Approximately early/mid July to late September.
Via Valais season starts when the huts open, but more importantly, when some key bridges are put into place for the descent to Randa on Stage 7. Without these bridges, it is not possible to cross a steep gorge. You'll need to check the Topali Hut websitefor the dates.
The end of the season doesn't happen when the snow falls, it's when the huts close and the bridges are removed. Unfortunately, some of the huts close early. The Moiry Hut has closed as early as mid-September, forcing runners to skip it and go directly to Zinal. See our Via Valais SERVICES page for hut links.
In many places, yes, but we will only present the primary route in this guide. You'll need a map to determine your options. There are optional, and sometimes more direct routes through the Valais, many of which are on the nearby Haute Route.
Summer weather in the Alps is mostly good, but like any mountain range, anything can happen. Be prepared for thunderstorms, which may include snow, wind, hail, and lightning. Mountain skills and common sense are the best things to take along.
Maybe. We don't know your skill level so we really can't answer this very important question. While the route is relatively easy to follow with the GPX track, poor weather can make things serious.
The Schöllijoch is the crux of the whole tour, and it's here that if the weather and visibility are poor, you'll need to make critical decisions about how to continue.
If these warnings make you nervous, consider a guide! Experience in the Alps is almost mandatory.
Just the right amount of not too much! You'll need to have enough warm gear if things turn ugly, but you'll also need to consider how easily you want to be able to run. Good, ultra light running gear is critical.
If you've set yourself up for re-supplies in any of the towns, you can perhaps carry a bit less, but overall, your pack has a base line amount of gear you'll need to carry for running and overnights. You can see what we took, and use it as a packing list, at our Via Valais gear story.
The Via Valais is primarily on good trails but there is exposure on steep hillsides. But, it's the Schöllijoch that requires climbing.
The Schöllijoch is crossed on stage 7 and is the most serious section of the Via Valais. We won't kid you, it is exposed and requires some scrambling between ladders, cables, and handles. It's a rocky, alpine cliff face you need to descend, and while it is maintained as an official Swiss alpine trail, those with a fear of exposure may have problems. Additionally, at the base of the rock face is a fixed rope to access the glacier. Depending on the season, the rope may or may not reach the glacier, forcing users to down climb a gulley.
Once on the glacier, it is more of a snowfield to descend than glacier, with no crevasses, and not steep enough for crampons, as of 2018.
Bonus peaks may involve more technical terrain and scrambling.
The decision to not cross the Schöllijoch requires some serious re-routing and likely the addition of a day to the tour.
If you decide to not cross prior to the Turtmann Hut, you'll probably want to switch to the Haute Route and spend the night in Gruben. From Gruben you'll cross the Augstbordpass and descend to St. Niklaus before heading up valley to Randa, where you'll rejoin the Via Valais. Study your maps if this is how you choose to go.
Phones work almost everywhere along the Via Valais, but don't rely on them in case you are in the rare hole, or if your battery is dead. Emergency services is 1414 or 1415.
Visitors to the Alps should consider getting Rega, a Swiss emergency rescue program with an app function that immediately initiates a rescue based on your position.
Maybe! Most huts have power strips these days for guests to use, but, they can be busy, or the hut keeper may need to switch them off if their batteries are low. Be independent and carry your own power pack.
This is a great question, and one that needs to be understood. In Switzerland, it is possible to send your luggage from train station to train station.
So, say a group of Americans arrive to Geneva, train to, as an example Martigny or Verbier, where they spend the night. The next morning they can put their bags on a train to Zermatt, and then take a bus to the Verbier start with only what will be carried on the Via Valais. When they arrive in Zermatt, the bags will be at the train station, and voila, party time!
All the information about he SBB luggage service:www.sbb.ch/en/luggage.
Luggage may only be presented with a valid ticket for the whole route or a SwissPass GA/Half-Fare travelcard and annual travelcard (GA travelcard, point-to-point travelcard, Half-Fare travelcard (1, 2 or 3 years), regional travelcard, travel discount for SBB employees, Track 7, inter-regional travelcard).
You can certainly always purchase water at the huts. But, this is very expensive (CHF15 for 1.5 liters) and puts another plastic water bottle in the mountains via helicopter. We carry a small water filter for both on-trail use and for in the huts where you can usually get non-potable water. We use either the Katadyn BeFree or MSR Trail Shot filters.
This is a big question, best to use our Alps Hut System page.
And remember, reservations are required at all huts and hotels. Most huts have online reservation booking, but be sure to put all the hut phone numbers in your phone. If you don't show up for your reservation the hut may initiate rescue services.
There are bail out points all throughout the tour, typically to the valleys that run north south through the Alps. Again, you must have a good map app on your phone, or carry paper maps. Once in a town or valley, find yourself a bus stop and use the SBB app for public transport timetables to get out. Remember, in the more remote valleys, buses run less frequently.
We offer a GPX track package that includes: The overall 9 stage Verbier to Zermatt route, individual stage tracks, and bonus peaks. The overall map is key for understanding the route, where you'll be, bailouts, and for getting tuned into the geography of the Valais. The individual stages will be your go to tracks when you are on route. And the bonus peaks are there for you if you have some extra juice each day.
The Via Valais is almost all on a well worn and marked trail. Conditions might change year to year, but as of 2018, the route follows major trails. Confusion may occur because there are so many trails in the Alps, so again, use our GPX tracks found on each stage page.
No, the route simply follows standard Swiss offical trails. You'll need our GPS track from the stage pages to follow the proper route.
The highpoint of the entire trail is 3342 meters (the Schöllijoch), which is pretty high in the Alps for weather considerations. At 3000+ meters, it gets cold and rain low might mean snow at that elevation.Unless you do the bonus peaks, you'll be around 3000 meters only a few times, while the bulk of the route is around 2400 meters.
The trails are mostly exquisite! Almost all the flat and downhill running is on good singletrack. The ups are a mix of rock and smooth trail. We're going to stand by our statement that this is almost all perfect mountain running terrain!
Yes, kind of, but not really. The Via Valais route includes some of the better trails for running, which means easier to move on, but maybe longer than more direct routes. However, those direct routes are probably rockier and less friendly if you are tired. So, it depends on what you are after for easier. If it's a shorter line, then maybe, but it'll probably be steeper. The most effective way to make the Via Valais easier is to simply make the stages shorter by staying at some of the other lodging options along the route. This obviously adds days to the itinerary but is the best solution. We can't detail all the options, there are too many - study your maps! You are on your own here.
Swiss trail signs show times to destinations, and for the average hiker, they are very accurate. So, if you find yourself walking, see how your times compare to the signs. Each day can more than likely be walked and still make the destination.
Most Swiss Alpine Club huts do not have showers, but your valley overnights will be in hotels. Also, the Mountain Lodge Seewijnu above Zermatt is a hotel.
Phones work almost everywhere in the Alps, but there are holes. Also, American phones sometimes do not work in Europe, check with your provider to be sure you'll have a functioning phone. And, download those maps for offline use prior to heading into the mountains!
Swisscom is the best provider in Switzerland for mountain connections.
Expect to pay about CHF100/person in huts. This is your overnight, dinner, breakfast, some drinks and maybe a late lunch. Carry cash, huts don't take credit cards.
If this seems like a lot, remember how light your pack was and that you get to run through the Swiss Alps for nine days.
Hotels are between about CHF75 and CHF125/person, for overnight and breakfast only.
We'll provide a Bonus Peak for every day of the Via Valais. These peaks are for the super motivated or abundantly fit. They are not required, instead they are detours that'll access summits with wider views of the landscape you are moving through. While most are walk ups, some require easy scrambling. Do your own research All but two peaks get you above 3000 meters and might require much earlier starts for the extra time they'll take.
If we had to recommend which to do, the Pigne de la Lé and Barrhorn are the must do's. The Pigne de la Lé is simply stunning and puts you amongst several 4000 meter peaks and glaciers above the Cabane de Moiry on night 4. Be warned, the route to the summit of the Pigne de la Lé requires easy climbing in somewhat exposed terrain to alpine grade PD. Know your climbing abilities and don't venture into alpine rock terrain without sufficient skills. If the Pigne de la Lé is for you, get an alpine start and be on top for sunrise, you'll never regret it and will still have plenty of time to get to the Turtmann Hut.
The Barrhorn is the highest official trail to a summit in the Alps. You'll reach 3610 meters via singletrack, and have a pleasant dash back down. Like the Pigne de la Lé, it looks out at some of the Alps' monsters.
