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Val de Bagnes

Accessed by train from Martigny and Sembrancher, Val de Bagnes makes a long southeasterly sweep towards the gigantic Mauvoisin dam, with modest villages like Le Châble and Fionnay in the valley, and Verbier perched 700m above it on an open terrace facing west. Rising vast and high above the valley, the graceful Combin massif is, from choice viewpoints, a Mont Blanc look-alike with three summits over 4000m, a great dome of snow, and long fingers of ice carving from it. Some of the walks described in these pages are dominated by its dazzle of white, and it comes as no surprise to discover that the Grand Combin offers one of the classic ski ascents – first tackled in 1907. South of Lac de Mauvoisin the valley headwaters retain a sense of wild remoteness, with the Italian border traced along the walling ridge, and the Cabane de Chanrion perfectly placed to accommodate both walkers and climbers in the pastures below.

Val d’Entremont

The Combin massif is seen at its best from the Sentier des Chamois (Walk 98)