Emosson - Trophy of the Dams

As you pedal through beautifully terraced vineyards, you realize how quickly you are gaining altitude as Martigny becomes smaller and smaller. You leave the grand view of the Rhone Valley once through the Col de la Forclaz (1,528m). Take time to stop and enjoy a delicious fruit tart at the Hotel du Col de la Forclaz, because you still have a long journey ahead. After this well-deserved break, you dive into another valley and pass the village of Trient. A turn off to the right takes you into Finhaut and the start of the second climb. The more you climb, the more the landscape becomes wild and magical. The dam only lets itself be seen at the last moment, once you have reached the summit of the Col de la Guelaz (1,965m). And once there, all of your efforts will be rewarded, as the view over the Mont Blanc and the Aiguilles du Tour is breath-taking. This impressive dam was built between 1969 and 1975, is the second largest dam in Switzerland and the third highest in Valais. When you are on top of the dam in spring, look deep down into the lake and you may see the remains of the Barberine Dam, built in 1925, which was submerged after the Emosson Dam was filled.