Via Alpina Stage 81: Champex-Lac - Bourg St. Pierre

MODERATE (2.5/10)

Bourg-Saint-Pierre → Champex-Lac

Distance
16.2 km
Ascent
+813 m
Descent
-971 m
Est. Time
5h 26m
Altitude
898.3–1,632.8 m
Type
point-to-point
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Via Alpina Stage 81: Champex-Lac - Bourg St. Pierre is a 16.2 km point-to-point moderate hiking route in Switzerland, running from Bourg-Saint-Pierre to Champex-Lac. The route covers 813m of ascent and 971m of descent, with elevations ranging from 898m to 1,632m. Allow approximately 5h 26m for the full route.

The route is divided into 2 segments. The toughest stretch is the 9.4 km from Roc de Cornet to Champex-Lac, climbing 733m.

About 77% of the trail is runnable, but the remaining steep sections will push most people into power-hiking mode. The steepest pitches reach 43% gradient.

Budget roughly 2,907 kcal of energy expenditure and 3.3 L of water.

Mid-altitude route up to 1633m. Accessible May–October.

Elevation Profile

900m1,000m1,100m1,200m1,300m1,400m1,500m1,600m1,700m0 km2 km4 km6 km8 km10 km12 km14 km16 km1,633m899m
Easy (5–10%) Flat (<5%) Moderate (10–15%) Very Steep (>25%) Steep (15–25%)

Route Map

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Trail Splits

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

SegmentDist↑ Ascent↓ DescentTimeCum. km
📍
Bourg-Saint-Pierre → Roc de Cornet
7.0 km+80m-454m1h 54m7.0
⛰️
Roc de Cornet → Champex-Lac
9.4 km+733m-516m3h 32m16.4
Total16.2 km+813m-971m5h 26m16.2

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
3h 17m
Calories
2,449 kcal
Water Needed
2.8 L
Effort Distance
29.2 km
flat-equivalent
🍫 Recommended: ~45g carbs/hr (148g total) 🧂 Electrolytes: ~1650mg sodium/hr

Terrain Analysis

Runnability
77%
Runnable
% of route below 15% gradient
Climb Ratio
50 m/km
Steep profile
↑ 813m ↓ 971m
High Point
1,632.8 m
Sub-alpine zone
Low point: 898.3m — Range: 734.5m

Surface & Technicality

Terrain Difficulty Breakdown
Runnable Flat (37%) Easy Grade (28%) Moderate Climb (14%) Steep (12%) Very Steep / Technical (9%)

🥾 Mixed terrain: expect sustained climbs between runnable sections.

Sun Exposure

⛅ Partial Shade 34% exposed · 66% shaded
Route shade profile
Forest/shaded (66%) Open terrain (34%)
South-facing: 8% of route — mostly north-facing, less direct sun

🌲 Mostly shaded route. Good tree cover at lower elevations. Less sun exposure risk, but still carry sun protection for any exposed ridge sections.

Current Conditions

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Conditions for June

✅ In season — good conditions expected
Snow Risk
0%
Unlikely
72% north-facing slopes
Mud Risk
15%
Low
Ice Risk
0%
Unlikely

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

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

Snow Conditions

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Suggested Gear List

Auto-generated based on 16.2 km, 813m ascent, max altitude 1632.8m, ~5h duration.

Essential 6 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. 2907 kcal burn
  • 🧴
    Sunscreen SPF 50+
    UV intensifies above 1500m
  • 🧢
    Sun hat / cap
    Exposed alpine terrain
Recommended 4 items
  • 🕶️
    Sunglasses (cat 3+)
    Snow & rock glare at altitude
  • 🧥
    Light rain jacket
    Weather changes fast in the mountains
  • 🩹
    Mini first aid kit
    Blister plasters, tape, antiseptic
  • 🧊
    Microspikes / light crampons
    Snow risk in November, December, January
Nice to have 2 items
  • 🥢
    Trekking poles (optional)
    813m ascent — helps on descents
  • 🦵
    Gaiters
    Keep snow out of boots

Logistics

This route runs from Bourg-Saint-Pierre to Champex-Lac (16.2 km by trail). You'll need to arrange transport back to your starting point.

Start — Getting There
Bourg-Saint-Pierre
No transit stops detected nearby.
Finish — Getting Back
Champex-Lac
No transit stops detected nearby. Check local timetables.
🗺️ Transit directions (Google)

Nearby Points of Interest

⛰️ Peaks

  • Crêt de Pro km 0.5 · 604m off trail
  • Roc de Cornet km 7 · 877m off trail

📍 Nearby Places

  • La Tsinte 154m off trail
  • Le Château 186m off trail
  • La Condémine km 0.2 · 298m off trail
  • Le Plan du Pey 440m off trail
  • La Tade 617m off trail

Route Details

Network
International Trail Network
Sport
hiking
Start
Bourg-Saint-Pierre
End
Champex-Lac
Start Coordinates
45.94912, 7.20837
OpenStreetMap
View on OSM →

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