This is the Tour de la Vallée du Trient.
THE BISSE DU TRIENT
Flowing from the foot of the Trient glacier to Col de la Forclaz, the Bisse du Trient is just one of more than 200 similar channels created throughout Canton Valais in order to carry glacial water sometimes a considerable distance to irrigate cultivated farmland, often in the Rhône valley. The oldest are believed to have been made in the 12th and 13th centuries; some channels being hewn from bare rock, others using hollowed tree trunks to bridge sections impossible to excavate; many were made by prisoners used as forced labour. Footpaths were invariably created alongside each bisse to facilitate its maintenance, but the track alongside the Bisse du Trient had rails laid on it in the 19th century to carry ice blocks from the glacier to the hotel at the col.
In summer Trient is a major overnight halt for countless trekkers
This is a very fine walking tour which crosses no fewer than six cols and picks out virtually all the scenic highlights of the district. Since some of the cols hang onto their snow cover until quite late, it should not be tackled before about mid-July, by which time conditions ought to be fairly settled. The route is normally walked in a counter-clockwise direction.
Day 1: Begin at Col de la Forclaz where a path strikes uphill heading north to make the ascent of Mont de l’Arpille (2085m), over whose summit the way then descends to the Arpille alp, then much more steeply down to the Gorge du Trient which is crossed more than 1400m below Mont de l’Arpille. A steep climb out of the gorge leads to Salvan at the end of a 6–6½hr day.
Day 2: Although this is a much shorter stage (3hrs), it’s uphill all the way. Leaving Salvan along the narrow road that works its way to the Vallon de Van, it concludes by taking the old mule-path from the campsite at the roadhead. This goes steeply uphill to the Salanfe basin in full view of the Dents du Midi where the night is spent at the Auberge de Salanfe.
Day 3: This third stage is similar to the first day’s trek on the Tour du Ruan, in that it begins at Salanfe and finishes at the Vieux Emosson refuge. However, after crossing Col d’Emaney, our route descends into the head of the Vallon d’Emaney, then goes for the more direct Col de Barberine instead of Col de Fenestral, and descends to Lac d’Emosson with the Mont Blanc massif in view for much of the way. After crossing the dam at its southern end, the way then follows the narrow service road up to Refuge Vieux Emosson (5½–6hrs).
Day 4: Skirting the shore of Lac du Vieux Emosson, the continuing Tour de la Vallée du Trient is a 4hr stage that visits the site of the dinosaur footprints. It then crosses the 2645m Col de la Terrasse and descends past the Chalets de Loria to Vallorcine, the first village on the French side of the border.
Day 5: Leaving Vallorcine for the final stage of the trek, begin by following the cog railway upvalley towards Col des Montets, then break out of the valley with a 600m climb to the grass saddle of Col des Posettes with its big view of the Aiguilles du Chardonnet and Argentière, Verte and Drus, and of Mont Blanc itself. The way then loops round to Col de Balme to re-enter Swiss territory, but instead of plunging straight down into the Vallée du Trient, it adopts the path that remains high before cutting round the Remointse spur to Refuge Les Grands. From here you descend to the valley below the Trient glacier, cross the glacial torrent and finish the trek by a gentle stroll alongside the Bisse du Trient that leads directly to Col de la Forclaz (a 5½–6hr stage).
ACCESS, BASES, MAPS AND GUIDES
Access
Val de Morgins By minor road west of Monthey in the Rhône valley. By train from Aigle or Monthey to Troistorrents, then bus to Morgins.
Val d’Illiez As for Val de Morgins, but branch left at Troistorrents. By train from Aigle or Monthey to Champéry.
Vallon de Susanfe On foot from Champéry or the Salanfe basin.
Rhône Valley By train from Geneva to Monthey or St-Maurice via Lausanne. The postbus runs a service from St-Maurice to Mex and Vérrosaz.
Vallée du Trient By train (Mont Blanc Express) from Martigny through the Trient gorges to Finhaut and Le Châtelard on the French border. By bus from Martigny to Col de la Forclaz, Trient and Le Châtelard.
Valley Bases
Val de Morgins Morgins
Val d’Illiez Troistorrents, Val d’Illiez, Champéry
Vallon de Susanfe Cabane de Susanfe
Rhône Valley St-Maurice, Mex
Vallée du Trient Salvan, Les Marecottes, Finhaut, Trient, Col de la Forclaz
Information
Chablais Tourisme SA, Case postale 1429, CH-1870 Monthey 2 (Tel 024 471 12 12 [email protected] www.chablais.info)
Huts
Several huts, both staffed and unmanned, are situated in the main areas described, as mentioned in the text. Most of these belong to the SAC, although some are privately owned. In addition, a few mountain inns with low-priced dormitory accommodation may be found in secluded locations.
Maps
For planning purposes Kümmerly + Frey publish a useful Wanderkarte at 1:60,000: Grand-St-Bernard, Dents du Midi–Les Diablerets
The Swiss National Survey (Cartes Nationales de la Suisse) cover the same area at 1:50,000 with sheets 272 St-Maurice and 282 Martigny and at 1:25,000 with sheets 1284 Monthey, 1304 Val d’Illiez, 1324 Barberine, 1325 Sembrancher and 1344 Col de Balme
Walking and/or Trekking Guides
Randonnées en montagne – Chablais et Valais francophone by Philippe Metzker (SAC)
Trekking in the Alps by Kev Reynolds (Cicerone, 2011)
Trekking & Climbing in the Western Alps by Hilary Sharp (New Holland, 2002)
Snowshoeing: Mont Blanc & the Western Alps by Hilary Sharp (Cicerone, 2002)
Climbing Guides
Dents du Midi (West Col, 1967 – long out of print)
Chaîne franco-suisse (SAC, 2003)
Guide du Valais: Du Trient au Nufenen
Klettersteig Schweiz by Iris Kürschner (Bergverlag Rother, Munich, 2004)
See Also
Freie Sicht aufs Gipfelmeer by Marco Volken and Remo Kundert (Salvioni Edizioni, Bellinzona, 2003)
Walking in the Alps by Kev Reynolds (Cicerone, 2nd edition 2005)
CHAPTER 2: PENNINE ALPS
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