Across Vallon de They to the sources of the Vièze

Morgins
-1/4°
Loop through the pristine Vallon de They to the sources of the River Vièze: a water-themed walk from peaceful woodland to idyllic alpine lakes.
Difficulty
IntermediateLength
16.77 kmDuration
5:23 hDescription
This walk from Morgins up to the sources of the River Vièze explores the many ways in which water has shaped the landscape. Along the way, it passes mineral-rich springs, a waterfall, alpine lakes – and some charming restaurants and refuges at which to admire the scenery.
Starting in the centre of the resort, the trail leads upstream along the banks of the Vièze. Soon it passes a curiosity: the “red spring”, whose iron-rich waters brought the first tourists to Morgins back in 1820 to “take the waters”.
The trail continues upriver, passing the welcoming Cantine de They restaurant, until it reaches the upper sections of the valley. Here it zig-zags steeply uphill to the right to the top of a waterfall, the Fontaine Blanche – whose waters appear to emerge from the bare rock.
This is one of several features characteristic of a karst landscape: streams that disappear underground into sinkholes only to re-emerge downhill in the form of a spring, sinkholes and bizarre shapes sculptured in the rock by water.
Beyond, the trail climbs higher to the Lac de Chésery (whose waters feed the Fontaine Blanche via underground streams), and higher again to the Lac Vert. Here, the Refuge de Chésery (1,985 m) is a stable built in the mid-19th century and converted into a refuge in 1987. Attractions include delicious mountain cuisine and the chance to fish in the lake for brown and rainbow trout.
The trail then leads by two passes – including the Portes du Soleil, which gave its name to the whole holiday region – before descending again to La Tovassière, an alpine dairy farm and restaurant where specialities include dishes made from the local cheese.
After dropping back to the floor of the valley, the trail follows the Vièze once again into Morgins.
Highlights
- Vallon de They – idyllic, unspoilt mountain valley
- Variety of landscapes: woodland, open pastures, alpine lakes, waterfalls and high passes
- Multiple refreshment stops en route
NB The Refuge de Chésery is open until the end of September.
Turn-by-turn directions
From the tourist office, initially follow the road up the valley before branching left onto a footpath after about 500 m. The trail leads along the valley floor all the way to Sassey, where it begins to climb steeply to the western sources of the Vièze – including the waterfall and two lakes – and continuing beyond to the highest point of the walk: the pass of the Portes de l’Hiver.
The trail then descends to a second pass – the Portes du Soleil – before turning north again, following another tributary of the Vièze via La Tovassière down to the floor of the valley, where it retraces the first section of the walk.
Start
Morgins (tourist office) (1312m)
Destination
Morgins (tourist office) (1313m)
Author's recommendation
Technical information
Altitude
2097m
1313m
Ascent
+785m
Descent
-784m
Stamina
Experience
Landscape
Best time of the year
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Tags
Public transport
Approach
Parking
Source
This activity is brought to you by Valais/Wallis Promotion