Sentier des Bergers

MODERATE (1.9/10)

Ferret → Le Barfay

Distance
10.2 km
Ascent
+741 m
Descent
-681 m
Est. Time
4h 12m
Altitude
1,727.3–2,211.7 m
Type
point-to-point

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Sentier des Bergers is a 10.2 km point-to-point moderate hiking route in Switzerland, running from Ferret to Le Barfay. The route covers 741m of ascent and 681m of descent, with elevations ranging from 1,727m to 2,211m. Allow approximately 4h 12m for the full route.

The route is divided into 7 segments. The toughest stretch is the 1.7 km from Clocher de la Chaux to Six Manouvray, climbing 224m (allow 43 min for this section).

About 76% of the trail is runnable, but the remaining steep sections will push most people into power-hiking mode. Some pitches hit 58% gradient, so trekking poles are strongly recommended.

Budget roughly 2,201 kcal of energy expenditure and 2.5 L of water.

Mountain route up to 2212m. Best June–October; snow possible into June.

Elevation Profile

1,800m1,900m2,000m2,100m2,200m0 km2 km4 km6 km8 km10 km10 km2,201m1,731m
Steep (15–25%) Moderate (10–15%) Easy (5–10%) Flat (<5%) Very Steep (>25%)

Route Map

Trail Splits

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

SegmentDist↑ Ascent↓ DescentTimeCum. km
📍
Ferret Clocher des Ars
2.3 km+126m-32m41 min2.3
⛰️
Clocher des Ars Clocher de la Chaux
1.4 km+163m-11m33 min3.7
⛰️
Clocher de la Chaux Six Manouvray
1.7 km+224m-10m43 min5.4
⛰️
Six Manouvray La Dotse
0.9 km+24m-167m22 min6.3
⛰️
La Dotse La Peule
0.6 km+24m-1m10 min7.0
🏠
La Peule Crêtet de la Gouille
2.5 km+85m-281m52 min9.5
⛰️
Crêtet de la Gouille Le Barfay
2.5 km+94m-178m48 min12.0
Total10.2 km+741m-681m4h 12m10.2

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 23m
Calories
1,823 kcal
Water Needed
2.1 L
Effort Distance
21 km
flat-equivalent
🍫 Recommended: ~45g carbs/hr (108g total) 🧂 Electrolytes: ~1198mg sodium/hr

Terrain Analysis

Runnability
76%
Runnable
% of route below 15% gradient
Climb Ratio
72 m/km
Very steep profile
↑ 741m ↓ 681m
High Point
2,211.7 m
Alpine zone
Low point: 1,727.3m — Range: 484.4m

Surface & Technicality

Terrain Difficulty Breakdown
Runnable Flat (30%) Easy Grade (19%) Moderate Climb (16%) Steep (22%) Very Steep / Technical (13%)

🧗 Challenging terrain with significant elevation changes. Expect to walk the climbs.

Sun Exposure

🌤️ Moderate Exposure 74% exposed · 26% shaded
Route shade profile
Forest/shaded (26%) Open terrain (44%) Above treeline (30%)
South-facing: 35% of route

☀️ High sun exposure. 30% 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 June

✅ In season — good conditions expected
Snow Risk
0%
Unlikely
65% north-facing slopes
Mud Risk
30%
Moderate
Ice Risk
0%
Unlikely

Snow unlikely at this elevation in June. Trail conditions expected to be clear.

🥾 Muddy sections likely. Waterproof boots recommended.

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

Snow Conditions

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Suggested Gear List

Auto-generated based on 10.2 km, 741m ascent, max altitude 2211.7m, ~4h duration.

Essential 7 items
  • 👟
    Trail running shoes / hiking boots
    Required for any trail
  • 📱
    Phone (charged) + offline map
    Navigation & emergency contact
  • 💧
    3L hydration vest
    No water sources on route
  • 🍫
    Trail mix, bars & sandwich
    Est. 2201 kcal burn
  • 🧴
    Sunscreen SPF 50+
    UV intensifies above 2000m
  • 🧢
    Sun hat / cap
    Exposed alpine terrain
  • 🧥
    Windbreaker / shell jacket
    Summit at 2211.7m — wind chill
Recommended 5 items
  • 🕶️
    Sunglasses (cat 3+)
    Snow & rock glare at altitude
  • 🧤
    Warm mid-layer (fleece)
    Temps drop ~6°C per 1000m
  • 🩹
    Mini first aid kit
    Blister plasters, tape, antiseptic
  • 🥢
    Trekking poles
    35% steep terrain, 741m+ ascent
  • 🧊
    Microspikes / light crampons
    Snow risk in November, December, January
Nice to have 2 items
  • 🦵
    Gaiters
    Keep snow out of boots
  • 💰
    Cash (CHF/EUR)
    Mountain huts often cash-only

Logistics

This route runs from Ferret to Le Barfay (10.2 km by trail). You'll need to arrange transport back to your starting point.

Start — Getting There
Ferret
No transit stops detected nearby.
Finish — Getting Back
Le Barfay
No transit stops detected nearby. Check local timetables.

Nearby Points of Interest

⛰️ Peaks

  • Clocher de la Chaux km 3.7 · 1.2 km off trail

🏠 Mountain Huts

  • La Peule km 7 · 636m off trail

📍 Nearby Places

  • Létemeyre km 10 · 543m off trail
  • La Léchère Dessous km 11.2 · 779m off trail
  • Pramplo km 9.3 · 1.0 km off trail
  • Planproz km 9.3 · 1.0 km off trail
  • La Léchère Dessus km 10.1 · 1.0 km off trail

Route Details

Network
Local Trail Network
Sport
hiking
Start
Ferret
End
Le Barfay
Start Coordinates
45.91646, 7.10752
OpenStreetMap
View on OSM →

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