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THE BISSE DU TRIENT

Flowing from the foot of the Trient glacier to Col de la Forclaz, the Bisse du Trient is just one of more than 200 similar channels created throughout Canton Valais in order to carry glacial water sometimes a considerable distance to irrigate cultivated farmland, often in the Rhône valley. The oldest are believed to have been made in the 12th and 13th centuries; some channels being hewn from bare rock, others using hollowed tree trunks to bridge sections impossible to excavate; many were made by prisoners used as forced labour. Footpaths were invariably created alongside each bisse to facilitate its maintenance, but the track alongside the Bisse du Trient had rails laid on it in the 19th century to carry ice blocks from the glacier to the hotel at the col.

In summer Trient is a major overnight halt for countless trekkers

This is a very fine walking tour which crosses no fewer than six cols and picks out virtually all the scenic highlights of the district. Since some of the cols hang onto their snow cover until quite late, it should not be tackled before about mid-July, by which time conditions ought to be fairly settled. The route is normally walked in a counter-clockwise direction.