Tour des Combins hike, Switzerland/Italy

• Private dates: middle of June – middle of October

The Tour des Combins hike promises 7 hiking days in the Alps around the Combin massif (4314 m) on both sides of the border between Switzerland and Italy!

The proposed route leads through contrasting landscapes, over historical passes, next to glaciers near the highest mountains of Switzerland and Italy.
Discover breathtaking landscapes, many famous alpine peaks and five valleys between Switzerland and Italy.

Explore the local culture and food and learn about wildflowers, local traditions and history.

• 7 nights in mountain huts and mountain hotels
• 7 hiking days

Itinerary Tour des Combines hike:

1st day: Martigny – Mauvoisin (Switzerland)

Meeting in the afternoon at the train station in Martigny, Switzerland. From there we take the train and bus to the very end of the Val de Bagnes.
We enjoy a dinner at the historic Mauvoisin hotel. It’s located next to the imposing 250- metre-high concrete wall of the highest arch dam in Europe.

• Night and dinner at Hotel Mauvoisin

2nd day: Mauvoisin – Chanrion hut (Switzerland)

After a good breakfast we follow the road up to the Mauvoisin lake dam. We cross the dam to reach the right bank of the lake. Now we walk hrough a series of galleries, flanking several waterfalls. Then on a nice trail that leads up to «Ecuries du Giétro» mountain pastures, listed as “historical monuments”. We cross the scenic Tsofeirë plateau and reach the Tsofeirë pass before descending to Chanrion hut.

• Night and dinner at the new Chanrion hut

• 10.7km / +950m, – 350m

3rd day: Chanrion hut- Fenêtre de Duran – Champillon (Italy)

After an early start for a longer day, we descend gently to the Grand Charmotane bridge before walking up to towards the boarder with Italy.
After a first rather steep climb, the slope gradually becomes gentler and a comfortable path leads us through areas half covered with grass and half covered with stones to the Col de Fenêtre (Fenêtre de Durand). Here we turn our back on the Haut Val de Bagnes and the Valais. In front of us are the green pastures of the Ollomont Alps.Now the path leads down to several christal blue mountain lakes and alpine pasters with cows and dunkies. We continue gratually along an old water trail before heading up to our hut for the night.

• Night and dinner at Champillon hut, (it is possible to book a massage in advance, we can organize it. There is also a beautiful outdoor Sauna and shower available)

• 22,7km / +1135 m, -1170 m

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4th day: Champillon – St.Remy (Italy)

From the Rifugio Letey in Champillon, the path climbs up a fairly steep slope to the Col de Champillon where we can enjoy amazing views over the Mont Blanc range and the Italian Gran Paradiso national park.
Afterwards it goes down towards the Menouve valley and trough some lush larch forests down to the tiny village of Saint-Rhémy and to our hotel.

• Night and dinner at Hotel Suisse in St.Remy
• 15 km / +460m / -1250m

5th day: St.Remy – Col du Grand San Bernard (Switzerland)

Today we can take our time at breakfast, it is a relatively short day on the program. We leave Saint Remy with its historical buildings and follow a short stretch along the carousel road of the Col du Grand-Saint-Bernard to reach the Roman road on the right. This road once connected Aosta with Martigny. The huge natural amphitheatre at the foot of the pass is framed to the north by the Pointe de Drône. Now we are almost at the Col du Grand-Saint-Bernard. A mountain known for over 2000 years passage celebrated by its hospice founded in 1050 and of course by its dogs. The church, the hospice and the museum are worth a visit. There is plenty of time to explore this special place.

• Night and dinner at the Grand Saint Bernard Hospitz

 • 8km/+870m/-200m

6th day: Bourg St.Pierre – Cabane de Mille

After breakfast, we take the bus down to the village of Bourg-St-Pierre. Bourg-Saint-Pierre is the most important village on the Tour des Combins. Its Saint- Charles bridge (Charlemagne), its ancient church tower, its Roman milestone and its very well preserved old houses are worth a visit before continuing on to the heights.
The path, which leads across pastures past the Loretto Chapel, Le Creux du Mâ, Boveire d’en Bas, Le Coeur and Erra, is not very demanding and gives us the opportunity to see the Val d’Entremont in its entire length.
At the end of this stage, at the Col de Mille, the beautiful Mille hut awaits us, which was opened in 2015. The unique panorama is guaranteed to delight us.

• Night and dinner at the Cabane de Mille 

• 12km/+1100m/-250m

7th day: Cabane de Mille – Cabane Brunet – Cabane Panossière (Switzerland)

After the Col de Mille, we reach the territory of the municipality of Bagnes, which, with 282 square kilometres, is one of the largest municipalities in Switzerland. Directly in front of us in the north is the holiday resort of Verbier. The trail leradas through blueberry bushes and Swiss stone pine forests to the Brunet hut where we treat ourselves to a delicious lunch. From here, the path leads in a south-easterly direction, sometimes uphill and sometimes downhill, to the suspension bridge of Sery, which lies over a narrow gorge. A steep zigzag ascent leads to the second and longer suspension bridge, which is almost 200 metres long and spans the river and the Corbassière glacier. An easy path leads to the FXB Panossière hut next to the glacier after a little less than an hour.

• Night and dinner at the Panossière hut
• 15 km / +1120m, – 960m

8th day: Descent to Mauvoisin (Switzerland)

We walk along the moraine on the right side of the Corbassière glacier and start the steep ascent to Col des Otanes, the highest point of the tour at 2870 meters. Surrounded by rock and ice, we find a fascinating panorama with the Grand Combin towers above one of the most beautiful glaciers of the Alps.Afterwards, the trail continues seep down to Mauvoisin where we should arrive just in town for lunch at the terrasse of Hotel Mauvoisin.
The bus and train bring us back to Martigny in the afternoon.

• 6.4km+270m/-1060m

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Map for Tour des Combins hike:

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Costs per person:

• 2 hikers: 3045.00 CHF
• 4 hikers: 1952.00 CHF
• 6 hikers : 1608.00CHF

Included in the price:

• Organisation, UIMLA-hiking guide, all huts/hotels with half board in double rooms if possible or dorms, 6 picnics, train/bus Martigny – Mauvoisin – Martigny, bus Great Saint Bernard – Bourg St.Pierre, luggage transfer to Col Grand Saint Bernard and back to Martigny.

Not included in the price:

• Personal insurance, drinks, personal equipment, travel to and from Martigny, lunch day 8

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Check out our Tour des Combins hike video:

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Personal requirements for Tour des Combins hike:

• To participate in the Tour des Combins, you should be physically fit. You should be able to cover 12-15 kilometres and 1200 metres of altitude difference in one day and to continue hiking on 7 consecutive days. You will carry a backpack with your luggage for the first 4 days and than again for the last 3 days. You would get your bigger luggage at Col de Saint Bernard and than again in Martigny on the last day.

Luggage / Overnight stays:

There is a possibility to ship your luggage to Grand Saint Bernard pass. That means you would get it after 4 days of hiking (you would hike 4 days with your pack and than 3 days). We stay in small hotels with double rooms and in mountain huts with small dorms (usually 4 guests per room sometimes 2). We can shower each night.

Meeting point Martigny, Switzerland

Martigny can be easily reached with a direct train from Geneva airport. It takes less than 2 hours.
If you want to spend some time before or after in Chamonix, France you can reach Martigny by train aswell in a bit more than one hour.

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Packing list:

We want to make sure that you are well equipped for our trekking tour. Only with the right equipment can you enjoy a mountain experiencel. Take only the necessary things on your trekk. We can hand wash cloth each evening after the arrival in the hotels and huts.

•  2 pair of underwear
•  2-3 pairs of trekking socks
• 2-3 microfibre or merino wool T-shirts
• Comfortable trousers made of quick-drying material
• Short trousers
• Pullover made of fleece material or wool
• Gore-Tex jacket (waterproof)
• Gore-Tex overpants (waterproof)
• Thin down jacket
• Comfortable, well broken in hiking boots
• Thin gloves (in rainy weather it can get cold quickly when walking with sticks)
• Cap, sun hat / sunglasses
• Camelback or drinking bottle 1,5l (we can fill up on the way at rivers and wells)
• Backpack 30-35L
• Hut sleeping bag (thin, made of silk)
• Walking poles, if possible telescope
• Headlamp
• Pocket knife
•  Plastic bags or ziplock bags to store everything waterproof in your backpack
•  ID card or passport
• Cash in € and CHF / credit card for drinks and personal expenses
• Phone
• Personal insurance (please remember to take purchase your insurances before the tour: insurance, accident, cancellation, travel)
•  Small soap
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Sunscreen, lip balm
• Handkerchiefs
• Small synthetic bath towels or washcloths (these dry very quickly and are light)
• Blister plasters
• Earplugs (for the dormitory in the mountain hut)
• Personal medications

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