The larches of Balavaux
Nendaz
6/11°
A walk among the largest and oldest larch trees in Europe that includes a scenic gondola ride, discovering the “Black Lake”, forest trails and the pretty Bisse de Saxon irrigation channel.
Difficulty
EasyLength
10.97 kmDuration
2:55 hDescription
The larch trees in the forests in Valais add magnificent touches of colour throughout the seasons.
There are more than 250 trees in the Balavaux pastrurelands, aged from about 300 to nearly 1,000 years old. One veteran has a circumference of overs 14.6 metres, and is considered to be the largest in Europe. The outing begins with a gondola ride from Haute-Nendaz to Tracouet, a summit offering panoramic views of the whole Rhône valley. Head for the Lac Noir (“Black Lake”) and subsequently the Cabane de Balavaux. You'll hike through a forest of imposing larch trees before reaching the largest of them all, nicknamed the "King of Balavaux", thanks to a small purpose-built footbridge. Continue to the "Chalet des Alpes" restaurant, then take a path that leads to the Bisse de Saxon, the longest in the Valais. Once at Pra de Dzeu, return to the resort via the Gouille d'Ouché and Les Rairettes.
Turn-by-turn directions
Start
Tracouet, top of the lift station (2196m)
Destination
Nendaz, tourist office (1326m)
Author's recommendation
Technical information
Altitude
2196m
1327m
Ascent
+65m
Descent
-935m
Technique
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