Alpine Passes Trail

The hotel was built in 1882 with the aim of accommodating the first English mountaineers. It is located high above St. Luc at an altitude of 2,337 metres. It is surrounded by an impressive mountain backdrop, in an attractive setting of flora and fauna. The wooden building was the victim of a fire just seven years after it was built. It was then rebuilt in its current form in stone and was reopened in 1891. A group of people from the region now runs the hotel. Incidentally, Hergé is said to have designed some scenes for the comic book “Tintin in Tibet” during a stay at the Hotel Weisshorn.

The hike begins with a superb mountain trail. For about an hour, it is a gently undulating hike with the 4,000-metre peaks behind Zinal in view at all times. The Weisshorn, the Zinalrothorn, the peak of the Matterhorn and the mighty Dent Blanche all vie for your attention.

After what begins as a leisurely hike, there is a long and winding descent of more than 1,000 metres down to Ayer and onwards to the La Navisence river. The village of Ayer consists of a historic village centre with pretty old traditional houses.

After about three hours, you reach the last part of the stage up to Grimentz. Hiking through the forest along the old, disused bisse of Morasse, you finally reach the picturesque mountain village of Grimentz. Geraniums are one of the distinctive features of the area. They bloom fiery red on the balconies of traditional Valais houses and old granaries. The wooden beams of the old houses, which are almost black in parts, were built from dense and resinous larch wood. This quickly darkens in the sun and becomes almost black. The dark wood absorbs the warmth of the sun to the full during the day and stores it well into the night.