are linked to the Portes du Soleil ski playground. A short distance north of the valley’s only resort lies a small lake at the 1369m Pas de Morgins on the frontier, from where a road descends to Abondance in France.
Ignoring the French side of the border, the normal route of approach is from the small industrial town of Monthey in the Rhône valley, from where a sinuous road writhes its way southwestward through the lower Val d’Illiez, at first between vineyards, then among chestnut and walnut trees to a junction on the outskirts of Troistorrents. The left fork is the one to take for Champéry (see 1:2), while the Morgins branch climbs a series of hairpins with retrospective views of the Dents du Midi and the Dent de Morcles on the far side of the Rhône’s valley.
Having gained Val de Morgins the road then runs easily along the north bank of the Vièze de Morgins stream among alpine meadows and pinewoods, passing a minor road branching left (a pleasant cross-country route to Val d’Illiez) to gain the resort of Morgins at 1305m.
Spread across the meadows, the dark timber chalets, shops, campsite and two hotels (the Beau-Site and La Reine des Alpes) of this modest resort suggest a base for holidays of an undemanding nature. There are two chairlifts and two low-level skilifts, a climbing wall and some 800km of marked paths. In winter the extensive, but comparatively low ski area of Portes du Soleil that spreads across the border, gives access to 650km of pistes with 207 lifts (www.portesdusoleil.com), while cross-country skiing and snowshoe routes are also available, and at least 12km of footpaths are kept open. The Office du Tourisme (www.morgins.ch) located on Place du Carillon near the Foilleuse chairlift opposite the village church, produces a wealth of useful brochures and leaflets, although many of these refer to the French side of the border, and there’s a handy footpath map available at a scale of 1:33,333: Carte des Sentiers à Pied et à Cheval.
Walks from the Val de Morgins
Of the numerous walks in the valley, perhaps the easiest is that which takes just 20mins to reach the small green lake at the Pas de Morgins, where options for extending the outing in various directions become obvious. One of these options climbs to the Bec du Corbeau viewpoint; another makes for the Portes de Culet, then climbs the ridge to the east of the pass to gain the famed 2042m Pointe de Bellevue which gives such a splendid view of the Dents du Midi.
Another recommended route follows the Vièze de Morgins upstream southwest of Morgins, wandering below the cliffs of the Tête de Linga and Tête du Géant to the head of the valley, and then climbs to the little Lac de Chésery at 1891m. Lac Vert, a second tarn nearby, lies just 20m below Col de Chésery, a walker’s pass on the border with France at 1992m. Between the lake and the col, about 2½hrs from Morgins, stands the privately owned Refuge de Chésery (www.lacvert.ch) which offers refreshments, has 35 dormitory places and is often patronised by trekkers walking from Lac Léman to Chamonix along the GR5. Southeast of here the 2157m col of Portes de l’Hiver (also known as the Porte du Lac Vert) is well worth the extra 40–50mins of effort to reach, for it rewards with a truly breathtaking panorama. Yet again the Dents du Midi form an eye-catching part of that panorama.
For more spectacular views of the Dents du Midi, however, the ridge that runs from La Foilleuse at 1814m to the 1950m Col des Portes du Soleil, takes a lot of beating. The ridge may be gained by footpath or chairlift from Morgins, and less than 2hrs of easy walking is needed to get from one end to the other. Views from here are not only of the Dents du Midi, but of Mont Ruan and the wall of the Dents Blanches to the south which is also impressive, as is the skyline of the Mont Blanc range beyond and above intervening ridges. And it would be perfectly feasible for a keen walker to continue as far as the Portes de l’Hiver (see the previous paragraph) and descend to Morgins by reversing the route suggested above.
The major walking challenge of the district, however, is the multi-day Tour des Portes du Soleil which, as its name suggests, makes a circuit of the region, much of it in neighbouring France. It’s a longish tour demanding a total of about 44hrs of walking time on an assortment of trails, tracks and minor roads. Sadly there’s a considerable amount of downhill ski terrain to contend with, with the inevitable tows and lifts that clutter the landscape, but the route also enjoys some splendid semi-wild sections with glorious vistas. Accommodation is available in the form of gîtes, refuges and hotels, but such places are not evenly spaced, so some stages are much longer and more demanding than others. The route is highlighted on the carte des sentiers mentioned above, which also gives approximate timings and contact numbers for information. Being a circuit, the Tour could, of course be started almost anywhere, but since this sub-chapter deals with Val de Morgins, the suggestion is to begin in Morgins itself to make a counter-clockwise tour.
1:2 Val d’Illiez
With the Dents Blanches at its head, the rolling heights of the Portes du Soleil to the west, and the Dents du Midi forming its eastern wall, Val d’Illiez is by far and away the most important valley from which to explore the highest and most dramatic section of the Chablais Alps. Since Troistorrents has only limited accommodation, Champéry and Val d’Illiez are the major resort villages, with direct access by railway from Aigle and Monthey.
By road the initial approach is identical to that for Val de Morgins (1:1), but on reaching the junction on the outskirts of Troistorrents, about 4km above Monthey, we branch left and skirt the tall, grey stone church, passing the post office, a bank and a handful of shops. Within the village accommodation is limited to five beds at the Chambres d’Hôtes Helvetia.
A short distance beyond Troistorrents a minor road cuts back to the right to climb in long loops up the hillside on an alternative route to Morgins, while the Champéry road continues above the Vièze to Val d’Illiez (948m), once the valley’s main village. Larger than Troistorrents, Val d’Illiez has some old traditional chalets with projecting gables; there’s a tourist office by the railway station (www.valdilliez.ch), and a choice of accommodation at Hotel Communal which has 31 beds, and the slightly smaller Hotel du Repos with 27 beds. There are also just four b&b rooms (a total of seven beds) available at the Chambres d’Hôtes en Play.
About 4km further along the road lies Champéry (913m), a pleasantly situated and modestly attractive summer and winter resort which, as if to underline the fact that it makes a good centre for mountain activities, has its own Compagnie des Guides, known as Montagne Experience (tel 024 479 14 30). The Office du Tourisme (www.champery.ch) is located near the railway station on the valley road which bypasses the crowded village centre where most of the shops, banks, restaurants and hotels are situated. There are around a dozen hotels, ranging from ungraded pensions and chambres d’hôtes to a handful of 3-star establishments – contact the tourist office for details. At the roadhead another 2km upvalley Camping du Grand-Paradis is a wooded site, open all-year with good facilities, and with the Auberge du Grand-Paradis nearby (www.grandparadis.ch). Almost opposite the tourist office stands the valley station of the Planachaux cable car, or Téléphérique Croix de Culet, which serves the Portes du Soleil ski area (www.telechampery.com), while upvalley near the campsite, a winter-only chairlift, the Télésiège du Grand-Paradis, feeds the same area.
With its ease of access and unrestricted views, the broad Portes du Soleil ridge is understandably popular year-round. There are
