Cycling routes
Col de la Croix de Cœur – Legendary Mountain Passes
Aproz
-4/1°
35 kilometres separate Aproz from the summit of the Col de la Croix de Cœur. Head through Nendaz and La Tzoumaz to reach the summit of the pass and enjoy a view of Verbier resort below.
Difficulty
DifficultLength
35.29 kmDuration
3:00 hDescription
Starting in Aproz, the route first heads towards the village of Fey. Your efforts begin in earnest once you leave the village, with a short but relatively steep climb to the main road passing through the village of Basse-Nendaz, where you turn onto the little-used Saclentse road. Up until this point, the route is identical to the one leading to Cleuson dam. Take a right to arrive in Haute-Nendaz and cross through the heart of the resort before heading down towards Isérables on a winding road above the valley. A sudden left turn takes you across a wooden bridge and onto an unpaved section of road leading to La Tzoumaz. Once you leave the village, the road winds through the forest and then through pastures until it reaches the summit of the pass at 2,173 metres in altitude. The final part of the route follows a hard gravel road, and offers a view of Verbier resort and the Val de Bagnes from its summit.
Turn-by-turn directions
From Aproz, follow the road that leads to the village of Fey and continue until you reach Basse-Nendaz, where the route forks to the right. Follow this path for 1.7 kilometres before turning left and continuing on a narrow road that follows a little-used stretch of route via Saclentse. Up until this point, the route is the same as the one leading to Cleuson dam. Take a right to reach Haute-Nendaz before making a swooping descent in the direction of Isérables. A sudden left turn takes you across a wooden bridge and onto a steep, unpaved section of road leading to La Tzoumaz. Once you leave the village, the road winds through the forest and on through pastures until you reach the summit of the pass at 2,173 metres in altitude. The final part of the route follows a hard gravel road.
Start
Aproz (486m)
Destination
Col de la Croix de Cœur (2173m)
Author's recommendation
From Saclentse, check out the route for the final of the Tour des Stations race, which has hosted champion cyclists including Cadel Evans, Primoz Roglic and Alberto Contador! Be sure to take two inner tubes – cycling so many kilometres on an unpaved road increases the risk of punctures.
Technical information
Altitude
2174m
482m
Ascent
+1978m
Descent
-291m
Technique
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
Regional trains on the Simplon-Brig line. Stop at St-Pierre-de-Clages or Sion.
Approach
Take the A9 motorway, then exit 25 to Conthey or exit 26 to Sion-Ouest. Follow the cantonal road to the village of Aproz.
Parking
Parking available at the Domaine des Iles (municipality of Sion).
Source
This activity is brought to you by Valais/Wallis Promotion