Chemin des Bisses
Overview
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Distance 18 km
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Duration 5 h 50 min
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Ascent 950 m
Intro
Alongside the Bisse de Vex to Mayens de Sion. Mighty concrete church in Hérémence, the fairytale world of the earth pyramids in Euseigne is an invitation to daydream. Ascent to St. Martin, which clings to the side of the Val d’Hérens like an eagle’s nest.
Description
Veysonnaz, a small holiday resort at an altitude of around 1,200 metres, offers views across the Rhone Valley, the northern Valais Alpine chain and the glacial Plaine Morte.
The hike takes you along the Bisse de Vex, a historical irrigation canal built in the early 15th century. Following extensive renovation, this bisse carries fresh water from the mountain streams to the dry pastures, fields, vineyards and orchards along its entire route of more than 12 kilometres.
As soon as you leave the wooded sections, you reach Les Mayens-de-Sion. En route, while exploring the village, you will come across various chapels that are hidden in the forest, which are marked as being part of the former patriciate of Sitten / Sion. The patriciate of Sion played an important role in the government and administration of the town for generations. In the summer, the patrician families moved up to the “Maiensässe” or summer residences, such as Les Mayens-de-Sion, to escape the heat of the city. They spent a few months in their chalets there, which were luxuriously furnished for the time and were considered to be status symbols. To ensure that the noble bourgeoisie did not want for anything so far from the town, a post office, a grocery shop and of course chapels for Sunday mass were built.
The next place on the route is Hérémence. The church of St. Nicholas is an impressive sight of interest. It was dedicated to Saint Nicholas and designed by Basel architect Walter Förderer, who built it like a concrete rock in the middle of the village. Although the church initially caused debate and much criticism throughout Switzerland, it has been a proud landmark of the village since its construction in 1968.
Further along the stage, you reach the Pont de Letévèno bridge, which crosses the La Dixence stream. It rises in the Lac des Dix area, where the Grande Dixence dam stands. This is one of the highest gravity dams in the world. The dam gained international renown thanks to the 1969 James Bond film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”.
The pyramids of Euseigne are the next highlight on this stage. At 10 to 15 metres high, these structures were created by centuries of erosion processes. The stone blocks on the top protect the softer moraine material underneath from erosion and give the pyramids their distinctive shape.
The route continues to La Luette, where the most strenuous part of the stage is undertaken. After a climb of around 500 metres into the valley flank of the Val d’Hérens, you finally reach St. Martin, the destination for the stage.
An enjoyable tour includes the careful planning of the same. Please inform yourself in advance at the local information center about the route and weather conditions. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this route may be blocked or interrupted
| Start location |
Veysonnaz
|
|---|---|
| Destination |
St-Martin
|
| Direction |
One way
|
| Altitude (meter above sea level) |
1200 m
|
| Ascent |
950 m
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| Descent |
900 m
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| Distance |
18 km
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| Duration |
5 h 50 min
|
| Duration back |
5 h 45 min
|
| Technical requirements |
Easy
|
| Physical requirements |
Difficult
|
| Season |
May - October
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| Theme |
With panoramic view, Along Water
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Quick Facts
Route number
