Trail running
Via Valais Zinal - Turtmann Hut (Stage 6)
Zinal
2/11°
Turn your "Bonjour" into a "Tagwohl" as you cross the border between German-speaking and Western Switzerland on this sixth 19-kilometer stage, which is rich in climbs.
Difficulty
IntermediateLength
21.95 kmDuration
5:10 h
Description
After your night in Zinal, a steep path from the village will help you wake up. The route follows the famous finish of the Sierre-Zinal mountain run by leading uphill in the opposite direction. Ascend through a larch forest to reach a pleasant, gently descending single trail that takes you to the Tsahélet Farm. The path then becomes steeper to reach the Forcletta Pass, which connects the valleys of Zinal and the Turtmann Valley. From this point, you change language and rhythm. After a long ascent, it is now time to start a long descent that brings you to Lake Turtmann. From the lake, make a final ascent to reach the Turtmann Hut. The stone terrace located at 2523 m overlooks the glaciers, the Bishorn, the Weisshorn, and other impressive 4000-meter peaks in the region.
Turn-by-turn directions
Start your route with a big climb by following the path that begins in the village of Zinal. At the intersections Chiesso, Virons, and Tsahélet, always choose the path that leads up to the Col de la Forcletta. Once on the other side, continue downhill to Chalte Berg before reaching Lake Turtmann. To get to the Turtmann Hut, follow the path running below the hut, before a final particularly steep climb that takes you to the destination.
Zinal - Le Chiesso - Les Virons - Tsahélet - Col de la Forcletta - Chalte Berg - Lake Turtmann - Turtmann Hut
Start
Zinal (1669m)
Destination
Turtmann Hut (2519m)
Author's recommendation
If you're lucky, the hut will serve you a piece of its famous Black Forest cherry cake, a well-deserved treat after so many meters of ascent.
Technical information
Altitude
2874m
1671m
Ascent
+1783m
Descent
-933m
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
For stage 1 Via Valais: Take the train to Martigny station, then to Le Châble. Access to the start of the trail is granted thanks to a first cable car between Le Châble and Verbier and a second that goes from Verbier to Les Ruinettes.
Approach
For stage 1 Via Valais: Take the A9/E62 highway to Martigny, then continue on the Grand-Saint-Bernard Route/Route 21 via Sembrancher to Le Châble. However, it is advisable to use public transport as this is a multi-stage run that ends in Zermatt.
Parking
For stage 1 Via Valais: There is a free car park with 240 spaces available for a maximum of ten days at the cable car station in Le Châble.
Source
This activity is brought to you by Valais/Wallis Promotion
