Stage 2: Zinal – Col de Sorebois – Moiry Dam – Col de Torrent – Villa
7/23 I arose to a nice sunny day and left the hotel in Zinal (1673m – 5490ft) (7:40a) and headed for the Sorebois tram station at the north end of town. I was just in time to catch the first tram to Sorebois at 8:00. After a ten minute ride I arrived at the upper tram station (2436m – 8000ft) and set off for the Col de Sorebois about a mile away along heather hillsides and pastures. I arrived at the col (2835m – 9301ft) (9:00a) and then walked up the Corne de Sorebois (2896m – 9501ft). To the west was the Lac de Moiry, and to the east was a magnificent view of the Weisshorn 4505m – 14,780ft). After a nice rest I continued on over the pass and began the descent into the Val de Moiry. The trail was steep in many places but overall not too bad and the views made up for the 2100 feet of elevation loss. I arrived at the Barrage (dam) de Moiry (2556m – 7400ft) (11:00a) just in time for a few beers and some lunch.
I left the barrage at about noon, walked across the dam and then followed a gravel road up several switch backs, past a farm and then across pastureland, gently rising further until I came to the shores of Lac des Autannes (2682m – 8800ft) (12:50p). The trail then continued on around the north side of the lake and rose in a series of long switch backs up boulder and scree slopes before emerging at the Col de Torrent (2919m – 9577ft) (1:45p). On the path between the lake and the col I ran across an inspiring sight. A French woman, well into her seventies or early eighties, along with her two golden retrievers was coming along the path from the col. We exchanged “bon jours” and continued on our separate ways but the image of the elderly woman so contently hiking along with her two dogs would stick with me for a long time.
After resting at the col for about a half an hour I started off once again. The west side of the col proved to be a long descent, steep in some places and gently downhill in others. It took about two hours to make the descent all the way to Villa (1730m – 5676ft) (3:45p). From there I once again walked further down into the valley to the village of Evolene (1375m – 4510ft), nearly 5100ft below the Col de Torrent! Ready for a rest and a few more beers I checked into a hotel in Evolene and spent a much earned rest before continuing my travels.
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- Buildings at the Col de Sorebois
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- Signpost at the Corne de Sorebois
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- The Barrage de Moiry from near the Corne de Sorebois
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- View from the patio of the restaurant at Barrage de Moiry
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- Starting up the road above Lac de Moiry toward the Col de Torrent
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- View from below the Col de Torrent toward the Point de Bricola
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- Going around the north side of the Lac des Autannes
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- Above the Lac des Autannes looking up toward the Col de Torrent
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- View from below the Col de Torrent toward the Lac des Autannes
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- View to the Dent de Perroc from the Col de Torrent
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- View to the east toward the Lac des Autannes from the Col de Torrent
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- Slopes on the west side of the Col de Torrent above Villa
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- View from the patio of the hotel in Evolene up the Val de Herens
