Saint Luc walks

This eleventh and final stage will take you from the Hôtel Weisshorn to Grimentz. The route partly follows that of the SIerre-Zinal trail. It passes beneath the Pointes and the Bec de Nava. From this scenic trail, you can see the Weisshorn, the Zinalrothorn, the Matterhorn and the Dent Blanche. The route continues with a long, winding descent to Ayer. After crossing the River Navisence, a final gentle climb will take you to Grimentz.

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.

This second stage will take you to the Hotel Weisshorn, but not via the shortest route. Along the way, you will pass peaks such as the Rothorn, Bella Tola and the Aiguilles du Meiden. After Lake Armina, you will join Trail No. 6 (Chemin des Cols Alpins) at the foot of the Meidpass. After the descent to the Combavert mountain pasture, you will need to make one last effort to discover the Hotel Weisshorn, the pearl of the Val d'Anniviers.

A circular walk leading to the summit of the Illhorn, from where you can enjoy panoramic views of the Valais and Bernese Alps, not to mention a breathtaking bird’s-eye view of the Rhône and Illgraben valleys.

This eleventh stage takes place in the mid-mountains. The Hotel Weisshorn, perched at an altitude of nearly 2,400 metres, is visible from Grimentz. The path descends towards Navisence and then passes through the village of Ayer. Follow the Chemin des Cols Alpins to reach the Hotel Weisshorn. From its terrace, it offers a superb view of the summit that bears its name.

This second section of the Alpine Passes Trail offers magnificent panoramic views of the peaks of the Valais Alps. You’ll enjoy numerous vantage points overlooking glaciers and peaks such as Mont Colomb, La Dent Blanche, the Combin Massif and the Mont Blanc massif.

This first stage will take you from Grimentz to the Becs de Bossons mountain hut. The route begins with the climb to Bendolla via a winding path. The ascent continues towards the Pointe de la Lona, which you go round to reach the area above Lake Lona. The climb continues as you make your way to the Pas de la Lona. The final, fairly steep climb will take you to the foot of the Becs de Bosson for a night’s stay at almost 3,000 metres.

This seventh stage will take you to Vercorin. This small, traditional village is located on the border between the Vallon de Réchy and the Val d'Anniviers. From Grimentz, take the Bendolla cable car and follow the trails through the ski area to reach the Col du Louché. You will then descend into the magnificent Vallon de Réchy. After Lac du Louché, follow the Rèche to the towpath where the peaceful Bisse de Vercorin begins. You will soon reach the pretty little village of Vercorin.

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.

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

Stage2 of the northern section of the Tour du Cervin: this takes you to the Val d’Anniviers.NB: Originally, we had planned to walk all the way from Grüben to Zinal, but in two stages: stage 1 from Grüben to the Hôtel Weisshorn, and stage 2 from the Hôtel Weisshorn to Zinal. For financial reasons, this wasn’t possible; so we carried on to Saint-Luc, from where a bus service took us to Zinal.The first section (up to Meidu) does not follow the classic Tour du Cervin route; the section through the forest and mountain pastures between the end of the track and the buildings at Jäniltigu Oberstafil is no longer marked at all; that said, there are no particular difficulties: the track reflects the route I took, based on the path as shown on the maps and the terrain.

This thirteenth stage takes place in the high mountains and, depending on the season, may involve crossing snowfields. The trail is shared with the Apenpässe-Weg, marked with green vignettes No. 6. From the hotel, the trail climbs towards the Augstbordpass, crossing alpine pastures to Grüobu Oberstafel. Then the landscape becomes increasingly rocky until you reach the Augstbordpass. At the pass, you will have earned a well-deserved break. The descent continues through numerous scree slopes and rock fields, but the path is always well marked. From Abiheiji (Twraa Ridge), the route to Jungen is more pleasant and the path is often paved. From Jungen, there is still an 850-metre descent to Sankt Niklaus. (You can take the cable car to avoid this last descent.)

This tenth stage will take you from Gruben to the Hotel Weisshorn. The route begins in the last village of the Turtmann Valley and, via a steep climb, leads to Lake Meidsee, about 100 metres below the pass. The Meid Pass marks the border between German-speaking and French-speaking Valais. The descent from the Meid Pass is pleasant. In Combavert, there is one final climb to reach the historic Hotel Weisshorn.

One of the highest hikes in Europe that requires no mountaineering equipment, the ascent to the Barrhorn crosses and runs alongside a variety of environments and landscapes (forest, mountain pastures, glaciers, torrents, moraines, high-altitude ridges, etc.), offering a truly breathtaking spectacle. The summit, surrounded by other peaks of similar height or even more imposing, offers a breathtaking panorama combining black rock and white glaciers. Suitable only for experienced hikers accustomed to high altitudes.

This beautiful walk offers one of the finest panoramic views in the region from the Becs de Bosson hut. It’s well worth doing in fine weather to see as far as Mont Blanc. The walk is challenging due to the 900 m elevation gain and because the path is a bit tricky near the hut. The path is also somewhat exposed after the Lona mountain pasture.

This eight-day itinerary will take you through the Val d'Anniviers, which boasts many traditional villages such as Chandolin, Saint-Luc, Zinal and Grimentz. You will stay at the Hotel Weisshorn, built in 1882 on a panoramic site at an altitude of over 2,300 metres. On the way to Zinal and then to the Cabane de Moiry, you will have the opportunity to admire the Couronne Impériale, a circle of five 4,000-metre peaks. You will also enjoy a detour into the Réchy valley, which will take you to the village of Vercorin.

For this first stage in the Val d'Anniviers, starting from Les Pontis, the trail climbs along steep, wooded slopes to reach the pretty village of Chandolin. The second part of the route takes you to Saint-Luc, a traditional village and winter sports resort. Saint-Luc also has an astronomical observatory and a planetarium housed in a former 19th-century barn.

This is a long stage passing through two mountain passes, but it is shortened by the cable car connection from Zinal and the bus transfer between Villa Evolène and Arolla. Please note: taking into account the cable car transport, the positive elevation gain is not 2,156 metres as indicated, but only 1,380 metres.

A pleasant circular walk around Vercorin. Several vantage points overlooking the peaks of the Rhône Valley and the upper reaches of the Val d’Anniviers.

The Val d'Anniviers ends at the Zinal Glacier and the Moiry Glacier, separated by the Pigne de la Lé and the Garda Bordon. The route of this fourth stage will take you to the Cabane de Moiry, very close to the glacier of the same name. To avoid the long climb to Sorebois, take the cable car to the Weisshorn area. You will switch to the Moiry side and overlook this magnificent lake at an average altitude of 2,500 metres. Upon arrival at the Cabane de Moiry, you will be richly rewarded.

This sixth and final stage arrives in Grimentz, a beautiful village in the Val d'Anniviers. During this day, you will walk along two more bisses. First, the Bisse des Sarrasins, marked with information panels. This bisse is not in water. The route partially follows the old bisse trail. Finally, the Bisse de Saint Jean or Grand Bisse. It was abandoned for a long time and completely restored in 2012. As you approach Grimentz, you will enjoy the snow-capped peaks at over 4,000 metres

This last stage will take you back to the Rhône Valley, to the Chalais-Vercorin cable car car park. On this downhill route, you will rejoin the Rèche. After a pretty waterfall, you will walk along the Bisse de Ricard, then cross vineyards irrigated by this canalised bisse. Back in the forest, you will once again follow this peaceful canal.

From Zinal to Arolla, you need to take a bus to the Moiry dam, which drops you off at the same spot in 50 mins–1 hour (it goes all the way up to Vissoie, which makes the journey longer). It’s also possible to try and find accommodation in St-Luc or Vissoie.

Beautiful hike along a long alpine path, then a steeper trail at the end. At the hut, there is a route equipped with chains, and the one I took, which is less steep. Spectacular view from the hut, very warm welcome, and very comfortable for spending the night. Multiple options for returning to different valleys.

This second stage will take you from the Cabane des Becs de Bosson to Evolène. This route is almost entirely downhill. At the start, you’ll need to head down to the Pas de la Lona, then turn due west towards the hamlet of l’A Vieille. The route then crosses mountain pastures and forests to reach the Mayen de Volovron. The final part of the walk is mainly along stony tracks as far as Evolène.

This sixth stage will take you to Grimentz, a beautiful village typical of the Val d'Anniviers. From the Col des Becs de Bosson, the route is all downhill. For the more experienced, it is possible to climb the Petit Bec de Bosson. For this climb: at the pass, the route is marked by a white-blue-white sign. The final section is rated T4 to T5. Not for inexperienced climbers.

In Valais, ‘bisses’ are irrigation channels built along the mountainside to distribute water from glacial torrents. Walking along the bisses generally makes for easy (little elevation gain) and pleasant walks. The route suggested here combines several bisses to form a circular route: out via the Bisse Neuf and the Bisse de Varen, through the forest; back via the Bisse de Mengis along the edge of the vineyards, passing by the Cascade de la Raspille. This results in a slightly greater elevation gain (as the outbound and return bisses are at different altitudes), but it allows for a greater variety of landscapes along the way.