An epic optional route to Champex that leads you high into the mountains to a hut near a glacier.
If an easy valley walk to Champex is not for you, you could hike up to the Orny hut instead. This is a 4850 ft climb into rugged, rocky landscapes, with a 2070 ft descent to the la Breya chairlift. It’s a tough climb, but you’ll have beautiful views of the mountains, and a nice close-up look at the Orny glacier. It’s a different world up there, and the Orny hut, at 2830 m is a high mountaineers hut that makes a worthwhile destination. Taking the chairlift down (CHF 14) from la Breya to Champex cuts out 2400 ft of steep descent to town, but keep an eye on the time… it stops running at 5 pm. For really strong hikers, the Trient hut is another 300 m higher past Orny.
Still not enough for you (ha!). The Cabane du Trient is yet another hut 300 meters higher up the mountain at 3170 meters. That’s an hour up by signposted times (adjust expectations according to your own pace).
Itinerary
Best period to go there
Prestations
Author\s note
This is for strong hikers in good weather.
Directions
- Start from the trail fork on the moraine wall ridge just before reaching Praz de Fort from Champex (about 1½ hours from Champex). To hike to Orny, you’ll turn left instead of right and hike into the Saleina valley.
- After a few minutes, turn right at the next junction to cross the stream, then left again to start your ascent, modest at first, but increasingly steep as the trail starts zig-zagging up the back of the valley. As you gain altitude, the Grand Combin offers impressive views across the valley to the east.
- The trail will take you up to 2691m where the trail from la Breya converges. A left here, and another 20-30 minutes climbing, brings you to the Cabane d’Orny, a mountain hut where you can buy lunch or drinks, about 4 hrs up from Saleina. Great job. This is getting off the beaten TMB path.
- When it’s time to descend, return to the fork at 2691m, and keep left to descend on the rocky trail into Combe d’Orny, a wild and desolate valley.
- Keep left at the next trail fork and then right shortly afterwards to traverse across to the chair lift at la Breya, a minor peak above Champex. Plan 1½-2 hrs for this stretch.
- The chair lift runs during the summer until 17:00 pm each day, and will save a long descent… a welcome sight at the end of a hard day! If you’re not taking the chair lift, the trail to Champex is clearly marked, but is long and steep… over 700 meters downhill. Try not to miss the lift!