Chicken Light: Weisshorn Hotel Weisshorn

Chicken Light: Weisshorn Friday July 20 -Sunday July 22.

Hotel Weisshorn 3961 St-Luc Switzerland T: 027 475 11 06 Email: [email protected] web: http://www.weisshorn.ch Hotel Weisshorn on Trip Advisor

Menu: Breakfast (buffet) and Dinner (table d'hôte) each day are at the Hotel. Lunches: Friday – at either St. Luc or Chandolin Saturday – PikNik Lunch! Sunday – Light PikNik/snack (15:00 arrival in Zinal where there are restaurants)

The Weisshorn restaurant operates as “a la carte” restaurant during the day for hikers and tourists, with normal (but slightly expensive) mountain food and drinks. Additional Piknik stuff would be available there.

Maps: Swisstopo 1:25,000 Maps #1307 + 1327 Swisstopo 1:50,000 Maps #273+ 283 Google maps: Hotel Weisshorn

Weather Forecast:

Long-range weather forecast for SIERRE

Please remember that the hotel is at 2330m (!) and that it is significantly cooler at this height, and that the nights can be quite cool.

Day1: Friday July 20: Travel to Weisshorn: The travellers from Basel will join the group from Zurich on train IC 818, in Bern at 11:07. The group will then travel to Vissoie where we must decide whether we are taking the funicular from St. Luc with 1:30 hike afterwards, or if we bus to Chandolin, with a 3hr hike afterwards.

From Zurich

Station/Stop Time Platf. Travel with Comments

Zürich HB dep 10:02 16 IC 818 InterCity , BZ RZ R

Visp arr 12:02 6/7

Visp dep 12:07 4/5 IR 1722 InterRegio

Sierre/Siders arr 12:25 3

Sierre, poste dep 12:40 BUS 5090 Bus , VP

Vissoie, poste arr 13:11

+….

Option 1 > St.Luc See next page Opt 2 > Chandolin

From Basel SBB

Station/Stop Time Platf. Travel with Comments

Basel SBB dep 09:59 IC 967 InterCity , FZ BZ RZ R

Bern arr 10:56

Bern dep 11:07 6 IC 818 InterCity , BZ RZ R

Visp arr 12:02 6/7

Visp dep 12:07 4/5 IR 1722 InterRegio

Sierre/Siders arr 12:25 3

Sierre, poste dep 12:40 BUS 5090 Bus , VP

Vissoie, poste arr 13:11

+….

Option 1 > St.Luc See next page Opt 2 > Chandolin

Option 1. “St Luc + Funicular to Tignousa” (easy) (Post Bus) > St.Luc (Funi) > Tignousa >(hike)> Weisshorn

- Post bus to St. Luc.

Vissoie, poste dep 13:15 BUS 6090 Bus , VP

St-Luc, poste arr 13:27

- LUNCH IN ST.LUC - Walk in village (8 min) to Funicular, - Funicular up ≈500m (1700 to 2186m) to Tignousa

St-Luc FLC dep 14:00 FUN 201 Funicular

Tignousa every 0:00 + 0:30

- Hike from Tignousa to Weisshorn hotel (≈1.5hrs)

Option 2. “Bigger lunch + Longer walk” (moderate) (Post Bus) > Chandolin télésiège >(hike)> Weisshorn

- Post bus to Chandolin.

Vissoie, poste Fr, 20.07.12 dep 13:15 BUS 6090 Bus , VP

Chandolin,poste arr 13:43

- LUNCH IN CHANDOLIN - Hike from Chandolin to Weisshorn hotel (≈3hrs) - Arrive Hotel Weisshorn ≈16:30.

Map: Day 1

After arrival at hotel: - Check into rooms. - Drinks on Terrasse or in the Salon - Additional local walking “à la discretion” - Dinner at hotel in the evening - Games, singing, and drinks and cigars in the Fumoir Day2: Saturday July 21: Hiking above the Val d’Anniviers

Option 1. “Le Touno“

A circular circuit hike, easy hiking, with a single steep climb to the mountain peak viewpoint: - Hike from hotel to Lac du Touno (1 hr) - Then a climb (400m) to the peak of “Le Touno” (3017m) for a broad view over the region (approx. 1:30 up and down). - PIKNIK lunch, either on the peak or by the lake. - Free walking (no path – easy!) south across the Tsa du Tuono (high alpine medow) (1hr) - Around the end of the “Pointes de Naoa” mountain range, and along the western side of the range back to the hotel (1 – 1.5hrs).

Day 2: Option 2. “Lac de la Bella Tolla“

A circular circuit hike, moderate, walking up to the edge of the Bella Tolla Pass: - Hike from hotel across the “Plan Torgnon” to the base of the Meidpass and then on a further to the Lac de l’Armina (2.5 hrs). - PIKNIK lunch by the lake. - Hike to the base of the Bella Tolla Pass and “Lac Bella Tolla” (1hr) - Then return via the path towards Tignousa, but turning off at Garboulla and return to the Hotel, picking up the path from the previous day at the “Challet Blanc” (1 – 1.5hrs).

Day3: Saturday July 22: Hiking into the Val d’Anniviers

The peak of the Weisshorn (4506 m) dominates the mountain landscape in the area around Zinal. The Weisshorn is the fourth highest peak in Europe.

The plan for the final day (if weather is fine) would be to check out of the hotel and walk by 10:00.

- Depart heading south along the upper Val d’Anniviers.

- Going past (and above) the town of Zinal.

- Hike south to the branch of the two rivers (at the foot of the Zinalrothorn) that form the source of the Napisence River.

- Stop for a small Piknik for a snack/lunch (knowing that we will be back in Zinal for a coffee at about 15:00).

- Here we descend into the valley floor turning 180 degrees

- Walk back north along the descending river and return to Zinal.

This “hook” route will take approximately 5hrs.

If the weather is poor, if we are lazy, and/or… if we take too long, there are multiple options to shorten this walk and head directly to Zinal. The direct route: Hotel to Zinal takes approximately 2.5hrs.

The post bus departs directly from Zinal to Vissoie where it connects with the bus to Sierre.

Return Travel:

Zinal > Zurich (Duration: 3:44)

Station/Stop Date Time Platf. Travel with Comments

Zinal, poste Su, 22.07.12 dep 15:44 BUS 7140 Bus , VP

Vissoie, poste arr 16:11

Vissoie, poste dep 16:15 BUS 5140 Bus , VP Sierre, arr 16:50 poste/gare

Sierre/Siders dep 17:04 2 IR 1435 InterRegio

Visp arr 17:22 6/7

Visp dep 17:28 4/5 IC 1086 InterCity , FZ

Bern arr 18:23 6 BZ RZ R

Bern dep 18:32 7 IC 737 InterCity , BZ

Zürich HB arr 19:28 10 RZ R

Zinal > Basel SBB (Duration: 3:50)