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Despite foreshortening, a wildly romantic scene is crammed with rocks, shrub-carpeted hillsides and glacial remnants immediately above the hut, which occupies the site of a one-time alp. From it a path descends steeply into the valley where a footbridge offers a goodly choice of walker’s routes. You could cross that bridge to a little buvette (the Chalet du Glacier) in view of the Glacier du Trient, then climb first alongside, then above the glacier to reach the rocky gateway of the Fenêtre d’Arpette (2665m) which gives access to Val d’Arpette and Champex described in the Pennine Alps ssss1; or you could turn left by the buvette along a near-level footpath that accompanies the Bisse du Trient across a wooded slope to Col de la Forclaz (see box). Or you could do neither of these things, and instead of crossing the footbridge simply turn left and wander downvalley between pastures to Le Peuty and Trient.

On the east side of the valley the Fenêtre d’Arpette is of course a crossing for mountain walkers, while the 1526m Col de la Forclaz carries the road from Martigny after labouring through vineyards and up a series of hairpins out of the Rhône valley. Beside the road on the col stands the Hotel du Col de la Forclaz (35 beds, 40 dorm places plus camping; www.coldelaforclaz.ch) almost opposite the TMB path that goes to Champex via the Bovine alp.