Walking in Arolla and Zinal
Walks and short treks in the Val d'Hérens and Val d'Anniviers in the Swiss Valais
Walking in Arolla and Zinal
Walks and short treks in the Val d'Hérens and Val d'Anniviers in the Swiss Valais
Guidebook describing 35 mountain walks in the beautiful scenery of Val d’Herens and Val d’Anniviers, located to the west of Zermatt. Surrounded by peaks and glaciers the graded walks include traditional villages, lakes and superb views. Most of the walks are of medium difficulty using well-maintained mountain paths. Two multi-day treks are outlined, combining the day-walks described.Explore the Val d'Hérens and Val d'Anniviers, two breathtaking Swiss Alpine valleys nestled to the west of Zermatt in the Valais — a region of soaring peaks, ancient glaciers, shimmering lakes, and traditional villages that remains refreshingly quieter than its famous neighbour. With day walks ranging from 9 to 22km (6–14 miles) and completable in 2 to 10 hours, it's an ideal destination whether you have a long weekend or a full fortnight to spare.
This trusted Cicerone guidebook by Lesley and Jonathan Williams describes 35 graded day walks and 2 multi-day treks across Arolla, Zinal, Evolène, Grimentz and beyond, giving you everything you need to explore these valleys with confidence. It pairs clear, walk-by-walk route descriptions with thorough planning information to help you prepare well before you travel and navigate with ease once you're in the mountains.
- The 35 day walks are graded and spread across the Val d'Hérens and Val d'Anniviers, exploring the area from valley-floor paths through traditional villages to high mountain circuits, so you can choose routes that suit your experience and energy each day
- Detailed step-by-step route descriptions are supported by 1:50,000 maps for every walk, helping you navigate confidently on the high mountain paths above Arolla, Zinal, Evolène, Les Haudères, and Grimentz
- Downloadable GPX files enable easy digital navigation on GPS devices or smartphone apps, so you can keep your eyes on the glaciers of the Ferpècle valley or the vast Grande Dixence barrage rather than the map
- Practical planning sections cover getting to the region, travel between centres, accommodation options, and the best season to visit (mid-June to end of September), with key information on mountain huts and public transport throughout the valleys
- Two multi-day routes — the Tour du Val d'Hérens and the Tour des Cabanes du Val d'Anniviers — are outlined in full, combining day walks into extended high-level itineraries for those who want to experience these valleys as a connected trek
Together, the graded route descriptions, 1:50,000 maps, GPX downloads, and comprehensive planning advice make this the definitive guidebook for walking in the Swiss Valais west of Zermatt. Discover the Arolla and Zinal valleys with confidence.
Walking in Arolla and Zinal - Quick Fact
Region: Val d'Hérens and Val d'Anniviers, Valais, Switzerland
Location: West of Zermatt, Swiss Alps
Walk format: 35 graded day walks plus 2 multi-day treks
Day walk distances: 9–22km (6–14 miles) per walk
Day walk duration: 2–10 hours per walk
Multi-day routes: Tour du Val d'Hérens (TVH) and Tour des Cabanes du Val d'Anniviers (TCVA)
Main centres: Arolla, Zinal, Evolène, Les Haudères, Grimentz
Terrain: Well-maintained mountain paths, high alpine terrain, valley floors, glacier viewpoints
Difficulty: Mostly moderate mountain walking; a small number of walks involve exposure and aided sections (clearly indicated)
Navigation: Well-maintained marked paths; 1:50,000 maps and GPX files included
Highlights: Dent Blanche, Weisshorn, Lac Bleu, Lac de Moiry, Moiry icefall, Ferpècle valley, Grande Dixence barrage, Pas de Chèvres, traditional Valaisan villages
Best season: Mid-June to the end of September (when snow has cleared and mountain huts are open)
Accommodation: Mountain huts (cabanes), hotels, guesthouses across valley centres
Getting there: Fly to Geneva or Zurich; good public transport connections into the valleys
Author Highlight
“Within the canton of Valais, and a little to the west of world-famous Zermatt, two French-speaking valleys run parallel to their more glamourous neighbour, a world apart yet matching or surpassing it in their beauty and potential as an ideal alpine walking destination. Val d’Anniviers is known to skiers, the lift systems of Grimentz, Chandolin and Zinal providing rapid access to higher alpine paths, while the Val d’Hérens’ principal village of Evolène remains attractive and traditional, as does the whole of the valley and the higher alpine centre of Arolla.”
- Lesley Williams, author of Walking in Arolla and Zinal
Printed book
A guidebook with detailed route descriptions, stage breakdowns, accommodation listings, profiles and maps - everything you need on the trail.
ISBN
9781786310965
Availability
Published
Published
19 Jun 2024
Edition
First
Pages
208
Size
17.20 x 11.60 x 1.10cm
Weight
240g
eBook
The complete digital edition of the guidebook, with full route descriptions, accommodation listings, profiles and maps, ready to use on any device. To access your eBook, you will need an eReader app. For more details, visit the eBook FAQs.
CONTENTS
Map key
Route summary table
Introduction
The Valais – Val d’Anniviers and Val d’Hérens
The mountains
The walking
Bases in the Val d’Hérens
Bases in the Val d’Anniviers
When to go
Getting there
Travel in the region
Accommodation
Maps
Apps
Preparation
Equipment
Using this guide
Val d’Hérens and Val d’Hérémence
Val d’Hérémence (Dix)
Walk 1 Thyon to Grande Dixence barrage
Walk 2 Grande Dixence barrage to Cabane des Dix
Walk 3 Cabane des Dix to Arolla
Arolla
Walk 4 Pas de Chèvres from Arolla
Walk 5 Cabane des Aiguilles Rouges from Arolla
Walk 6 Lac Bleu circular walk from Arolla
Walk 7 Plan Bertol from Arolla
Walk 8 Cabane de la Tsa from Arolla
Walk 9 Arolla to Les Haudères – the valley route
Walk 10 Arolla to Evolène – the high Route 6
Les Haudères and Ferpècle
Walk 11 Roc Vieux from Les Haudères
Walk 12 Ferpècle valley
Walk 13 Bricola and the upper Ferpècle valley
Evolène
Walk 14 Tour of the rock villages – Route 214
Walk 15 Evolène to Pralong (Dix valley) via Col de la Meina
Walk 16 Pic d’Artsinol
Walk 17 Evolène to Pralong (Dix valley) via Mandelon
Walk 18 Euseigne pyramids, Ossona, the passerelle and Combioule hot springs
Walk 19 Villa to Grimentz via Col de Torrent
Walk 20 La Sage to Cabane de Moiry via Col du Tsaté
Walk 21 Evolène to Cabane des Becs de Bosson
Multi-day route
Tour du Val d’Hérens (TVH)
Val d’Anniviers and Val de Moiry
Réchy valley
Walk 22 Cabane des Becs de Bosson to Nax
Walk 23 Réchy valley
Moiry valley
Walk 24 Grimentz to Cabane des Becs de Bosson
Walk 25 Cabane des Becs de Bosson to Cabane de Moiry
Walk 26 Lac Moiry circuit 2500m
Walk 27 Cabane de Moiry to Zinal
Zinal
Walk 28 Zinal to Cabane du Petit Mountet
Walk 29 Zinal to Cabane du Grand Mountet
Walk 30 Roc de la Vache from Zinal
Walk 31 Cabane Arpitettaz from Zinal
Walk 32 Cabane de Tracuit from Zinal
Hotel Weisshorn and Chandolin
Walk 33 Chandolin, Planets Trail, Hotel Weisshorn to Zinal
Walk 34 Bella Tola from Tignousa
Walk 35 Illhorn, Illsee, Lac Noir and Cabane Bella-Tola
Multi-day route
Tour des Cabanes du Val d’Anniviers (TCVA)
Appendix A Contact information
Appendix B Glossary of useful French words
Seasons
Best for walking from mid-June to the end of September, when snow has melted, and mountain huts and main services are open.
Centres
Arolla, Zinal, Evolène, Les Haudères, Grimentz.
Difficulty
Includes a range of routes, mainly mountain walking on good paths. A few walks involving exposure and aided sections are clearly indicated.
Must See
Dent Blanche, Weisshorn, Ober Gabelhorn, Pigne d’Arolla, Lac des Dix, Lac de Moiry, Pas de Chèvres, Ferpècle valley, Moiry icefall, Lac Bleu, traditional buildings, Planets trail, Grand Dixance barrage, Tour de Val d’Hérens, Tour of the Cabanes Val d’Anniviers.
July 2026
The Swiss maps keep changing names
I have known about Swiss name changes for a good while now, but I was slightly horrified when I went to check a height and found that the Blümlisalphütte had become the Blüemlisalphütte in the last few weeks. Right after the Trekking in the Bernese Oberland has been published.
I know it was about using local names, but it prompted me to dig more deeply into what is going on and why. So here goes:
Since 2008, swisstopo (the national mapping agency) has taken local/minor place names (Flurnamen, hut names, alp names) directly from the "amtlicheVermessung" — the official cadastral survey run by each canton. Bernese Oberland, where the Blüemlisalp massif sits, has been going through a re-survey (Neuvermessung) in which the canton's Nomenklaturkommission re-records these names in their dialect form, per the federal guideline (from 1948, updated 2011) that local names should be written "wie man spricht" — as spoken, in dialect — rather than in a High-German-ized spelling. Once the canton adopts a name, swisstopo carries it onto the Landeskarte.
"Blüemlisalp" reflects Bernese dialect: the diphthong "üe" (from Blueme = Flower) replacing the standard-German-style "ü" in "Blümlisalp." So the hut's name simply followed the alp/massif's name being re-recorded in correct Bernese spelling.
One caveat: peaks over roughly 3500 m are generally kept in their traditional spelling (which is why Blüemlisalphorn, at 3664 m, is a case some sources flag as inconsistent with the hut name) — but the hut and alp themselves aren't exempt, so they picked up the dialect form.
Another useful site is the Swiss Alpine Club's ‘Write how you speak’ article www.sac-cas.ch/de/die-alpen/schreibe-wie-man-spricht-1-38915/ and for anyone who wants to get really geeky about Swiss naming conventions www.giswiki.ch/Mundart_in_Lokalnamen
Anyhow, in summary, after a general move towards a standard ‘high’ German in the 19th century, there was a movement to support the local Swiss German spelling approach – ‘spiritual national defence’. This was formulated into a law in 1948, since updated, and as Cantons decree that a place name should follow the traditional local spelling, the national maps pick it up.
There we go. But who are we to speak as Snowdon becomes Yr Wyddfa in the Eyro National Park. And the survival of Gaelic names throughout the highlands of Scotland seems assured.
By and large these differences are small and won’t lead to any confusion. I hardly think you will climb the wrong mountain or reach the wrong hut just because it's gained an extra ‘e’. But be aware that things change! We will keep up as best we can with the changes but, in the meantime, if you do see anything that causes confusion, please let us know right away.
Alongside this, the Swiss mappers keep re-measuring the country and map heights evolve almost annually. It's great that they are on top of things, even if a little vexing for a guidebook author and publisher. Again, it shouldn’t be confusing, it's only a metre here or there but it does lead to books diverging from official maps. We will keep an eye on things.
Jonathan Williams
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