Grand bisse de Lens — circuit au départ d'Icogne

A tour in two parts, in the truest sense of the word. On the one hand beautiful, on the other hand questionable and unnecessarily dangerous. I therefore only recommend the part from Chermignon to the hairpin bend below Le Châtelard. We start at the Chermignon (Diogne) bus stop after travelling from eastern Switzerland via Visp and Sierre. In Sierre we were able to stock up on additional drinks in the Migrolino at the train station, as there will be no opportunity to do so on the way. The path along the Grand Bisse de Lens is shady and beautiful, the bisse carries very little water. The minimal climb along the bisse is not noticeable at all, the path is rooty and beautifully built. In between there are beautiful views of the valley, the path runs a good 500 metres above the valley floor. Between Flanthey and Lens the vegetation becomes sparser, the pines increase and it is generally rockier and drier. Here we also find a lot of purple limodorum, but they haven't sprouted very far yet. Let's see where we'll find the first really flowering limodorum this year! On the way we notice how many joggers there are on the path. So far it's wide enough that you can easily avoid each other. At the hairpin bend below Le Châtelard, the yellow hiking trail ends and it turns into a white/red/white mountain hiking trail. This means you have to be extra careful, the path becomes increasingly exposed and clings closely to the rocks. In places it's only 40cm wide, luckily often secured with a safety rope on the mountain side. The view is fantastic, and the adrenaline gets going. Some difficult passages are literally bridged over with bridges, the massive wooden railings inspire confidence. The children enjoy it, but I sometimes start to feel uneasy. Sometimes it goes down almost vertically to the left of the path for 170 meters... so it's worth walking the path slowly and with concentration, no comparison to the yellow hiking trail before. And that's exactly the problem. Here too, there are swarms of joggers who are not always considerate and expect you to make room for them. There were no really critical situations, but it doesn't really make sense to jog the path, especially because you put many other people who want to enjoy themselves in unnecessary danger! Somewhere along the way there is also (as is unfortunately often the case) a memorial board indicating a fall. Later on the train I read that two bikers have fallen to their deaths on the path in recent years. Bikers? On the path? That's just irresponsible and negligent. In fact, there is no ban on cycling, as is often the case along the irrigation channels in the German part of Valais. People bike, run, whine here... so I can't recommend this section with the best will in the world. As beautiful as it is, it is simply too narrow and crossing it is either completely impossible or involves great risk. More has to happen before someone does their homework and has the courage to impose a driving ban... right at the end, a biker actually comes towards us at full speed, luckily only on the wide and safe part. When we arrive in Icogne, we wait for the bus without a bench. At the last second we realise that we are waiting on the wrong side of the road, the bus towards Sion is going downhill and not uphill :-)

Since the weather in the Saas Valley was bad for hiking, our landlord recommended that we take a trip to the Rhone Valley. No sooner said than done. We drove to the Crans Montana region and the sun was with us all day🌞. A great tour that I can only recommend👍! Thanks David for the tip🙏.

This tour from Icogne to Ollon via Bisse de Lens is an absolute highlight for everyone seeking thrills and Valais tradition. The Bisse de Lens, built in the 15th century, leads you along a narrow path directly beside the watercourse. The special feature: the irrigation channel is partly spectacularly carved into the vertical rock faces above the Lienne gorge 🌊. As you follow the splashing, you'll enjoy dizzying views down and a magnificent panorama over the Rhone Valley 🏔️✨. Once you leave the rock facades behind, the landscape opens up and the path gently leads you down into the sun-drenched vineyards of Ollon. Here, the scenery changes from wild rock architecture to Mediterranean flair with the typical Valais dry stone walls ☀️🍷. It's a hike full of contrasts, perfectly combining alpine adventure with the tranquility of the vineyards 📸. 📌 Facts & Figures 🥾 Distance: approx. 10–12 km ⏱️ Duration: approx. 3 h – 3.5 h ⛰ Elevation gain: approx. 150 m / 5

Beautiful hike along the Bisse de Lens, good part in the shade