Tour du Val d’Hérens: Arolla – Evolène (Stage 3)
Arolla
-6/2°
ClosedThe third stage of the Tour du Val d’Hérens connects the historic villages of the valley. The well-preserved villages are full of historic charm and witnesses to traditional life in the Valais Alps.
Difficulty
IntermediateLength
17.1 kmDuration
5:10 h
Description
The third stage of the five-day Tour du Val d’Hérens hardly resembles the first two stages. The altitude of this stage is clearly lower and instead of pristine landscapes, you discover the historic villages of the valley.
The stage begins at its highest point in Arolla. The village gets its name from the larches native here (French: arolle). These typical trees accompany you during the first part of the hike along the Val d’Arolle. The mountain stream Borgne d’Arolla is crossed several times – including over the 75 m long suspension bridge opened in 2017.
The second part of the hike brings hikers closer to the cultural heart of the region, the historic villages. From Les Haudères, the path leads up from the stream to the villages of La Forclaz and La Sage, which are arranged terrace-like several hundred meters above the valley floor. Then the path descends again and approaches Evolène gradually.
The villages of the Val d’Hérens mostly consist of historic houses and wooden barns. Surrounded by flower-covered meadows, they have fully retained their authentic charm. At the traditional summer markets, traders, craftsmen, and farmers meet, wearing traditional clothing.
The valley is also known for its geology. Visitors can discover this thanks to the free app "GéoGuide Val d’Hérens". Les Haudères has its own center for geology and glaciology with a permanent exhibition.
The third stage of the Tour du Val d’Hérens can be completed in various ways: for example, with a detour to idyllic mountain lakes or the possibility to spend the night in another village of the valley.
Highlights of the hike:
- Descent through the idyllic high valley Val d’Arolla.
- Exploration of the historic and beautifully preserved villages.
- Fascinating geology that can be discovered through museum, app, online guide, and theme paths.
Turn-by-turn directions
This stage begins with the descent through the Val d’Arolla from Arolla to Les Haudères. It first runs along the valley floor before the path continues a little higher along the west flank of the valley. In Les Haudères, the path branches off to the east and leads into a side valley to La Forclaz, La Sage, and then to Evolène.
A longer variant follows a path higher up along the west flank of the valley to the steel-blue Lac Bleu (2090 m above sea level), before it rejoins the original route at La Gouille. This detour means an approximately 45-minute extension of the hike.
For a shorter variant, take the postbus to the Farquèses stop and follow the high path to Lac d’Arbey (1766 m above sea level) on a scenic plateau. Then zig-zag down to Evolène. This variant of the route takes about 2h 15.
Other variants: shorten the hike and take the postbus in one of the villages or stay overnight here to start the next stage of the route.
Start
Arolla (2011m)
Destination
Evolène (1373m)
Author's recommendation
In Arolla, the larch-themed path offers an exciting change. This 300 m long path passes through an old larch forest.
Technical information
Altitude
2012m
1371m
Ascent
+342m
Descent
-981m
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
