Arolla - Lac Bleu - Cabane des Aiguilles Rouges: Valais
For our annual autumn larch hike in 2022, I picked this absolute stunner of a trail. I chose it because the trail passes by Lac Bleu, the tiny jewel of the region that is famously fringed by larches. Because is there anything more beautiful than the combination of turquoise water and golden trees and snow-dusted mountains? It’s the ultimate autumn trifecta.
However, I didn’t expect to be just as - if not more so - overwhelmed by the rest of the hike, which took us far up above the valley to the Cabane des Aiguilles Rouges. Sadly the hut was closed when we hiked in late October, but the setting could not be more spectacular. The portion of the trail from the hut back to Arolla was particularly stunning - a long traverse under the mountain chain, with peak after dramatic peak, dripping with glaciers, sprawled out before us. I would have absolutely loved this hike without the larches. But oh yes, there are larches, too.
Arolla is a far journey from Zurich (over 4 hours one way by train), so I’d recommend staying overnight somewhere in the Val d’ Herens. And if you are trying this hike in the fall, please check conditions beforehand - an early snow could make the higher sections of this trail dangerous.
