- discovery trips - europaventure

Program

D 1 : Sierre/Salgesch to Chandolin or St-Luc
- Sierre -> Les Pontis (by bus) then Chandolin or St-Luc on foot (about 5 hours walk)
- Sierre -> Finges (on foot or by bus) then Chandolin or St-Luc on foot via the chapel of St-Antoine (about 6½ hours walk)

Sierre -> Les Pontis by bus, then Chandolin or St-Luc on foot (about a 5 hour walk)
Starting from Sierre station (542 m), the bus takes you along the Val d’Anniviers road. After a few hairpin bends and going through the valley’s canyons, you get off the bus at the Pontis stop, at a place called « Fribougxe » (1001 m) After an hour’s walk going up a rather steep slope you come across a small corner of paradise known as Soussillon (1388 m). You continue walking upwards for about another 30 minutes eventually getting to the foot of the village of Chandolin (about 1 hour 50 minutes) or you can walk to the mountain pastures of Ponchet (1950 m and about 2 hours walking).
If you decide to pass by Ponchet, the path is fairly wild and has a few nice surprises along the way (fauna and flora). Please note that this path is only for adept walkers. From Ponchet a wide forest track takes you to Chandolin (about 1½ hours). Along the way have a glance at the illgraben a site of erosion unique in Europe. It is renowned as being the most beautiful and biggest rock cirque resulting from the subsidence of the mountain due to erosion.
From Chandolin there are two different ways of getting to St-Luc (1655 m) either by going down through the village of Chandolin then through a place called La Tueille and Lebing (about 1½ hours) or higher up following the Sierre-Zinal foot race path which takes you through the freshness of the pinewood forest to Tignousa (2186 m about 1¼ hours). There we would recommend you take the funicular train which will take you down to St-Luc in 7 minutes (1655 m) however if you wish you may gown down on foot to St-Luc using the footpath (about 1½ hours) or the ski slope (about 1 hour).

Sierre -> Finges then Chandolin or St-Luc on foot via the chapel of St-Antoine (about 6½ hours walk)
To get to Finges or the hollow of Chippis (565 m) you can take the postal bus or go on foot (about 1 hour). The path starts 100 m. after the crossroads on the val d’Anniviers road. Follow the Chapel of St-Antoine. This climbing and winding path with numerous crosses along the way goes to the chapel of St-Antoine (about 45 minutes walk 989 m). When you get there don’t forget to ring the bell as this is said to bring good luck! Continue walking up to Plan Palet (about another 45 minutes 1146 m.) then to the Couquelle forest. The walk up is fairly energetic but full of surprises. Perhaps you will come across a doe or a chamois! After 2 hours walking, you get to the mountain pastures of Ponchet (1950 m)- an open window over the Anniviers valley. From Ponchet a wide forest track takes you to Chandolin (about 1½ hours). Along the way have a glance at the Illgraben a site of erosion unique in Europe. It is renowned as being the most beautiful and biggest rock cirque resulting from the subsidence of the mountain due to erosion.
To Chandolin, see below

Chandolin, 2000 m. above sea level
This village is located between the sky and the earth, 2000 m. up, where one can find fine flora rare for the Val d’Anniviers end even for the Valais in general. Botanical walks will let you discover these specimens amidst unspoilt countryside. In the old part of the village a permanent exhibition is devoted to Ella Maillart, the traveller and writer. She was one of Chandolin’s most famous guests.

St-Luc, its nose in the stars!
The astronomical observatory located 2200 m. above sea level and the planetary walk (6 km) will allow you to discover in an original way the planets that make up our solar system. The Matterhorn can be seen here from an unusual angle. On the riverside, the watermills dating from the 18th century are still working.

D 2 : Chandolin or St-Luc to Zinal (about 5½ hours)
From Chandolin (1979 m), the route of the Sierre-Zinal running race will take you to the freshness of the pinewood forest going towards Tignousa (about 1¼ hours, 2186 m). From St-Luc we would suggest that you go to Tignousa (2186 m) by the funicular train. From there enjoy the splendid view that the imperial crown offers, including, amongst others, the Dent Blanche and the Matterhorn. The stars observatory OFXB proposes free visits during the day to enable you to observe the sun.
The Weisshorn hotel, during the first part of this day is equally worth a visit. To get to it simply follow the planetary footpath. Other than the planets you go across the Roua alpine pastures (20 minutes, Chalet Blanc 2179 m) where Saturn and its rings can be found. When you get to the Chiesso Blanc (2201 m and ½ hour) the climb to the Weisshorn hotel starts. After about half an hour you get to the hundred year old hotel built in a traditional English style (2237 m). For the fine food lovers amongst you, don’t miss the famous homemade bilberry tart. The interstellar journey continues to the last planet in the solar system; Pluton. Don’t miss it, it can be found after about 20 minutes walking, below the footpath. The pleasant walk takes you to Bella lé, after to the pasture of Barneuxa (2211 m about 1 hour). The scenery starts to change as you start to go down towards Zinal. Count about ¾ hour to get down the steep path from upper Zinal.

Zinal, at the foot of the imperial crown
Zinal, located at an altitude of 1670m., is a charming and welcoming family resort. The footpaths surrounding it will take you to the foot of the famous imperial crown, composed of five summits all over 4000 m. high. These are the Bishorn, the Weisshorn, the Zinalrothorn, the Obergabelhorn and the Dent-Blanche. The Besso, slightly lower than the others provides the foreground to the Matterhorn behind it. With its numerous glaciers, waterfalls and the copper mine, this area offers plenty of opportunities to get away from it all.

D 3 : Zinal to Grimentz (about 5½ hours)
For this third stage we recommend that you use the cable car that will take you directly to Sorebois, however, if you wish to walk, follow the Navizence river (1653 m) for about ¼ hour then take the winding footpath that will take you to Sorebois via Fêta d’août (2254m about 2 hours). When you get to Sorebois (2438 m) going through the alpine pastures, the top is about 1 hour and twenty minutes away. Whilst walking here you may get to see a few marmots which are very common in this area. Getting to the Col de Sorebois (2835 m), you will see the Moiry dam (2250 m) below you with its Caribbean Sea colour. The walk down to the dam takes about an hour. Walk across the dam wall to get to the path that banks the Gougra River and that will take you to Grimentz (1564 m about 1 hour 40 minutes). This path is also used by mountain bikers during the Grand Raid Cristalp (Verbier-Grimentz race) in mid August every year.

Grimentz/St-Jean, the villages of joy
Enchanting by the beauty of their barns browned by the sun, charming with their balconies adorned with flowering geraniums, these villages are what picture postcards are made of! At an altitude of 1570 m. Grimentz can best be described as authentic, charismatic, picturesque and sumptuous. It houses, in the bottom of its cellars, the reputed glacier wine, which has been maturing for over 100 years in oak casks.

D 4 : Grimentz to Vercorin (about 5 hours)
From the start of the cable car (1518 m) The path goes across grazing land following the route of the cable car (1719 m 25 minutes) then follows the track that leads to the alpine pastures. After walking for about 45 minutes at a place called ‘le Chequet’ take the direction of the Orzival pastures. The footpath takes you through a very perfumed larch tree forest leading to the pastures of Orzival (2100 m). When you get there you have two choices: either you can walk up in the direction of the Brinta (2660 m 1½ hours) then continue on towards the Crêt du Midi (2331 m 45 minutes) and go down by cable car or on foot to Vercorin (1342 m 2¼ hours) or you can on towards the alpine grazing pastures of Tracuit (1898 m ¾ hour) and then on to Sigeroulaz (1861 m ½ hour), finally ending up in Vercorin (1342 m 1¼ hours).

Vercorin, with its added charm
Situated not far from the motorway, this small village come ski resort with its radiant climate, has been able to keep its unique and generous vegetation amongst wild and invigorating countryside. The Vallon de Réchy, to the west, is a protected nature reserve where you can find almost all the types of fauna to be found elsewhere in the alps. Its paragliding school will give you many thrills during a flight above the Rhône valley.

D 5 : Vercorin and surrounding area
The Vallon de Réchy at Louché Lake (about 7 hours)
To discover the Vallon de Réchy nature reserve we recommend that you take the cable car to get to the Crêt du Midi (2331 m). This is the ideal starting point for this particularly interesting walk. There are two ways of getting to the Ar du Tsan, either by the going through a damp and fresh forest (about 1 hour 40 minutes) or simply follow the forest footpath (takes the same time). When you get to the Ar du Tsan take a glance at the wonderful view over Rhone Valley. This plateau also has something rather strange and unique: amber coloured sculpture-like snaking meanders cutting through the marshland. From this point the Louché Lake is about 1½ hours away. This pleasant walk will allow you to admire the very varied and sometimes rare flora that grows there. As an example of flowers to be found on this marshland, there is the ‘Linaigrette’ which has small cotton pompon like flowers. To return, try the path on the other side of the hill, going via the Potoc marshland (2468 m) and the Fâche which will give you a stunning view over the Ar du Tsan (about 1¼ hours). To finally return to Vercorin, a steep path follows the waterfall taking you towards the bisse shelter (1661 m about 1 hour). From there just follow the bisse (irrigation stream) going back to Vercorin (1320 m 1½ hours)
The bisse shelter (about 4 hours return)
From Vercorin (1320 m), a short jaunt to the ‘Vallon de Réchy will let you discover the Vercorin ‘bisse’ (irrigation stream) and finally the bisse shelter with its imposing panorama over the Rhone valley and the impressive view of the waterfall that cascades down from the Ar du Tsan above you.
Back to Sierre from Vercorin : At Vercorin (1320m), take the old path which was used in the old days to go from Chalais to Vercorin. After a 30 minutes quite hard climb down, you will reach the chapel of Bouillet (1032m). At that point you are faced with 2 alternatives: - Either follow the path signposted Brie which will take you to Brie de Dessous (951m) in 30 minutes, then follow a very steep path marked Chippis fort 55 minutes. - Or follow the old path which continues towards Chalais. After 35 minutes at the 2nd crossing with the main road, turn right and follow the "bisse de Ricard" for another 35 minutes. When you get to the tarmac road, by the gravel pit (672m), follow it down to the village of Chippis. From Chippis, you are only 20 minutes away from Sierre town centre.
As the route back to Sierre on foot is extremly steep, we suggest you return by postal bus.