23-Alpine Passes Trail

MODERATE (1.6/10)

Prarion โ†’ Grimentz

Distance
11.7 km
Ascent
+435 m
Descent
-1,175 m
Est. Time
4h 02m
Altitude
1,398.8โ€“2,422.5 m
Type
point-to-point

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11.7 km Distance435 m Climb4h 02m Est. time2,423 m High pointMODERATE Difficulty
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23-Alpine Passes Trail is a 11.7 km point-to-point moderate hiking route in Switzerland, running from Prarion to Grimentz. The route covers 435m of ascent and 1,175m of descent, with elevations ranging from 1,398m to 2,422m. Allow approximately 4h 02m for the full route.

The route is divided into 2 segments. The toughest stretch is the 9.9 km from Bec de Nava to Grimentz, climbing 312m (allow 3h 26m for this section). In contrast, the 1.8 km from Prarion to Bec de Nava is much gentler.

About 68% of the trail is runnable, but the remaining steep sections will push most people into power-hiking mode. Some pitches hit 60% gradient, so trekking poles are strongly recommended.

Budget roughly 1,941 kcal of energy expenditure and 2.4 L of water.

Mountain route up to 2422m. Best Juneโ€“October; snow possible into June.

Elevation Profile

1,400m1,600m1,800m2,000m2,200m2,400m02 km4 km6 km8 km10 km11.7 km2,421m1,399m
Flat (<5%) Gentle (5โ€“10%) Moderate (10โ€“15%) Steep (15โ€“25%) Very steep (>25%)

Route Map

Trail Splits

Waypoint-to-waypoint breakdown with estimated hiking times (Naismith's Rule).

SegmentDistโ†‘ Ascentโ†“ DescentTimeCum. km
๐Ÿ“
Prarion โ†’ Bec de Nava
1.8 km+122m-42m35 min1.8
โ›ฐ๏ธ
Bec de Nava โ†’ Grimentz
9.9 km+312m-1133m3h 26m11.7
Total11.7 km+435m-1,175m4h 02m11.7

Pace & Fuel Calculator

Adjust your flat 10K pace to see personalized finish time, calorie burn, and hydration needs.

7:00 /km
4:00 /km (elite) 12:00 /km (leisure)
Fast Hiker / Jogger
Est. Finish Time
2h 21m
Calories
1,619 kcal
Water Needed
2 L
Effort Distance
21.9 km
flat-equivalent
๐Ÿซ Recommended: ~45g carbs/hr (106g total) ๐Ÿง‚ Electrolytes: ~1181mg sodium/hr

Terrain Analysis

Runnability
68%
Runnable
% of route below 15% gradient
Climb Ratio
37 m/km
Moderate profile
โ†‘ 435m โ†“ 1,175m
High Point
2,422.5 m
Alpine zone
Low point: 1,398.8m โ€” Range: 1,023.7m

Surface & Technicality

Terrain Difficulty Breakdown
Runnable Flat (33%) Easy Grade (26%) Moderate Climb (7%) Steep (12%) Very Steep / Technical (22%)

๐Ÿฅพ Mixed terrain: expect sustained climbs between runnable sections.

Sun Exposure

โ˜€๏ธ High Exposure 78% exposed ยท 22% shaded
Route shade profile
Forest/shaded (22%) Open terrain (31%) Above treeline (47%)
South-facing: 53% of route

โ˜€๏ธ High sun exposure. 47% of the route is above the treeline (2000m) with minimal shade. In summer, start before 7am to avoid peak UV. Carry sunscreen, a hat, and extra water.

Current Conditions

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Conditions for July

โœ… In season โ€” good conditions expected
Snow Risk
0%
Unlikely
Mud Risk
10%
Low
Ice Risk
0%
Unlikely

โœ… Snow unlikely at this elevation in July. Trail conditions expected to be clear.

Best months: June, July, August, September, October

Snow Conditions

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Suggested Gear List

Auto-generated based on 11.7 km, 435m ascent, max altitude 2422.5m, ~4h duration.

Essential 7 items
  • ๐Ÿ‘Ÿ
    Trail running shoes / hiking boots
    Required for any trail
  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ
    Phone (charged) + offline map
    Navigation & emergency contact
  • ๐Ÿ’ง
    2L hydration pack
    No water sources on route
  • ๐Ÿซ
    Trail mix, bars & sandwich
    Est. 1941 kcal burn
  • ๐Ÿงด
    Sunscreen SPF 50+
    UV intensifies above 2000m
  • ๐Ÿงข
    Sun hat / cap
    Exposed alpine terrain
  • ๐Ÿงฅ
    Windbreaker / shell jacket
    Summit at 2422.5m โ€” wind chill
Recommended 5 items
  • ๐Ÿ•ถ๏ธ
    Sunglasses (cat 3+)
    Snow & rock glare at altitude
  • ๐Ÿงค
    Warm mid-layer (fleece)
    Temps drop ~6ยฐC per 1000m
  • ๐Ÿฉน
    Mini first aid kit
    Blister plasters, tape, antiseptic
  • ๐Ÿฅข
    Trekking poles
    34% steep terrain, 435m+ ascent
  • ๐ŸงŠ
    Microspikes / light crampons
    Snow risk in November, December, January
Nice to have 1 items
  • ๐Ÿฆต
    Gaiters
    Keep snow out of boots

Logistics

This route runs from Prarion to Grimentz (11.7 km by trail). You'll need to arrange transport back to your starting point.

Start โ€” Getting There
Prarion
No transit stops detected nearby.
Finish โ€” Getting Back
Grimentz
No transit stops detected nearby. Check local timetables.

Nearby Points of Interest

โ›ฐ๏ธ Peaks

  • Bec de Nava km 1.8 ยท 1.4 km off trail
  • Hirsihorn km 3.2 ยท 2.9 km off trail

๐Ÿ“ Nearby Places

  • Les Girettes 1.3 km off trail
  • Margueroula 1.3 km off trail
  • Les Pralics km 0.9 ยท 1.6 km off trail
  • L'Arella km 4.4 ยท 2.4 km off trail
  • Les Morasses km 8.8 ยท 2.5 km off trail

Route Details

Network
National Trail Network
Sport
hiking
Start
Prarion
End
Grimentz
Start Coordinates
46.20822, 7.61789
OpenStreetMap
View on OSM โ†’

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