Hikes
Tour of the Val d'Anniviers: Vallon de Réchy - Louché mountain lake (stage 5)
Vercorin
5/15°
ClosedVaried hike starting with a scenic gondola ride to Crêt du Midi. Trail leads into the magnificent Vallon de Réchy and loops up to "Le Louché" lake.
Difficulty
IntermediateLength
15.1 kmDuration
4:40 h
Description
Located between the Val d'Hérens and the Val d'Anniviers, the Réchy valley is a veritable gem of which the upper part is completely free of roads and buildings. The starting point of the trail is at Crêt-du-Midi. Enjoy the panorama of the Rhone Valley from the cable car that connects Vercorin. From here, the path follows the eastern side of the valley, offering a magnificent view of its forests, meadows and clearings. This level ends on a rock barrier that La Rèche crosses in the tumult of a magnificent waterfall. The next level, the middle valley, is dominated by the Ar du Tsan, a large marshy basin where the river meanders. Continue up the valley to the upper valley and the mountain lake of Louché, a site of absolute tranquillity and a good chance of wildlife sightings. On the way down, the route passes through the eastern side of the valley and finally reaches the Crêt-du-Midi by the same route.
Turn-by-turn directions
From the top of the cable car at Crêt-du-Midi, the path climbs slightly up the eastern side of the valley. It skirts the marshes of the Ar du Tsan from the west and passes near a waterfall.
The ascent continues along a picturesque pond, the Gouille de Potoc, before reaching the banks of the Lac du Louché, the highest point of the hike.
On the way down, the path takes another route along the eastern side of the valley to reach Ar du Tsan. From here, take the same road that leads to the Crêt-du-Midi.
Start
Crêt du Midi (gondola summit) (2321m)
Destination
Crêt du Midi (gondola summit) (2321m)
Author's recommendation
The Anniviers Liberté pass offers a 50% discount on the funicular and free travel on the PostBus as well as certain activities.
Technical information
Altitude
2577m
2176m
Ascent
+700m
Descent
-700m
Stamina
Experience
Landscape
Best time of the year
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Tags
Getting there
Information
Public transport
Take the train to Sierre, then the bus to Vercorin, or the bus from Sierre to Chalais then the cable car from Chalais to Vercorin. Take the cable car from Vercorin to Crêt-du-Midi. All information about the timetable is available on www.cff.ch.
Approach
Motorway A9, exit 28 (Sierre-ouest) Follow the signs to "Vercorin".
Parking
Parking at the Vercorin cable car. Follow the signs for parking in Vercorin.
Source
This activity is brought to you by Valais/Wallis Promotion
