Bisse du Torrent Neuf: Restoration of a Vertiginous Irrigation System

June 17, 2017 -- The Canton Valais has always been very dry and this caused the early mountain farmers to become very creative (sometimes dangerously so) with how to channel the water from the higher elevations along the steep cliff faces in the deep ravines to their meadows at higher elevations. Mostly these channels consisted of ditches with an elevated walkway to inspect the system for blockages and to control, via sluices, which meadows get water on which days. Often wooden flumes were attached to vertical cliffs, or canals were dug out of solid rock.

There are many such dizzying irrigation systems throughout the region, and we had read about a particularly exciting one that has recently been restored to illustrate to the public how amazing these early feats were.

The Bisse du Torrent Neuf (Bisse is the French word for these irrigation channels) extends 3.5 km into a very steep gorge just North of Sion in the Rhone Valley, and was originally built in 1430, and therefore had suffered much damage from rock slides over the centuries. The irrigation system is still in use, and the restoration includes four suspension bridges where the original trail has been damaged by rock slides. All along the trail, guard rails have been mounted to make the trail safe to walk.

The restoration is very well done, and although it was a good trail, for us the fact that this is accessible by car and marketed to tourists meant that there were too many people crowding our adventure, which wasn't as adventurous as we had hoped. (Especially annoying is crossing the suspension bridge when many people walk or run behind you).

Instead of returning the same way (which creates bottlenecks along the way) we descended into the ravine and returned along the paved road, so also to get a glimpse of the trail from below. From Chandolin we took to bus back to Sion and spent the evening walking around the pretty old town before spending the night in a B&B for an early start to our next adventure on Sunday....

Our day started by dropping off our overnight packages at the B&B in Sion where we were spending the night, and then a quick look around Sion for an hour before heading up the hill by bus to Savièse, the start of our hike.

City of Sion, in Canton Valais, Switzerland

Because we came by bus, our hike started at the Prafirmin Bus Stop.

Sluices along the way control which meadows get water on certain days

The first 2 km were mostly through woods along the raised path beside the channel

The actual renovated trail is between the Chapel and Brac (3.5 km one way)

Along the way are new guard rails, making the trail safe to walk. Water flows through the wooden flumes

This shows how the original flumes and channels were constructed

We always have to watch out for falling rocks.

First of four suspension bridges. It becomes annoying when others walk over at the same time, with heavy steps or at a running pace.

One of four new suspension bridges

Previously, there were no guard rails here

Along the way we get spectacular views into the ravine and Rhone Valley

Down below is the "Pont du Diable" ("Devil's Bridge") where we later crossed on our way out of the ravine.

Another of four suspension bridges

Along the way are sections of the original flumes, and displays of how the farmers walked the trail

One short section goes through a tunnel

Here we ran into a group of people coming the other way. It created quite a bottle-neck

Often the flumes had to be mounted onto the cliff face

Final of four suspension bridges

We descended into the ravine to view the trail from below.

We crossed the "Devil's Bridge" and found the trail was washed out. We didn't want to go back, so used some fancy footwork to get down to the road.

To walk out of the gorge we had 3 km of paved road (on the left) ahead of us. Not the best.

On our way out of the ravine (on 3 km of paved roads, unfortunately) we are greeted by these beautiful and steeply built vineyards.

At our destination of Chandolin, we got this view into the Rhone Valley

This is the post bus that picked up up an hour later in Chandolin for the trip back to Sion

On the bus back down to Sion. (This is Chateau Valère in Sion). We were the only passengers and had some great conversation with the bus driver, whose name interestingly was M. Torrent. Before heading to our B&B we walked around the old town Sion enjoying the evening lighting and atmosphere.