Tour d'AÏ

The walk starts out a little long on tarmac, then follows paths through pastures to Lac d'Aï, where the truly alpine route begins. The difficult sections are well equipped and safe (ladders, cables, chains, barriers), but you'll need to be sure-footed. Not recommended for people who are afraid of heights or who are not comfortable on steep slopes. The times indicated on the yellow signposts on the ground are well within the capabilities of trained walkers.

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First real hike in Switzerland and I understand better what "Difficult" means.

It's a fairly dry climb, you need to be in good physical condition and yes, hiking boots are compulsory.

Breathtaking 360° views, the lake, Mont Blanc...

I started at 8:30 and there was no-one there, but by 11:00 there were more than 20 people on the climb...

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Hello dimarcom, and thank you for your comments!

No snow at the top of the course?

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Loooooooong tarmac road at the start, then ski slopes, but after that it's super pretty!

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A very pretty walk
Quite physical
Quite aerial
Shame it's an out-and-back and not a loop

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A really beautiful itinerary, with only 2 drawbacks: a little too much tarmac road/big track for downhill mountain biking, and then the passage through Berneuse which is over-crowded due to the cable car ascent.
You'll also need either a GPS or a good map to take certain routes (such as the ascent to Berneuse, for example) as the directions are not always clearly marked.
A total of 1130m of ascent, but the climb up the arete above Berneuse, and then the view from the summit is a real treat!

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A wonderful hike! Those sensitive to vertigo should refrain! Unfortunately, the summit was shrouded in fog today... so we weren't able to admire the view, which must be magnificent!

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Hello jl74500,

Thank you for your feedback and comments.

Up to WP No. 3, the routes to Aï and Mayen are shared. I've just added this information to the description.

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Fortunately, we had the map and the route to start with, as there was no signpost to the Tour d'Aï.
There was just one sign pointing to Mayen.
It's a pity there isn't a path along the side of the road, and then it looks like mountain bikers have priority over hikers, although of course they have to pay a fixed rate...
Otherwise, it's a lovely view from the summit, or at least the little we could see, as the sky quickly became overcast and we descended in the fog.

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Hello Pacobill, and thank you for your feedback and comments!

I've climbed the Tour d'Aï several times and I've never taken this return route. I'll probably include this suggestion in the practical information.

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Magnificent walk with magnificent scenery and varied viewpoints. The first part of the hike is on tarmac, which is a bit daunting (except for the scenery, which remains magnificent throughout the hike), with little change in altitude. The going gets tougher from point 4 onwards, however, and you need to be sure-footed, as the void is omnipresent and you sometimes have to use your hands. On the other hand, the equipment is very well made and you never feel in danger. I would nevertheless recommend it to people who are used to heights.
There's also a small alternative route that I took on the way back, which I think is well worth the diversions because of the scenery. What's more, it allows you to do a loop instead of a "simple" out-and-back! On the way down, when you reach "bas de la Tour" at point 3, head towards Lac d'Aï and take the direction of Berneuse (= arrival of the cable car, which is easy to spot) - although it does cost you around 100m of extra ascent! From here, there are superb views of the Tours d'Aï and Mayen and Lake Geneva. Descend on the south side towards the Col de Luissel and then Temeley (the inn you passed on the outward journey) - this completes the loop and takes you back to the road you took on the outward journey. All that remains is to return to the car park. That's my suggestion, so enjoy the walk !

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Very nice route, superb views. Stage 4 is quite tricky on the descent for those who are not used to it, and in my opinion should be more clearly indicated in the description.

All the best

Philippe

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Hello,

Thank you for your feedback, and I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed this walk!

The presence of aerial passages is mentioned in the description, in the corresponding passage, but it's true that it's not emphasised enough in the practical information. I'm going to add a sentence to that effect.

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We really enjoyed this hike, but we had to take it easy because, although it wasn't too difficult, there were some aerial passages (which were very well secured, by the way) that were still impressive for people like us who don't like heights very much.
Thanks to the person who suggested it, as it's a very beautiful place that we didn't know about.

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