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PAS de CHÈVRES
Pas de Chèvres is a high mountain pass above the Val d'Arolla,
a side valley of the Val d'Herens south of the Rhône.
The weather was very overcast on the July 2002 day when we drove up to
the village of Arolla, elevation 2000 meters, and set out on this hike.
Finding the correct trail was the first challenge, as the few trail signs
in this area are rather confusing. A group of locals pointed out the
correct way after we initially set out on the wrong trail.
After leaving the town site, the trail breaks into open country as it
roughly parallels the Glacier de Tsijiore Nouve, which was only occasionally
visible due to the inclement weather.
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Pas de Chèvres [495 Kb]
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We passed some black cows along the way as we worked our way up through the
meadows toward the pass. Most cows look nothing but dumb when you stare them in the
eyes, but these cows had a more sinister look. We gave them a wide
berth and continued on a few more minutes before settling down for lunch.
As we were eating, we noticed that the cows were eying us and moving closer.
We weren't particularly concerned until one of the cows planted
its horns into the side of another. We hastily picked up our packs and continued
on well out of their range before again settling down for lunch. I learned
later that these are the fierce Herens cows, bred for aggression and fighting
in local competitions.
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Glacier de Cheilon [290 Kb]
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After entering a small basin, a fork in the trail offers the choice of either
Pas de Chèvres or the slightly higher Col de Riedmatten.
The choice is only an issue if one is proceeding over the ridge and descending to
the Glacier de Cheilon, since descending from
Pas de Chèvres involves
climbing down a long ladder fixed to a vertical rock face. We continued to
the 2855 meter Pas de Chèvres,
where the views were limited due to
the poor weather. One could still see down to the
Glacier de Cheilon and Lac des Dix
below, and the SAC Cabane des Dix was visible beyond the glacier.
We found a few derelict stone huts on the ridge just above the pass.
The weather continued to close in as we descended back to Arolla, turning into a
constant drizzle by the time we reached town. It was a damp drive back to Geneva.
Other stuff:
Other pictures
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