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Via Snow, Cliffs and Meadows to the Source of the Saane River

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Description

This walk through the mountains is unique, taking you through several different types of countryside.
Begin by taking the aerial cable car from the Col du Pillon to Glacier 3000. Here you are greeted by the first surprise: the mountain station was designed by star architect Mario Botta and sports a restaurant with glorious views. Follow the safe trail through the snowfields (incidentally, this is an area designed for summer skiing) to the Quille du Diable, a rock shaped like a giant thumb that stands out from amongst the Valaisan Alps.
The lucky souls who do not suffer from vertigo can peer 1,500 meters down onto the area of Derborence, where a rockslide created the landscape many thousands of years ago. Continue along the path as it leads you downwards through snowfields and scree to the Cabane Prarochet, an ideal place to have lunch or a snack.
As you approach the glacier, the path continues over rocks that have been polished due to erosion (les lapis) to the Sanetsch Pass and eventually, to the source of the Saane River. Here, the water bubbles up in the middle of a lush mountain meadow. Follow the high plateau and the Santesch dam and you will reach the famous mountain restaurant run by Jean-Maurice Luyet.
Up to this point, the hike should take about five hours. Thanks to the small aerial cable car (installed by the power plant for its maintenance workers) the tired hiker can take an easy way down to Gsteig, near Gstaad.

Cable cars leave Les Diablerets every 20 minutes, and the journey lasts 15 minutes.

How to get to Les Diablerets Station:
By car: take the A9 motorway in the direction of Great St. Bernard, exit at Aigle then take the Aigle - Les Diablerets - Col du Pillon road (20 km).
By train: take the Paris - Lausanne TGV then the Intercity service to Aigle, or the Lyria Paris - Lausanne - Aigle TGV. In Switzerland there are direct trains to Aigle (Simplon and Geneva - Brig lines). Then take the ASD (Aigle - Sépey - Diablerets) mountain train. The Lausanne - Aigle stage of the journey takes 30 minutes and the Aigle - Les Diablerets stage of the journey takes 50 minutes.

General info

  • Needed time: 4 to 8 hours (full day)
  • Experience Type: Nature, Active
  • Outdoor

Office du Tourisme des Diablerets

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