Sentier du Berger des Vaches

EASY (1.3/10)

Le Montrinsans → Vaux-et-Chantegrue

Distance
6.8 km
Ascent
+213 m
Descent
-179 m
Est. Time
2h 39m
Altitude
863–959 m
Type
point-to-point

Use this route

The walk, as far as the open data goes

Getting there

  • Start: Vaux-et-Chantegrue bus stop, 421 m away

Height and time

  • High point 970 m
  • Low point 863 m
  • Climb 213 m from a 30 m terrain model, smoothed
  • Swiss signpost time 2 h 47 the official method, on our line

Computed on 2026-09-20 from OpenStreetMap, the terrain model and the federal route layer — not read from the operator's own page, and not checked on the ground. Hikes we have reviewed say who published each fact and when.

Explore the route

Read the topography, inspect the climb, or preview the route over real terrain.

Loading topographic map…
875m900m925m950m01 km2 km3 km4 km5 km6 km6.8 km959m863m
Flat (<5%) Gentle (5–10%) Moderate (10–15%)

Route briefing

What comes next

Climbs, descents and decisive places in route order. Not listed does not mean absent: it may not be mapped.

14 route events
  1. Start

    0 m

    Le Montrinsans

    Start

    Route geometry · source 2026-04-11

    About 0 min in

    6.8 km remaining

    +213 m remaining

  2. Route note

    0 m

    Saint-Point-Lac

    Village

    OpenStreetMap · source 2026-04-11

    About 0 min in

    6.8 km remaining

    +213 m remaining

  3. Route note

    0 m

    Malbuisson

    Village

    OpenStreetMap · source 2026-04-11

    About 0 min in

    6.8 km remaining

    +213 m remaining

  4. Climb

    940 m

    60 m climb

    1.0 km at 6.3% average

    OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-11

    About 22 min in

    5.9 km remaining

    +209 m remaining

  5. Climb

    2.9 km

    81 m climb

    1.8 km at 4.5% average

    OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-11

    About 1h 08m in

    3.9 km remaining

    +133 m remaining

  6. Descent

    4.7 km

    84 m descent

    1.3 km at 6.2% average

    OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-11

    About 1h 50m in

    2.1 km remaining

    +22 m remaining

  7. Finish

    6.8 km

    Vaux-et-Chantegrue

    Finish

    Route geometry · source 2026-04-11

    About 2h 39m in

    0 m remaining

Trail route lab

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Open a planning copy, adjust the line, then share the version you would actually run or hike.

6.8 km Distance213 m Climb2h 39m Est. time959 m High pointEASY Difficulty
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Sentier du Berger des Vaches is a 6.8 km point-to-point easy hiking route in Switzerland, running from Le Montrinsans to Vaux-et-Chantegrue. The route covers 213m of ascent and 179m of descent, with elevations ranging from 862m to 959m. Allow approximately 2h 39m for the full route.

With 96% of the route below 15% gradient, strong trail runners can maintain a good rhythm for much of the distance. The steepest pitches reach 29% gradient.

Budget roughly 1,181 kcal of energy expenditure and 1.6 L of water.

Low-altitude route (max 959m). Hikeable most of the year.

Segment Breakdown

Auto-analyzed from the elevation profile. Each segment shows the dominant character for planning your effort.

SegmentDist↑ / ↓TimeCharacter
Le Montrinsans → km 2.3 (912m)
863–925m
2.3 km+64m / -24m52 min🥾 Rolling Terrain
km 2.3 (912m) → km 4.5 (944m)
872–944m
2.3 km+73m / -41m54 min🥾 Rolling Terrain
km 4.5 (944m) → Vaux-et-Chantegrue
871–959m
2.3 km+33m / -106m52 min📉 Descending
Total6.8 km+213m / -179m2h 39m

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
1h 08m
Calories
911 kcal
Water Needed
1.2 L
Effort Distance
9.9 km
flat-equivalent
🍫 Recommended: ~45g carbs/hr (51g total) Electrolyte needs vary with conditions and sweat losses; no individual sodium target is estimated.

Terrain Analysis

Lower-gradient terrain
96%
Gradient estimate, not surface or technical difficulty
% of route below 15% gradient
Climb Ratio
31 m/km
Moderate profile
↑ 213m ↓ 179m
High Point
959 m
Mountain zone
Low point: 862.6m — Range: 96.4m

Surface & Technicality

Gradient breakdown
Low gradient (71%) Easy Grade (16%) Moderate Climb (7%) Steep (4%) Very steep gradient (2%)

Gradient describes steepness, not exposure, scrambling, footing or current conditions. Technical difficulty is unknown where no mapped rating is available.

Tree cover and UV

🌲 Largely tree-covered 20% open to the sky · 80% under canopy
Estimated canopy along the route
Under canopy (80%) Open terrain (20%)
South-facing: 11% of route — mostly north-facing, less direct sun

🌲 Largely under trees. Good canopy at lower elevations, so the open sections are the ones to plan for.

Canopy is inferred from elevation against a 2000 m Alpine treeline and from gradient below it, not from observed tree data — treat it as an estimate. It is a different question from the terrain shade above, which is about whether a mountain is between you and the sun at a given time.

Current Conditions

Loading live weather...

Based on 1991–2020 climate averages, the weather on Sentier du Berger des Vaches is usually best from April to October.

Weather this week

Loading the forecast for on the trail (917 m)…

Weather by month

Typical weather on this trail, around 863–970 m. Select a month to see why it is rated as it is.

Monthly climate averages and daylight
Month
WeatherPoorMixedMixedGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodMixedPoor
Day / night2°/-3°3°/-3°8°/-1°12°/2°16°/6°19°/9°21°/11°21°/11°17°/8°12°/5°6°/1°3°/-2°
Rain, mm11299969110911110898116121124138
Snow at high pointPossiblePossiblePossible–––––––PossiblePossible
Daylight8 h 5510 h 1711 h 4913 h 3215 h15 h 5015 h 3214 h 1612 h 3810 h 599 h 268 h 34

Source: TerraClimate 1991–2020 monthly averages. Averages for the area at each point’s elevation (4 km grid, corrected for height). Not a forecast or a report of current trail conditions. These values describe the whole trail's lowest and highest points. Snow at the high point is estimated with a simple snowpack model from these temperatures and precipitation, not observed; steep islands and high summits can hold more snow than it shows. Daylight is for the 15th of each month. Hut, transport and park seasons are separate: check them for your dates.

Averages cannot establish current trail conditions. Check recent local reports, the forecast and restrictions before departure. Snow and ice can persist on shaded sections or arrive outside the usual season.

Current snow conditions

Current route snow

Insufficient evidence

Enable “Current snow map” in the route map’s Map layers to see the surrounding snow evidence. Current conditions do not describe a future departure date.

Planning ahead?

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Safety & Bailouts

Exit routes not verified

We do not have a verified emergency exit plan for this route. A nearby settlement, hut or route endpoint is not necessarily reachable or open. Do not leave the trail based on a straight-line distance or compass direction.

Mapped high point: 970 m, approximately 8.4 km along the route. This is not an assessment of the most remote or exposed point.

Review possible exits against current local information before your trip. In an emergency, contact local rescue services; this page is not live rescue guidance.

Suggested Gear List

Auto-generated based on 6.8 km, 213m ascent, max altitude 959m, ~3h duration.

Essential 4 items
  • 👟
    Trail running shoes / hiking boots
    Required for any trail
  • 📱
    Phone (charged) + offline map
    Navigation & emergency contact
  • 💧
    2L hydration pack
    Water source information is incomplete; plan supplies before departure
  • 🍫
    Energy bars & gels
    Est. 1181 kcal burn
Recommended 2 items
  • 🧴
    Sunscreen
    Basic sun protection
  • 🧊
    Microspikes / light crampons
    Snow risk in Jan, Feb, Mar
Nice to have 1 items
  • 🦵
    Gaiters
    Keep snow out of boots

Logistics

This route runs from Le Montrinsans to Vaux-et-Chantegrue (6.8 km by trail). You'll need to arrange transport back to your starting point.

Start — Getting There
Le Montrinsans
No transit stops detected nearby.
Finish — Getting Back
Vaux-et-Chantegrue
No transit stops detected nearby. Check local timetables.

Nearby Points of Interest

📍 Nearby Places

  • Derrière le Mont km 2.8 · 1.4 km off trail
  • Champs Nouveaux 1.6 km off trail
  • Les Communaux de Chantegrue km 7.1 · 2.9 km off trail

Route Details

Network
Sport
hiking
Start
Le Montrinsans
End
Vaux-et-Chantegrue
Start Coordinates
46.80304, 6.26062
OpenStreetMap
View on OSM →

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Route resources

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