Winter hikes

Chemin de l'Aiguille

Champoussin

-6/3°

Closed

Feast your eyes on the magnificent Dents du Midi mountains and sample one of Switzerland’s most famous specialties: Rösti!

Difficulty

Intermediate

Length

6.99 km

Duration

2:45 h

Description

Perched an altitude of 1,800 meters, between the villages of Champoussin and Les Crosets in the Illiez Valley, this lovely ramble provides breathtaking views of the Dents du Midi massif and the Vaud Alps. From the highest point, at Pas de Croisette, you will enjoy an uninterrupted view of the surrounding peaks, including the entire Dents Blanches massif and the iconic Pointe de l'Au peak. Along the way you may see paragliders taking off under the Croix de l'Aiguille and, at the halfway point, the sunny terrace at the Relais Panoramique restaurant tempts hikers to stop for a refreshing drink or a bite to eat.

Turn-by-turn directions

Set off from the Frâchette covered picnic area, on the road just before the village of Champoussin, following the pink winter hiking trail signs marked with the number 15 (Swiss Mobile No. 901).

Walk along a wide, well-groomed path towards Les Crosets and the Croix de l'Aiguille. At the snowshoe trail crossroads, stay on the main axis which continues straight on the flat. A little further on, where the groomed path splits, take the trail that goes up in switchbacks to the right, passing just under the summit of the Croix de l'Aiguille. Continue to the left on the groomed path to the crossroads at Pas de Croisette. From there, continue straight on to the Relais Panoramique restaurant. To return, head back down to the hamlet of Crêté Borney. In the hairpin bend, take the groomed, flat path back to your starting point.

Start

Champoussin, Bus stop "Frâchette" (1585m)

Destination

Champoussin, Bus stop "Frâchette" (1585m)

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Author's recommendation

You won’t want to miss the exceptional selection of Rösti at the Relais Panoramique restaurant (reservations are recommended).

Technical information

Altitude

1844m

1585m

Ascent

+260m

Descent

-260m

Technique

Stamina

Experience

Landscape

Best time of the year

Public transport

Public transport friendly

At the train station in Aigle, take the AOMC train direction Champéry and get off in Val-d'Illiez. Then take the bus direction Champoussin until the stop "Frâchette". Timetable on www.cff.ch or www.tpc.ch

Approach

Highway A9 Lausanne-Sion, exit St-Triphon. Follow "Pas-de-Morgins/Monthey", take the tunnel "Route de la Vallée" until Troistorrents. In Troistorrents, at the round-about, follow Champéry/Val-d'Illiez. In Val-d'Illiez, at the round-about, follow "Champoussin" on the right. The starting point at the "Frâchette" picnic area is just before the entrance to Champoussin village.

Parking

Parking along the road, in front of the picnic area (where the road is wide enough).

Source

This activity is brought to you by Région Dents du Midi. Valais/Wallis Promotion is not responsible for the content provided.

Other itineraries

6.27 km 2:45 h Medium

Snowshoeing

01. Parcours Champoussin - Frâchette