Summer in Les Collons

Walking

This is one of the easiest but most spectacular of activities in the summer. From Les Collons, walk through the woods to the goullis (mountain tarns), hike up and across the flower-filled alpage to the Cabane d'Essertze for lunch and a glass of Fendant, or take a stroll from Thyon to Les Chottes.

Valais is famous for les bisses, a network of walks that follow ancient irrigation channels, originally built for the farmers of  Valais, to get water from the melting snows to the rich agricultural land below.  Today, les bisses provide relatively easy mountain walking through a variety of picturesque landscapes along the valleys feeding into the Rhone. Walkable from May through to October, les bisses are between 800m and 2200m above sea level, and the valleys between Les Collons and Nendaz provide the largest network in Europe.

Get in the car and travel into the Val d'Herens for traditional Swiss landscapes and the rugged Arolla glacier; or into Val d'Anniviers to the Ferpecle glacier or the stunning Zinal glacier surrounded by 4000m peaks. Further afield is the UNESCO World Heritage spectale of the Aletsch glacier. (Pictures of the scenery for many of the walks can be found on the Chalet Datcha Facebook page).

Other

The local area provides other activities such as Disc Golf at Thyon, horse riding, mountain scooters, and there is a fitness trail through the woods. In addition, themed walks and other events are organised locally, details are available from the Tourist Office.

Sion is the historic capital of Valais with the castle and basilica prominent for many miles around sitting on their rocky pedestals. Dine on local produce or visit one of the many wine producers in the area.