Tour du Val d’Hérens: Evolène to Cabane Becs de Bosson (stage 4)

The 4th leg of the 5-stage Tour du Val d’Hérens offers an experience of the many faces of the alpine valley, from its riverside meadows up to the highest point along the entire trail. The starting point could not be more picturesque: Evolène, with its beautifully preserved wooden houses and barns adorned with flowers. No wonder this was recently voted the prettiest village in French-speaking Switzerland.

The path leads up through alpine pastures that are home to the stocky black cows of the Herens breed, which take their name from the valley – and have become a symbol of Valais. These combative cows fight naturally in order to establish a hierarchy in the herd; hikers will often see pairs lock horns until one turns tail. Organised fights are a popular attraction for locals and tourists alike; the cows’ Raclette cheese, served melted, is prized throughout Switzerland.

Beyond the pastures, the trail climbs through forests of larch to reach the Pas de Lona (2,787 m), which links the Val d’Hérens with the Val d’Anniviers. The view from the summit is bewitching: over a wide plateau of flower-filled alpine meadows, scattered with lakes. The pass makes an ideal refreshment stop before the final climb.

This leads up to the Cabane des Becs de Bosson, a welcoming mountain refuge at the highest point of the whole 5-day tour (2,985 m). The views, too, are the finest along the whole route, taking in Mont Blanc along with many of the 4,000-metre peaks of Valais.

Highlights

• Evolène – picturesque village of wooden houses adorned with flowers
• Pas de Lona – high pass overlooking a plateau scattered with lakes
• Cabane des Becs de Bosson – friendly refuge, highest point of tour, sensational views