Tour of Val d’Anniviers: Zinal–Grimentz (Stage 3)
Zinal
-2/8°
The hike runs between two valleys: from the Val de Zinal you hike over a pass to the Lac de Moiry dam. From there, the descent begins through the pristine Val de Moiry to the destination of the hike in the picturesque village of Grimentz.
Difficulty
IntermediateLength
14.36 kmDuration
4:30 h
Description
The upper part of Val d’Anniviers is formed by two valleys: the larger Val de Zinal and the side valley Val de Moiry.
The hike runs between two valleys and begins at the top at the Zinal-Sorebois cable car. There, a magnificent view of the "Couronne Impériale", the royal crown, awaits you. This refers to the five four-thousanders high above Zinal. A steep ascent takes you up to the Col de Sorebois pass at 2835 m above sea level. After that, the path descends into Val de Moiry.
A new panorama opens during the descent. Before you lies the dam of Moiry, an impressive and architecturally interesting structure. The water held back by the dam is in a beautiful turquoise and forms the Moiry reservoir. The lake is fed by glacier water from the Moiry glacier amidst snow-covered peaks at the back of the valley.
Several sights await you at the dam. Noteworthy are the restaurant with its sun terrace, the via ferrata, and guided tours inside the dam. The second half of the hike consists of a long and scenic descent through the valley Val de Moiry to Grimentz. First, you hike through beautiful alpine pastures and then through forest areas.
The pretty village of Grimentz impresses with its wooden flower-decorated houses and takes extraordinary pride in its eventful history, which it gladly shares with its visitors. The geranium educational trail informs visitors about the 34 species of this flower and their appearances. During a guided tour, guests have the opportunity to taste the local glacier wine in a building from the 16th century. There is also an intact water mill, a historic educational trail, an entertaining animal educational trail for families, as well as a trail dedicated to local legends. During bread baking courses, participants can traditionally bake their own rye bread and enjoy it during the subsequent fondue feast.
Highlights of the hike:
- Magnificent views of two valleys.
- Moiry reservoir – impressive dam with turquoise blue water.
- Grimentz – historic village with wooden, flower-adorned houses.
Turn-by-turn directions
The route starts at the mountain station of the Zinal-Sorebois cable car at 2438 m above sea level. From there, the path steadily climbs up to the southwestern slope of Corne de Sorebois. The path runs below the summit over the Col de Sorebois pass at 2835 m above sea level.
From there, the route now zigzags down to the Moiry dam at 2250 m above sea level. The restaurant with its sun terrace is an ideal place for a short break.
The path now crosses the dam crest before leading down towards the Val de Moiry. The descent proceeds northwards through the Val de Moiry and crosses the mountain stream La Gougra just before Grimentz.
You can extend the hike by ascending from Zinal to Sorebois on foot instead of taking the cable car.
Start
Mountain station gondola Zinal-Sorebois (2438 m above sea level) (1663m)
Destination
Grimentz (1558 m above sea level) (1588m)
Author's recommendation
Technical information
Altitude
2856m
1586m
Ascent
+1195m
Descent
-1270m
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
