Chandolin over Illsee to the Meretschi Alp

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Val D'Anniviers, Suisse

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Chandolin over Illsee to the Meretschi Alp

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Difficulty: Leicht
Length: 7.7 miles / 12.4 km
Duration: Halber Tag

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Übersicht: From Chandolin there are plenty of options to go hiking, and in this guide we'll take you to the high lake of Illsee and the Meretschi Alp.

In Chandolin there are parking spots in the center of the village, there is no free parking in the village. The hike starts at the tourist office, in the center of the village.

To start of the hike we climb immediately in the direction of the first mountain pass called "Pas de l'Illsee". From this mountain pass you can also visit the Illhorn, with a height of 2716m), from this summit you'll get an amazing view over the Rhone valley. We advise you to only do it when you are in good condition because we have an other climb ahead of us to the Meretschi alp. It's an additional climb of about 200m extra climbing.

When reaching the summit of Pas d'Illsee we already can see the lake in its full glory. From here you'll also get a nice view on the destination of the hike: the Meretschi Alp. From the mountain pass we descent to the lake of Illsee. It is an artificial lake with a small barrage where we walk over. Once passed, the climb to the Meretschi awaits.

When you reach the Meretschi Alp, look behind you and be amazed by the view on the closest mountain summits and the further on the Rhone Valley and the higher mountains further on. It is an ideal place to have diner here before heading back to the village.

To return to Chandoin we ascend back to the lake but after the refuge we walk in the direction of the second mountain pass: Illpass. This piece of the hike is not guided with the familiar yellow roadsigns, it is a cow path that runs to the Illpass. Just beneath the ill pas, the path is a bit rockier, so be a bit more careful. Once reached we can set to our final descent to the village of Chandolin. We do not take the bigger road to "le Tsapé" but instead of that we'll take the mountain path to "La Grande Remointse". It's a more desolated and pure path with more chances to see some wildlife.

From "La Grande Remointse" it's time to take the shortest possible route to Chandolin. Just follow the yellow roadsigns towards the village.

Hike classification: T2 - Mountain hike
Vertical up: 926m
Vertical down: 897m

Tipps:

Try to reach the Meretschi Alp at noon, it is a great place to have dinner with a nice view.

Topographic map: Evolène - Carte Nationale de la Suisse.

Points of Interest

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Illsee

The artificial lake and its barrage/dam. The barrage is as of 2010 to 2012 under renovation works but hikers can still pass the barrage.

Lac Noir as seen from the climb to the Schwarzhorn Photo

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Illhorn (2716m)

Want it to be more challenging? When arriving at Pas de l'Illsee you can visit the Illhorn mountain. Takes 30 minutes to climb so calculate an extra hour! Extra vertical ascent 200m.

On top of the Illhorn (Chandolin, Switzerland) Photo

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Pas de l'Illsee

Mountainpass of the Illhorn. From here you can do an extra climb to the Illhorn where you'll get an amazing view over the Rhone valley. At this mountain pass we take the route to Illsee.

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Illpass

Second mountain pass during this hike, from here we take the route to La Grande Remointse.

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Meretschi alp

The furthest point of the hike is on the Meretschi Alp. An ideal place for lunch at noon where you can enjoy a magnificent view over the lake Illsee and the surrounding mountains like the nearby Illhorn (2716m), Schwarzhorn (2790m), Rothorn (2998m) and the Bella Tolla (3024m).