Hike Around Lake Moiry in the Val d'Anniviers

Link to first day of 3-day hiking trip to Canton Valais, Oct.9-11: 
http://swisstravelgirl.blogspot.ch/2017/10/hike-across-aspi-titter-suspension.html

October 10, 2017 -- Our three-day hiking trip to Canton Valais turned out to be a bit of a glacier-themed trip, which was not the original plan, but never a bad thing! Glaciers and their transformations are fascinating subjects.

On the second day we left early from our apartment on the mountain in Eischoll (accessed by cable-car) to the Val d'Anniviers, only 20 km to the West, but as we were going to the very back of the valley to the Moiry Dam and the Moiry Glacier, it required a 1 hour and 15 mins. bus ride from Sierre up narrow winding roads through a very steep gorge and then a second climb past Grimentz to the mighty dam.

What we didn't expect was the intense turquoise colour of the lake, an effect from the minerals that run out of the glacier at the back of the lake. We've seen glacier water before, but this was stunning. Our plan was a walk around the lake, which had to be changed a bit due to snow at the higher elevations, and we added an impromptu detour as far to the glacier tongue as we could (and thankfully so, as a picnic below the magnificent glacier is an experience not many are lucky to have).

The bus runs only twice a day up to the lake, but we were back an hour before the planned 17:20 descent, so savoured the last of the evening rays on the restaurant terrace with a drink and dessert before doing the reverse trip back to the apartment. On the way down we were only a few people in the bus, so when Urs spotted the Ibex on the hillside, the driver stopped the bus to make sure everyone got a good look! It's not everyone gets to see these animals in their natural habitat, they are usually difficult to spot! 

We spent two nights in the cutest Valais village on the hillside with access for us with the cable car.

This little flock of Valais Black-Nose sheep was in a pasture next to the cable-car station

From Sierre in the Rhone Valley, we had to take a bus for 1 hour 15 mins. along a steep gorge into the Anniviers Valley

From the little village of Vissoie, the road splits into a left valley to Zinal, and a right valley to Grimentz and Moiry

1 hour 15 minutes bus ride from Sierre on windy steep roads to Lake Moiry

Last stretch to the dam. There is a short tunnel and then the road emerges at a parking lot, restaurant, and magnificent glacier-fed lake.

The colour of the lake was a real surprise. The hike started with a walk across the dam to the other side.

The hike started with a walk across the dam to the other side.

The water was really this beautiful colour

We hiked along the West side of the lake slightly above the lake, heading South.

Up here was snow-free, but further on there were shady spots with snow, so we decided not to risk it, and headed back down to the lake.

We headed back down to the lake to walk to the back, to the glacier.

We headed back down to the lake to walk to the back, to the glacier. No end to the magnificent views.

A glance back to the North to the dam. We have reached the end of the lake and are now heading to the glacier.

You must imagine this: in 1930, the space between those two moraines ahead was almost completely filled with ice.

The mighty glaciers never cease to captivate me. Next year we will spend a night in the Swiss Alpine Hostel perched on the cliff to the left.

This little "bridge" was slightly tricky to cross.

Coffee break at the Glacier Lake. We are so lucky to experience such beauty, and some people never get to see this in a lifetime.

There is nothing so majestic as this convolution of ice and snow

So magnificent.

On the way back to the lake, the streams from the glacier trickle wind their way across the moor to fill the lake

A glance back to the huge moraine left by a glacier that filled this couloir not 100 years ago (we came out from the left side).

This placard shows the difference between 1930 and present-day

Still stunning

We actually would have preferred to walk back on the trail on the other side, but by this time a large portion of the trail was in shadow. So we walked back along the paved road.

Actually, the walk along the road was not as bad as I'd expected, and gave us a different perspective of the lake.

If we hadn't walked along the road, we would not have seen this little ibex, quite a young one, quite low and close to the road.

It's always a thrill to see wildlife in its natural habitat. This is a very young ibex, and it didn't seem too worried about us.

Altogether it was a 12-km hike around the lake. 

Back at the dam, an hour early for the bus

Back at the dam, an hour early for the bus

I thought this was a pretty cool set-up for appreciating the view.

Panaché for me, and icecream with Génépi for Urs (a very expensive dessert it was, with a liqueur made from a plant (in the wormwood family) that grows mainly on the glacier moraine. So expensive but appropriate).

On the way down with the bus Urs spotted more ibex, way on the other side of the valley. This is a heavily zoomed photo.

And back down the valley past the village of Grimentz, and other such typical Valais villages. 

By the time we got home it was 8 pm and pretty dark, and nothing left but to shower and sleep for another early rise for Day 3.

Each of the three trips we did were within 2 hours our our apartment in Eischoll