Intro

With its 34 one-day stages, the Alpine Passes Trail has much to offer. Seven unmissable experiences

1 Greina Plateau (stage 4/stage 5)

The Greina Plateau is a world apart. You can hear marmots whistling everywhere. Take a leisurely stroll through pristine nature, without any strenuous slopes. The landscape of the Greina is a protected area of national importance. Nature lovers can only reach the secluded mountain landscape on foot, which takes several hours.

2 The Simplon Hospice (stage 13)

The Simplon Hospice is an impressive building from the beginning of the 19th century – and unusually large for the location. You meet many hikers here and can easily get drawn into conversation. The hospice is reasonably priced and offers excellent food. It is managed by the friendly Augustinian canons of the Great St. Bernard. There are prayers four times a day at the on-site chapel.

3. Balfrin Panorama Trial (stage 16)

The hiking day between Saas-Fee and Grächen has a lot to offer: the mountain trail is spectacular, and the view of snow-covered glaciers and 4,000-metre peaks is unparalleled. The panorama trail is quite exposed and is only suitable for sure-footed hikers. In some places, it leads you across fields of scree or tumultuous mountain streams – at one point, you even go through a tunnel under a wild mountain stream that plunges into the valley. It is not uncommon to see ibexes along the way.

4 The stony desert between Col de Louvie and Col de Prafleuri (stage 22)

This stretch gives you the feeling of hiking along a stony desert. Scree fields and blocks of stone string together along steep ascents, so you are sometimes almost climbing over boulders. There are no paths, so you depend on markings to find your way through the terrain. Even in midsummer, it’s possible to come across the occasional snowfield. One highlight is the view of the snow-covered Grand Combin from Col de Louvie.

5 Col de Prafleuri, the highest pass of the Alpine Passes Trail (stage 22)

At 2,938  metres, Col de Prafleuri is the highest pass of the Alpine Passes Trail and is utterly captivating with an amazing view of the eponymous glacier. You can  usually see families of ibexes along the ascent from Cabane de Prafleuri. More adventurous visitors can camp overnight on the pass. Bivouacking tip: take a short detour up the Pointes des Autans to top the 3,000-metre mark and enjoy the sunrise the next morning.

6 Corbassière Glacier (stage 23)

You come impressively close to this imposing glacier on the Alpine Passes Trail. It is the fifth longest glacier in Switzerland. If you are lucky, you can hear the glacier’s year-round ice cracking. 

7 Camping in Great St Bernard (stage 25)

The camping site at the foot of the Great St. Bernard, in Bourg Saint Pierre at 1,600 metres, is great for visitors who enjoy camping. There are beautiful, separated tent areas, a large communal room with a shared kitchen, a bread-ordering service, and a friendly and dedicated groundskeeper.

Recommended by Alpine Passes Trail experts: 

In the summer of 2018, multimedia students Matyas Fabian and Guy Baumgartner walked the entire length of the Alpine Passes Trail. They produced films, pictures and texts for Switzerland Tourism as they went along. 

“There were some days when we talked a lot to each other and others when the stage was too strenuous, so both of us would remain pretty quiet.” The beautiful landscape leads into a completely different world, a quiet place where the pace of life is slower. A world where you have time to think and to lose yourself in your own thoughts. The Alpine Passes Trail was a fantastic experience and a challenge for us both. It was a perfect summer adventure, where we were able to pursue our passion for film and photography.” Matyas and Guy