Tour of the Val d’Anniviers: Pontis - Chandolin - St-Luc (stage 1)
Vercorin
2/8°
Panoramic hike high above the Val d’Anniviers through an idyllic hamlet and two of the valley’s most charming villages.
Difficulty
IntermediateLength
9.33 kmDuration
4:00 hDescription
This hike climbs through the forests of the Val d'Anniviers to traditional villages and ends in either Chandolin or St-Luc. The trail first follows the steep, wooded slopes of the valley. In Chandolin, it levels out for the second part of the hike to St-Luc. Perched at an altitude of 1,956 m. on a sunny south-facing slope, Chandolin is one of the highest villages in Europe, inhabited all year round. Ella Maillart, one of the great travellers of the 20thcentury, and famous photographer, writer and journalist, spent the last years of her life here. A permanent exhibition in an old chapel is dedicated to her. In St-Luc an astronomical observatory near the arrival of the funicular is open to the public. The village features many attractions, including a planetarium in an old 19thcentury barn, several working 18th century mills, a historical trail and a "bread trail".
Turn-by-turn directions
The trail begins at a remote bus stop on the main road leading up the valley (Les Pontis).
From the starting point (1,001 m), the path zigzags steeply up the wooded hillside, reaching the idyllic hamlet of Soussillon (1,388 m) after about an hour. The climb continues for about another hour up to Chandolin (1,956 m).
The route leads through the lower part of the village before turning southwards for the second half of the hike: a gentle descent via La Toueille and Lèbing to St-Luc (1,655 m).
For a shorter walk, finish at Chandolin and take the bus from there. (All buses pass through St-Luc before descending to Vissoie, for connecting buses to Sierre.)
Start
Bus stop « Les Pontis » (1000m)
Destination
St-Luc (or Chandolin) (1677m)
Author's recommendation
The Anniviers Liberté pass offers a 50% discount on the funicular and free travel on the PostBus and certain activities.
Technical information
Altitude
1921m
1001m
Ascent
+943m
Descent
-267m
Stamina
Experience
Landscape
Best time of the year
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Tags
Public transport
Train to Sierre, then PostBus bus towards Vissoie; dismount at bus stop “Les Pontis”. At the end of the hike, take the bus from St-Luc (or Chandolin) to Vissoie, and change onto the bus to Sierre.
See the full timetable information at sbb.ch.
Approach
Parking
Source
This activity is brought to you by Valais/Wallis Promotion