The Matterhorn Tour Day 1: The Léchère - Prarayer Refuge

Warm-up walk to reach the Prarayer refuge along the right bank of the lake.

This walk is part of a multi-day hike: The Matterhorn Tour

Technical sheet

n°4098546
A Bionaz walk posted on 30/03/15 by LB_Neil. Last update : 17/11/16
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.46 km
  • ◔
    Calculated time: 1h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: No
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 184 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 134 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,022 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,957 m
  • ⚐
    Area: Alps
  • ⚐
    District: Bionaz 
  • ⚑
    Start: N 45.899788° / E 7.490252°
  • ⚑
    End: N 45.921137° / E 7.533039°
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Description

Park at the large Place à Moulin lake car park (S).

Take the wide path along the lake on its left bank.

(S) This track takes you to Prarayer refuge, named Itinerario 9 Rifugio Prarayer. It is a route taken by the inhabitants of this village, so be vigilant of the many cars driving by. The refuge is also an area for walks for the inhabitants of the Aosta Valley, and you will meet many of them on the way.

Continue north-east to the entrance of the Prarayer hamlet (1), and you will soon see the refuge.

Waypoints

  1. S : km 0 - alt. 1,957 m
  2. 1 : km 2.35 - alt. 1,987 m
  3. E : km 4.46 - alt. 2,006 m

Useful Information

RAS, the path is clearly visible, it is used by many tourists going to or returning from the refuge.

Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

During the walk or to do/see around

Oste, capital of the Val d'Aosta region.

Other walks in the area

Walking The Matterhorn Tour

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↔16.78 km ↗+1,206 m ↘-1,167 m ◔10 hrs ▲Very difficult
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A high mountain stage which requires hiking boots with crampons to cross the Arolla glacier. You should get an early start for this long stage of the hike.

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N.B. this route is outlined on Openmap which doesn't have the details of our fine IGN maps. Before being able to get your hands on a Swiss map, which are more precise, the route and GPS layouts will be handy for this pleasant trek.

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↔3.24 km ↗+798 m ↘-62 m ◔3h 10 ▲Moderate
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Walking Valais Day 3: Cabane de Prafleuri - Gîte de La Sage (Prafleuri Hut - La Sage Lodge)

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For more walks, use our search engine.

The GPS track and description are the property of the author.

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