La Crevasse (from Col des Planches)

Get your snowshoes on! On this winter walk, we'll take you up to La Crevasse on Mont Chemin mountain, where a spectacular 360° panoramic view awaits you. You'll be able to contemplate the Rhone Valley, as well as well-known peaks such as Catogne, Dents du Midi, Grand Chavalard, Pierre Avoi, Wildhorn and many more.

This walk starts from the Col des Planches. Parking is available for free, or you can arrive by bus, as the "Col des Planches" stop is just a few steps from the start of the route.

As you leave the parking lot, take the small path up on your right and follow the pink sign "2 Col des Planches-La Crevasse" (photo n° 1). After about 300m, you'll see a yellow sign for "La Crevasse", so keep following this path (photo n° 2). A quick aside to say that normally you're supposed to continue straight on according to the itinerary suggested by the Verbier tourist office. However, we chose to do the route in the opposite direction, simply because, as our knees are a little bit painful on the way down, it was preferable for us to start with the ascent to La Crevasse and then descend via the Col du Tronc, as the slope is softer.

So here we are, off for a 1.30 h uphill climb, with 371 m of elevation gain for 1.66 km. There's nothing very complicated about the itinerary. Just follow the yellow signs (panels or diamonds) indicating the hiking trails (photo n° 3) and, if in doubt, check our SwitzerlandMobility map at the bottom of the page. If you have the paid version (only CHF 35.- per household) of the application, it's very practical, as you have your GPS position in real time.

After about 1.3km, you'll come to a first viewpoint, where you can admire the right bank of the Rhône valley (photos n°4-5). Then, 15-20 minutes later, you'll reach the highest point of La Crevasse (photos n° 6-9). If you're lucky, you'll be able to picnic on the only bench on the route, with a fantastic view of the Catogne. 😋

Let's start the descent! After about 500m, there's a crossroads, so take the left-hand path (photo n° 10). 700m further on, you'll reach the Col du Tronc, where you continue on your right (photo n° 11), then, 100m further on, take the 1st path on your left (photo n° 12). From here, follow the signs to Col des Planches. It will take you around 50 minutes to get back to your starting point. Take advantage of the descent to observe the many animal tracks in the snow! 😉