From Champex Lac to Trient via Fenetre d'Arpette
Itinerary
Best period to go there
Prestations
Directions
From the Bus Stop in the centre of town, follow the signs along the main road (Route du Lac) in the direction of Bovine, Col de la Forclaz, and Arpette. At the far end of town, the road bends sharply left and then right. Just after the right-hand bend, is the turn-off to Val d’Arpette. For the normal TMB route, follow segment V.
Follow this track left in the direction of Val d’Arpette and Fenetre d’Arpette. After passing 2 chalets on your right, turn right to follow the trail toward the Fenetre d’Arpette. You will pass under the chair lift and continue straight ahead to follow a path beside a small stream called a Bisse. (A bisse is an irrigation canal that is mainly found in the Valais province of Switzerland.)
Follow the path through the forest, heading west and eventually turning to climb up beside a river heading in a more south-westerly direction. You will cross the river on a footbridge and then again back over on a wider bridge. After the second bridge, climb beside the river to come out to the trees onto a small road. Turn left along the road to arrive at the Relais d’Arpette (Food and drinks available).
From Relais d’Arpette, continue up the Val d’Arpette (Arpette Valley) on the road/track. At a sharp left-hand bend in the track, follow the hiking signs to take a path to the right. Remain on this path as it climbs towards the head of the Val d’Arpette. The path traverses and climbs the slope on the right-hand side of the valley. This path brings you to a bolder field. The route markings then lead you left through the bolder field. On the other side, you climb loose ground. Here, route finding can become difficult. It is important to watch for the markings on the rocks leading you to the right. Ignore the tracks climbing straight ahead onto the bolder covered ridge as these lead you onto very loose ground where you will most likely dislodge rocks onto others. Also, be aware of those above, as there is a high potential for rocks to come down at this point.
On the correct route, you will pass just to the left of a large bolder to reach some flat ground and gain a good view of the narrow pass, Fenetre d’Arpette above. Continue to climb over the boulders to reach the bottom of the final climb to the pass. This is steep ground, and there is a high possibility that others could dislodge rocks from above, so remain vigilant and proceed with caution.
There is not much space to sit in the Fenetre d’Arpette (which means the window of the Arpette) as it is a very narrow col with a steep drop on both sides. From here, the trail descends steeply on the other side. Steep enough that, at times, hands and feet may be needed. After the initial steep descent, the trail slowly becomes more manageable. However, there are a couple of shorter, tricky sections, including one where landslides have washed out the trail several times. On this long downhill, stop and take a moment from time to time to enjoy the view across to the Glacier du Trient, which feels incredibly close.
Follow the path as it descends down the valley to arrive at Buvette du Glacier du Trient, a small café (food and drinks available). From the Buvette du Glacier du Trient, the route becomes much easier as you follow a gentle trail with a small stream on your right. This stream is the Bisse du Trient. It was built in 1895 and on the path where you are walking was an old railway line that used to carry the ice extracted from the Trient glacier to the Col de la Forclaz. This ice was used in the region’s restaurants and exported to Paris.
Continue on this gentle path until you find a path forking to the left. Follow this path down hill in the direction of Trient as it zigzags into the valley. After a downhill traverse, you will cross the main road, and a short distance later, you will come to a path junction. For Trient Village, you continue straight ahead. If staying at La Peuty or continuing to Col de Balme, it is best to turn left here, which will take you to La Peuty (food and drinks available) at the south end of the Trent Valley, where the Tour du Mont Blanc begins the climb to Col de Balme). After a further descending traverse, you arrive at the main road again. Turn right and follow the road for about 70 m to arrive at the Trient village Bus Stop where this segment ends. The accommodations at Auberge du Mont Blanc or the Hotel La Grande Ourse are just a short walk from here. (Food and drinks available)
Getting there
Champex is accessible by bus via Orsières. Col de la Forclaz and Trient are accessible by bus from Martigny. Trient is accessible by train and bus from Orsières via Le Châtelard-Frontière.