Tour des Muverans: A 4-Day Hike in Vaud and Valais

It’s become a bit of a tradition for Raunaq and I to do a 3-5 day hut hike in early September. Last year, it was the Alpine Passes Trail. This year, we were inspired by the Tour des Muverans.

The Tour des Muverans is a multi-stage hike that encircles the Grand Muveran massif. It’s in the French-speaking region of Switzerland, along the border of the cantons of Vaud and Valais. Once one of Switzerland’s lesser-known hut-to-hut routes, it’s gradually gaining popularity among Europeans (though it is still far quieter than famous trails like the Haute Route or the Tour du Mont Blanc). We met hikers from Belgium, the Netherlands, England, Germany, Spain and Poland, all doing slightly different variants.

Traditionally, this tour is done as a 4-day loop. But because there are several trailheads accessible by public transport - notably Derborence, Pont de Nant, and Ovronnaz - a wide range of accommodations along the way, and multiple trail variants, hikers can easily mix and match sections to create their own version of the trek. And that’s exactly what we did when we hiked the route in September: Four days, three nights, starting in Derborence and ending in the village of Gryon.

Now, you might already be asking: why not just do the traditional route? Well, a few reasons. First, there were a couple huts I was really keen to stay in for nights one and two: Cabane Rambert and Cabane Fenestral. But, because they’re relatively close to each other, that would have meant a very long hike on day three, with significant elevation gain and descent. Which leads me to my second reason: We weren’t looking to really push ourselves to the max, in the way we might have on past hikes. Raunaq was still rebuilding knee strength after his winter ACL tear, and overall, we both were happy with a slightly more “relaxed” adventure (mind you, still with 5+ hours of hiking per day). So, I routed a trail that didn’t fully complete the loop, and instead ended in an alternate village on our 4th day.

P.S. Want help planning something like this? I offer different hike planning services that can help!

Day 1: Derborence - Cabane Rambert

Our day started with a long day of travel - over four hours - which culminated with the locally famous and very thrilling PostBus from Sion to Derborence (a ride on a large bus on an impossibly narrow road carved right into the mountainside). If you’ve ridden it, you know how crazy it is! The bus dropped us right at the pretty Lac Derborence, and we got straight to hiking.

Today was all ascent - over 1,400 meters of it. But the best part about hut-to-hut hiking is that you can take all day if you want, and it was really enjoyable to not be in any sort of rush, and just have the time to take in all the landscapes. We first hiked up through the Derborence forests, and then along the grassy plateaus filled with cows still enjoying the last of summer and fat marmots bulking up for the winter. After a while, we passed the Gite de l'alpage de Dorbon, a small and cozy-looking refuge - one of the many places to eat or sleep that we would pass on our four days.

Eventually, the terrain grew stark and otherworldly, almost moon-like. We passed the Lac de la Forcle, and navigated a long boulder field (the most demanding section of the day) that led up to the Col Forcle. The clouds added a constant sense of drama, especially as we reached the mountain pass. Shifting and swirling, they would part just long enough to reveal a glimpse of Mont Blanc or the Grand Combin, only to sweep back in and obscure everything again.

Cabane Rambert is directly in front of the Grand Muveran, and has an incredible view of all the big big mountains of the Alps. The coolest part was spotting familiar landmarks from past hikes: Mont Blanc de Cheillon and the Corbassière Glacier from last year’s Alpine Passes Trail, and even the jagged Aiguilles, which we’d first seen on a trip to Chamonix a few years back. A family of chamois visited the hut in the evening, there was craft beer from local Valais breweries, the food was delicious, the staff was friendly - it was a great first day. We just won’t talk about the two snorers in the room (one being my husband).

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Day 2: Cabane Rambert - Cabane Fenestral

The day started with a sunrise ibex spotting, which to me, is always a sign from the hiking universe that it’s going to be a great day. Breakfast came with beautiful views from the dining room, and then we were off. It was only slightly less windy than the day before, but once we got down from the exposed pass, it became much more manageable. Incredible views of the Grand Combin opened up as we descended toward Jorasse. There’s a chairlift here that goes down to Ovronnaz, and a restaurant. We arrived at 10:30, but they don’t serve hot food until 11:30… so we settled in with a coffee and waited it out. I will always choose a hot meal over a hut-packed lunch if at all possible!

After lunch, we continued on. This is where we made our first unofficial Muverans variant. I really wanted to stay at Cabane Fenestral for one night: a hut famous for its big, floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of Mont Blanc. But I thought the direct path from Cabane Rambert to Cabane Fenestral was a bit short for a single stage. So we extended the route by adding in a long detour over the Tsantonnaire. Would I 1000% recommend this detour? Eh, probably not. It was nice to have a longer day of hiking, but it was my least favorite section overall. Cloudy weather hiding all the mountains didn’t help.

We arrived at Fenestral just as it started to rain. So much for enjoying those big windows (sigh). We actually didn’t get any views at all. But alas, what can you do! The hut itself has a cozy feel, though when we first arrived it was a bit… chaotic. It seemed to be run by a young group of volunteers, and at first we were more or less ignored - probably because we didn’t speak French. Then we were told we couldn’t get into our room for several hours, which is unusual for a hut. Meanwhile, the staff settled in for their own little apéro at a corner table. We weren’t entirely sure what was going on! But with the weather miserable outside, 3 hours until dinner, and no chance to change or settle in, we did what any reasonable person would do: split a bottle of a nice Valais red and waited it out.

But by dinnertime, they had turned things around. The hut was loud and crowded, the food was excellent, and we found ourselves chatting with a group of Belgians at our table who were hiking the Tour des Muverans in the opposite direction. And that night we shared a dorm with three hikers from Poland who were, without question, the quietest sleepers I’ve ever encountered. Not a peep, not a rustle, not a sigh. It was my best hut sleep in a long while.

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Day 3: Cabane Fenestral - Cabane La Tourche

The fog persisted into the morning of the third day. We hung around the hut a bit in the morning, taking our time in hopes that the clouds would burn off, but by 9am decided we just needed to get on with it. Luckily, the skies almost immediately began to clear up.

We left Cabane Fenestral and took a detour down to the Fully lakes, which turned out to be a highlight. The early September landscape was dazzling - the blueberry bushes had turned a vivid red, striking against the backdrop of the Grand Chavalard, with the Grand Combin rising further in the distance. From there, one long climb brought us up to the Col du Demècre and the secluded Cabane Demècre, though that wasn’t the hardest part of the day. What I had really been anticipating were the Bellacrete cliffs, a section of today’s trail I had read was spectacular but narrow and exposed.

And it lived up to everything I’d imagined. I’m so glad we took it on, though it’s definitely not for anyone uncomfortable with heights. There is a safer, lower route if needed, or if the weather turns (and I wouldn’t do this route if there was even a drop of rain in the forecast). The path clings to the cliffs in dramatic fashion, with big, sheer drop-offs and many stretches secured by cables. It goes on longer than you expect, but the reward is immense: an extraordinary traverse, breathtakingly beautiful and absolutely worth the effort.

At Rionda, the cliff section finally eased off, and from there it was a gentle walk to Cabane La Tourche. To our delight, this hut had showers! Cold ones for free, or “warm” ones (ie. lukewarm at best) for 5 CHF. After three days on the trail, Raunaq and I both opted for the cold version, and truly, what a simply luxury.

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Day 4: Cabane La Tourch - Gyron

Day 4 was our last day. Instead of “officially” finishing the loop, we decided to end the trail in Gryon (mainly because of public transit options). But I totally mis-routed us here. We ended up hiking down through muddy and unmaintained paths that I’m certain are only used by the cows to go up and down the mountain. It was my least favorite part of the entire four days, but I don’t really have anyone to blame but myself, ha. The route I linked below is a better suggestion.

Eventually, though, we emerged from the tangle of paths and descended into the charming village of Gryon, where we ate delicious burgers (why do the French do burgers so well?!) and caught our connections back to Zurich.

A muddy ending, perhaps, but still a fitting close to four unforgettable days in the mountains.

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All up, the Tour Muverans is a really beautiful hut-to-hut hike. It’s not the most famous or “epic” route in Switzerland, but for variety, flexibility, and breathtaking views, it’s a real gem. Let me know if you end up trying it!