m ↘-2,297 m ◔10 hrs ▲Very difficult
⚑Departure from Hérémence (Valais)
Today's stage is unusual: it starts with a descent before a long climb, a second descent and a chairlift transfer, followed by a flat walk and a bus ride to the lodge.

Walking Cabane de Prafleuri - Cabane des Dix

Visorando member
Cabane de Prafleuri - Cabane des Dix
↔11.24 km ↗+826 m ↘-570 m ◔5h 35 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Hérémence (Valais)
This seventh stage takes place in high mountains and, depending on the season, may involve crossing snowfields.From the Prafleuri hut, head towards the Col des Roux, then descend to Lac des Dix. Walk along the lake to the south-eastern end, where you will find signs for the Cabane des Dix. The path follows the glacier moraine and then goes around Tête Noire to reach the Cabane des Dix. Views of Mont Blanc de Cheilon, La Ruinette and Pigne d'Arolla.

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The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.