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Day 6: Above the village the old road, now little more than a track, is followed all the way to the Col du Grand St Bernard at 2469m. Arrival can bring a shock to the system as the pass is invariably crowded with traffic and tourists, but it takes only a few moments to escape along a path that initially descends into Val d’Entremont along the right-hand side of the road, then crosses to the left through alp pastures and alongside the dammed Lac des Toules, before entering Bourg-St-Pierre about 5½hrs after leaving St-Rhémy.

From a ridge north of Mont Brulé, high above Val d’Entremont, walkers enjoy views to outliers of the Mont Blanc range

Six kilometres beyond, and almost 300m higher than Liddes, Bourg-St-Pierre (1632m) is the largest village in the valley proper; an old place crowded just below the main road. This is about as close as you get to a mountaineering centre in Val d’Entremont, although it’s little more than a place from which to set out for one or other of the huts that serve the Combin and Vélan massifs, or to retreat to in order to dry out when the weather turns foul. It’s also used as one of the main starting points for the multi-day Tour des Combins. There’s a long-established alpine garden here, a small supermarket, a few hotels, including the Auberge les Charmettes which has dorm accommodation, and a campsite, Camping du Grand St Bernard. For tourist information go to www.verbier-st-bernard.ch.