St. Niklaus walks

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.

A beautiful mountain stage with a pass bearing the sweet name of Augstbordpass.

First day of the ascent of the Gross Bigerhorn to reach the Bordierhütte mountain refuge. This day is more physically demanding than you might think. Grade T3: a demanding mountain hike.

The second stage involves the ascent of the Gross Bigerhorn, which will really put your legs to the test, followed by the return to the car park. Grade T3–T4 (challenging mountain hike – alpine hike).

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).

Jungu/Jungen (1,954 m) is a village situated above St-Niklaus. The journey is made by cable car. If the cable cars are not running, an intercom at the Jungu station allows you to contact the operator: payment is made at the bottom.The descent down the Wasulicke features several sections secured with fixed ropes and ladders, as the ground is quite unstable and sloping. The descent is currently not particularly exposed: a 45° slope, which allows for a fairly safe descent with the safety measures in place. There is currently no route across what remains of the glacier. This forms the second stage of the Tour du Cervin, passing through the western part of the Matter Vispa valley.

The first of the three stages that make up the northern traverse of the massif from east to west.No particular difficulties: you just need to take care on the first section, which follows a narrow path along the cliff face. Fixed equipment (ropes) secures the most exposed sections.The route starts from the same cable car used on the previous stage to descend to St-Niklaus.

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.

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.

This ninth stage will take you from Crächen to Gruben. The route begins with a descent to the village of Sankt Niklaus. You will then need to tackle the long climb to Jungu before beginning the ascent of the Augstbord Pass (2,892 metres). From Abiheiji (Twära Ridge), the well-signposted path leads through a vast scree slope to the Augstbord Pass. The descent to Gruben is pleasant; it first follows the Grüobbach stream and then crosses the Grüobwald forest. It is possible to avoid an 850-metre climb by taking the cable car between Sankt Niklaus and Jungu.

A new stage on the balcony at the foot of the great peaks separating the valleys of Zermatt and Saas Fee.

Due to the closure of the large Himalayan footbridge over the Grabengufer scree, it is necessary to take the emergency path down to Tasch and then undertake a remarkable climb to the alpine hamlet of Täschalp, where the Europaweghütte lodge is located.

After passing through Swiss stone pine forests, this circular hike leads to an impressive record-breaker: the Charles Kuonen Footbridge, the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the world.

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 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.

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.)

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.

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

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.

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.

This seventh stage will take you from Gspon to Saas-Fee. This scenic route follows the Saastal valley as far as Saas-Grund. Very soon, the Balfrin will be your companion for the day, followed by the peaks of the Mischabel massif, including the Dom, which rises to 4,546 metres. Once you reach Saas-Grund, the final ascent to Saas-Fee involves a climb of just 200 metres.

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.

This eighth stage will take you from Saas-Fee to Grächen. The route is quite challenging, following a high-altitude path that is partly exposed. A few tricky sections are secured with cables. From Balmiboden onwards, the terrain is difficult. To cross the Biderbach torrent, a culvert has been built to make the crossing safer. This route offers magnificent views of the Fletschhorn, the Weissmies and the Matterhorn.

A long balcony stage allowing you to climb up the Saas Fée valley, dominating it by about 500m and sometimes more. A spectacular route passing from one valley floor to another, with the special feature of being able to see the next change in valley floor in the distance.

Far from the hustle and bustle of Zermatt and away from the tourists, this flat walk allows you to discover the village and its recreational lake. Numerous granaries can be seen along this loop