Via Alpina Stage 80: Trient - Champex-Lac

MODERATE (2.8/10)

Champex-Lac → Trient

Distance
14.8 km
Ascent
+1,328 m
Descent
-1,501 m
Est. Time
6h 25m
Altitude
1,302–2,628 m
Type
point-to-point

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

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1,400m1,600m1,800m2,000m2,200m2,400m2,600m05 km10 km14.8 km2,628m1,302m
Flat (<5%) Gentle (5–10%) Moderate (10–15%) Steep (15–25%) Very steep (>25%)

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

    Champex-Lac

    Start

    Route geometry · source 2026-04-10

    About 0 min in

    14.8 km remaining

    +1328 m remaining

  2. Climb

    0 m

    1146 m climb

    7.3 km at 15.8% average

    OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-10

    About 0 min in

    14.8 km remaining

    +1328 m remaining

  3. Route note

    100 m

    Luy Blanche

    Peak

    OpenStreetMap · source 2026-04-10

    About 3 min in

    14.7 km remaining

    +1328 m remaining

  4. Route note

    400 m

    Bonhomme

    Peak

    OpenStreetMap · source 2026-04-10

    About 10 min in

    14.4 km remaining

    +1316 m remaining

  5. Descent

    7.3 km

    1084 m descent

    5.0 km at 21.7% average

    OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-10

    About 3h 09m in

    7.6 km remaining

    +89 m remaining

  6. Descent

    12.7 km

    257 m descent

    2.1 km at 12.4% average

    OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-10

    About 5h 32m in

    2.1 km remaining

    +37 m remaining

  7. Finish

    14.8 km

    Trient

    Finish

    Route geometry · source 2026-04-10

    About 6h 26m in

    0 m remaining

Trail route lab

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14.8 km Distance1,328 m Climb6h 25m Est. time2,628 m High pointMODERATE Difficulty
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Via Alpina Stage 80: Trient - Champex-Lac is a 14.8 km point-to-point moderate hiking route in Switzerland, running from Champex-Lac to Trient. The route covers 1,328m of ascent and 1,501m of descent, with elevations ranging from 1,301m to 2,628m. Allow approximately 6h 25m for the full route.

The route is divided into 9 segments. The toughest stretch is the 5.4 km from Champex-Lac to Aiguille de la Cabane, climbing 674m.

About 54% of the trail is runnable, but the remaining steep sections will push most people into power-hiking mode. The steepest pitches reach 60% gradient.

Budget roughly 3,895 kcal of energy expenditure and 3.9 L of water.

Mountain route up to 2628m. Best June–October; snow possible into June.

Trail Splits

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

SegmentDist↑ Ascent↓ DescentTimeCum. km
📍
Champex-Lac → Aiguille de la Cabane
5.4 km+674m-11m2h 12m5.4
⛰️
Aiguille de la Cabane → Six Carro
0.5 km+134m-4m19 min5.9
⛰️
Six Carro → Le Génépi
0.9 km+229m-20m34 min6.8
⛰️
Le Génépi → Someceon du Dru
0.6 km+151m-26m23 min7.4
⛰️
Someceon du Dru → Grand Bec
0.5 km+0m-204m16 min7.9
⛰️
Grand Bec → Pointe de Prosom
1.3 km+16m-376m35 min9.2
⛰️
Pointe de Prosom → Bonhomme
1.0 km+18m-297m29 min10.2
⛰️
Bonhomme → Tronc du Berger
0.6 km+5m-147m15 min10.8
⛰️
Tronc du Berger → Trient
4.0 km+100m-416m1h 18m14.8
Total14.8 km+1,328m-1,501m6h 25m14.8

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
3h 59m
Calories
3,305 kcal
Water Needed
3.3 L
Effort Distance
35.6 km
flat-equivalent
🍫 Recommended: ~45g carbs/hr (180g total) Electrolyte needs vary with conditions and sweat losses; no individual sodium target is estimated.

Terrain Analysis

Lower-gradient terrain
54%
Gradient estimate, not surface or technical difficulty
% of route below 15% gradient
Climb Ratio
90 m/km
Very steep profile
↑ 1,328m ↓ 1,501m
High Point
2,628.1 m
High alpine zone
Low point: 1,301.6m — Range: 1,326.5m

Surface & Technicality

Gradient breakdown
Low gradient (14%) Easy Grade (17%) Moderate Climb (21%) Steep (24%) Very steep gradient (24%)

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

Tree cover and UV

🌤️ Mostly open ground 69% open to the sky · 31% under canopy
Estimated canopy along the route
Under canopy (31%) Open terrain (40%) Above treeline (29%)
South-facing: 8% of route — mostly north-facing, less direct sun

🌤️ Mixed. Sections above the treeline are open to the sky; lower sections have some canopy. Carry sun protection for the open parts.

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 Via Alpina Stage 80: Trient - Champex-Lac is usually best from July to August. Snow is likely at the high point (2629 m) in November to June.

Weather this week

Loading the forecast for low point (1,302 m) and high point (2,629 m)…

Weather by month

Typical weather on this trail: at the lowest point (1,302 m) and the highest point (2,629 m). Select a month to see why it is rated as it is.

Monthly climate averages and daylight
Month
WeatherPoorPoorPoorPoorPoorPoorGoodGoodMixedMixedPoorPoor
High point, day / night-5°/-10°-5°/-11°-3°/-9°-1°/-6°4°/-2°8°/3°10°/4°11°/6°7°/2°4°/0°0°/-5°-3°/-8°
Low point, day / night2°/-5°3°/-5°6°/-2°9°/1°15°/5°18°/9°20°/10°20°/11°16°/7°12°/5°6°/0°3°/-3°
Rain, mm160129139125159116103109106133164173
Snow at high pointLikelyLikelyLikelyLikelyLikelyLikely–––PossibleLikelyLikely
Daylight9 h 0110 h 2011 h 4913 h 3014 h 5515 h 4415 h 2614 h 1312 h 3711 h 019 h 308 h 40

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.

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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: 2629 m, approximately 7.3 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 14.8 km, 1328m ascent, max altitude 2628.1m, ~6h duration.

Essential 8 items
  • 👟
    Trail running shoes / hiking boots
    Required for any trail
  • 📱
    Phone (charged) + offline map
    Navigation & emergency contact
  • 💧
    3L hydration vest
    Water source information is incomplete; plan supplies before departure
  • 🍫
    Trail mix, bars & sandwich
    Est. 3895 kcal burn
  • 🧴
    Sunscreen SPF 50+
    UV intensifies above 2000m
  • 🧢
    Sun hat / cap
    Exposed alpine terrain
  • 🧥
    Windbreaker / shell jacket
    Summit at 2628.1m — wind chill
  • 🆘
    Emergency space blanket
    Critical if injured at altitude
Recommended 6 items
  • 🕶️
    Sunglasses (cat 3+)
    Snow & rock glare at altitude
  • 🧤
    Warm mid-layer (fleece)
    Temps drop ~6°C per 1000m
  • 🔦
    Headlamp
    6h route — plan for delays
  • 🩹
    Mini first aid kit
    Blister plasters, tape, antiseptic
  • 🥢
    Trekking poles
    48% steep terrain, 1328m+ ascent
  • 🧊
    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 Champex-Lac to Trient (14.8 km by trail). You'll need to arrange transport back to your starting point.

Start — Getting There
Champex-Lac
No transit stops detected nearby.
Finish — Getting Back
Trient
No transit stops detected nearby. Check local timetables.

Nearby Points of Interest

⛰️ Peaks

  • Luy Blanche km 0.1 · 1.3 km off trail
  • Bonhomme km 0.4 · 1.5 km off trail
  • Six Carro km 5.9 · 919m off trail
  • Le Génépi km 6.8 · 1.3 km off trail
  • Aiguille d'Arpette km 5.5 · 1.5 km off trail

📍 Nearby Places

  • Belvédère 487m off trail
  • Le Niolet 1.0 km off trail
  • La Deuve Sous Champex 1.0 km off trail
  • L'Affe 1.3 km off trail
  • Grands Plans km 1 · 1.4 km off trail

Route Details

Network
International Trail Network
Sport
hiking
Start
Champex-Lac
End
Trient
Start Coordinates
46.02999, 7.11668
OpenStreetMap
View on OSM →

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