Cycling routes
Wallis Velo Tour: Verbier - Champéry (Stage 8)
Verbier
1/8°
From the famous destination Verbier in the Val de Bagnes, the 8th stage of the Wallis Velo Tour leads you to the picturesque mountain lake of Champex, before you cross the Rhône Valley along the peaceful lakeside route.
Difficulty
DifficultLength
105.84 kmDuration
7:30 h
Description
From Verbier you enjoy a unique view of the Combin massif before descending towards Le Châble and then Sembrancher. A climb leads through the village of Orsières and gets steeper until you reach the picturesque Lac de Champex. Then you ride through the Champex valley down towards Martigny. And when you are already in the region, you should not miss the ascent to the Col de la Petite Forclaz, where the 2020 Road Cycling World Championships were held. Via the Route de la Forclaz you return to the valley and then ride towards Lake Geneva. After that, you reach the Val d’Illiez via a climb towards Les Giettes, from where a road runs along the spectacular mountain face of the Dents du Midi to Champéry.
Turn-by-turn directions
You leave the holiday resort Verbier and the Val de Bagnes behind and head towards the Great St. Bernard and Italy until you reach the village of Orsières. You then continue to the small holiday resort Champex and its enchanting lake. A long descent takes you into the Rhône Valley, where you can tackle the famous Col de la Petite Forclaz before continuing to the ancient Roman town of Martigny. You then cycle towards Saint-Maurice and Lake Geneva, a section where your calves can recover until Massongex. From there, you manage a short climb towards Les Giettes. After the village, you descend back into the Val d’Illiez and finish the stage with the ascent to Champéry, where you are rewarded with a breathtaking panoramic view of the Dents du Midi and La Dent Blanche.
Start
Verbier, Place Centrale (1491m)
Destination
Champéry (1033m)
Author's recommendation
Enjoy a stop at the bucolic Champex Lake, after your first real climb of the route. Swimming is allowed here.
Technical information
Altitude
1497m
398m
Ascent
+2708m
Descent
-3150m
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
Train TMR Martigny to Le Châble, gondola from Le Châble to Verbier.
Approach
From the E27 motorway Martigny Grand Saint Bernard, follow the signs to Grand-Saint-Bernard / Verbier to Sembrancher. Then continue towards Verbier / Le Châble.
Parking
As this route is a partial section of a stage tour and the starting point does not correspond to the destination (not a round trip), we recommend arriving by public transport. Alternatively, you can use the du Châble car park in Le Châble. Follow the local parking guidance system.
Source
This activity is brought to you by Valais/Wallis Promotion