Sentier des bouquetins
Hérémence
-3/1°
Circular hike from the Grande Dixence dam, along the Lac de Dix and through a side valley back to the dam. The fascinating themed route covers the topics of hydropower, flora and fauna, as well as geology, and offers great opportunities for wildlife observation.
Difficulty
IntermediateLength
8.64 kmDuration
3:20 h
Description
The Steinbocks Trail (Sentier des Bouquetins) is a themed route that provides information about the pioneering Grande Dixence project, covering topics such as flora and fauna, history, and geology around Europe’s highest gravity dam. The path was inaugurated in 2012 and runs along seven stops – including the Cabane de Prafleuri, which is suitable for a refreshment break.
Details of the hike can be found in a brochure (available at the tourist office or as a download in German, French, and English).
The route begins at the dam’s crown and initially follows the reservoir through several tunnels. A climb through blooming alpine pastures leads to the Col des Roux at 2803 m above sea level and offers good opportunities to observe ibex. These wild relatives of the domestic goat are recognizable by their large horns.
On the other side of the pass lies the small side valley Combe de Prafleuri. The rock material of the glacial moraines was used as raw material for the dam. From 1952, around 500 workers lived here for 8 years in a temporary village with twenty wooden huts while the dam was being built. Only one hut remains – the sole witness to one of the largest construction sites Switzerland has ever known. The hut served temporarily as a mountain hut until the new Cabane de Prafleuri was built next to it in 2000.
The engineering highlight, of course, is the dam itself: at 285 m high, it is the tallest gravity dam in Europe. The dam’s visitor center organizes guided tours inside the structure. A network of reservoirs, underground tunnels, pumping stations, and power plants together form
the largest hydropower complex in Switzerland.
Highlights of the route
- Detailed themed route about hydropower, flora and fauna, and the history of the dam.
- Grande Dixence, Europe’s highest gravity dam with visitor center and aerial cableway.
- The hike along Lac des Dix passes through numerous tunnels along Switzerland’s largest reservoir.
Turn-by-turn directions
The path begins at the mountain station of the Grande Dixence aerial cableway and leads directly to the crown of the dam. Along the western shore of the reservoir, the path first goes through some tunnels and then over alpine pastures before ascending steeply to the highest point of the route. From the Col des Roux at 2803 m above sea level, it then descends into the side valley Combe de Prafleuri. The staff at the Cabane de Prafleuri offer refreshments. From here, the path descends steeply along the flank of the valley until the impressive dam and the reservoir come back into view. The path zigzags back to the dam crown.
To get from the foot of the dam to the crown, you can either take the aerial cableway or walk (approximately 45 minutes).
Start
Mountain station of the Grande Dixence aerial cableway (2349m)
Destination
Mountain station of the Grande Dixence aerial cableway (2349m)
Author's recommendation
Technical information
Altitude
2804m
2358m
Ascent
+605m
Descent
-605m
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
