Hiking (mountain trail, in places narrow and exposed)
Alpine route (equipped or very exposed section, snow field, blocks)
R114
Trient » Champex
|
5h30 |
15.1 km
|
912 m
|
770 m
Leave Trient via the Forclaz pass and take the gentle climb eastward to the Bovine Alp, after which follows a slight descent to the Champex high plateau. On reaching Champex lake, it is just a short distance to Champex, the stage destination.
Alongside the pass road, there is also a hiking trail that leads to La Forclaz. There, the mountain trail climbs slowly up to the Bovine Alp. This is above all grazing land for Eringer cows, which are used for the famous cow fights in the Wallis region. If you are lucky, you will see the cows fighting in their pasture. After this alp, turn into a small side valley. Right at the end, a trail leads down into the wood. The trail now remains on a rather level course and leads through the wood to the vast high plateau of Champex. Below the pass road, the hiking trail leads uphill through the wood to the pass. After the crossing, you will see the lake and village of Champex, the stage destination. This peaceful holiday resort is a famous alpine centre and starting point for many strenuous hikes around Mont Blanc. (Schweizer Wanderwege)
Natural and cultural heritage
The Exploitation of the Glacier In 1865, Maurice Robatel was granted the rights to exploit the Trient glacier. Around thirty workers split ice from the glacier and carved it into uniform ice blocks. Then, using “Grespils”, long rods with ice hooks, they threw the blocks onto a channel made from larch rods, on which they were directed into a retention pond covered with fir branches. 20 years later, a narrow-gauge railway was built to transport the ice blocks along the Suonenweg (old water channel) trail to the Forclaz pass. The train departures are signalled using the telephone. The stopovers of Gare de Lyon, Gare de Montparnasse, Gare de Marseille, the ice blocks’ destinations, are among the most important trans-shipment centres. From the Col de la Forclaz/Forclaz pass, 10 to 15 large trucks were transported each day to Martigny train station, which corresponds to around 20,000 to 30,000kg of ice blocks. Every week, a train left Martigny in the direction of several French cities (Lyon, Paris, Marseille). Around 10 years later, the exploitation of the glacier was abandoned. (Schweizer Wanderwege)
Useful topographic maps
282T Martigny ~ Swisstopo (1: 50'000)
Grand-St-Bernard / Dents du Midi-Les Diablerets ~ Kümmerly und Frey AG, 3052 Zollikofen (1: 60'000)
Useful guidebooks
Du Léman à Sion / André Beerli ~ Editions Ketty & Alexandre (ISBN 2-88114-026-2)
Unterwallis / Waeber/Steinbichler ~ Bergverlag Rudolf Rother GmbH (ISBN 3-7633-4128-5)
Favourites, criticisms ? Make your personal comments on this stage. For more general notes please use the comments section of the page Over to the Via Alpinists.
Berta - 2018-07-22
Am Col de la Forclaz ist ein Hotel, auch Dormitor, Tel: 004127 722 26 88
Sehr turbulent, eher eine Massenabvertigung, aber freundliches Personal, Zimmer sauber und das Essen ok. 65 CHF Lager mit Halbpension
Automatic translation
[Google]
At the Col de la Forclaz is a hotel, also Dormitor, Tel: 004127 722 26 88 Very turbulent, rather a Massenabvertigung, but friendly staff, rooms clean and the food was okay. 65 CHF warehouse with half board
From Balme (Swiss border) to Champex there are no money machines. But you will need no Swiss Francs, because all places will accept Euro's. (where 1 EURO = 1 CHF)
On Bovine, -which is a Farm with a huge terrace (meant for thirsty TMB hikers) you will have a splendid view on the Rhone valley and the Col du Demecre which we passed by during stage R106!
Got not welcome by the teenagers running the restaurant at Bovine. Got there before TMB hikers and felt like i was bothering when i got there around 9am. Understood why later on when crossed path in early July 2013 with about 50 TMB hikers from all around the world.
Col de la Forclaz : Great place to meet and speak Japanese
Trient : TMB hikers stop. If you like crowded place and meet the world, stop there overnight.
|
5h30 |
15.1 km
|
912 m
|
770 m
Favourites, criticisms ? Make your personal comments on this stage. For more general notes please use the comments section of the page Over to the Via Alpinists.