Exciting Hike along the Grand Bisse de Lens Irrigation Channel

Sunday May 31, 2020 -- Day 1 of a two-day trip to Canton Valais, where the weather is warm and dry and where we like to do exciting hikes along the ancient irrigation channels. Best of course is if the water is still running in the channels, but even without the water, it is always a memorable experience.

Near Crans-Montana is a large dam called "Barrage de Rawyl" in a deep and steep valley through which flows the river Liène, to join the Rhône River in St. Leonard. In this valley are several ancient irrigation channels, built hundreds of years ago to bring water from the river high up at the back of the valley to the dry pastures in the Rhône Valley. These channels were built and maintained under dangerous conditions and at great loss of life, in order to support the farming communities. Many of these channels are in disuse, but some are kept up as hiking trails. We have already walked along four of these on either side of this particular valley, but there was one large one called "Grand Bisse de Lens" which we had not yet done (This channel took two years to build, from 1448 to 1450).

Starting at Crans we walked into the valley toward the dam, then descended a couple of hundred meters along a steep cliff to join the river, and then walked back out the valley. Along the irrigation channel, the trail is only slighly sloped, as the river drops further and further away below you, and you are walking along narrow trails sometimes composed of planks only 40 cm wide, with a cliff on one side and a steep drop on the other. Very exciting and not for those afraid of heights!

When we planned the hike, it showed as 5 hours on the map, but having to go slowly in the steep sections meant our hike ended up about 6-7 hours, one of the longest I've done! The back 1/3rd of the channel is in obvious disuse, the next 1/3rd was cleaned out but had no water flowing yet, and fortunately the final section that we walked, starting in Icogne to where we made a long descent to St. Leonard in the valley bottom, had water flowing, which was a great plus on the sunny side of the hill on this warm afternoon!

Since this valley takes a long time to get to, we cannot do this in a day trip. Also the length of the trail meant finishing late, so we had reserved a room in a monastery guest house in the old part of the city of Brig, a wonderful experience with a huge room and peaceful garden facing right onto the huge towers of the Stockalper Palace! 

Another interesting item: Although St.Leonard and Brig are only 50 km apart, the language border is between the two: In the valley along the channel we greeted people in French, and once we got to Brig, they spoke German there.... well, a unique dialect anyway. (The Wallis dialect is difficult to understand).

From the Bus Window: Traveling by bus from Sion to Crans-sur-Sierre, we cross the large bridge across the Liène Valley through Icogne, a village that we also passed through on our walk out of the valley. Looking South out of the valley is the hillside where we did the last part of the irrigation channel hike before descending to St. Leonard

At the start of the hike, i.e. about 15 minutes on foot from the bus stop in Crans, this is the first spectacular view up the valley toward the dam. On two previous hikes I walked from here to the dam. This time we descended approx. at the bald spot in the middle. 

Walking into the valley was pretty uneventful; mostly a wide forest road like this one with a couple of narrow passages along cliffs

The typical sign that we have seen often, warning of possible rock fall, and my favourite English translation: "On the fellows 200m of this trail a certain risk of stony falls exists" (Google Translate would have been useful). Also, they recommend you don't leave the trail. Haha!

I don't intend to leave the trail on the "fellows 200m", although I don't seen how stopping increases your chance of being hit by falling rock.

Super high vertical cliffs above us

A zoomed view of the Barrage de Rawyl. There is a beautiful turquoise lake behind that, the Lac de Tseuzier. 

Walking into the Valley on an exciting trail

Tunnels are good too!

This is the point (Pra du Taillour) where we descend through the forest and along a steep section of rock wall (would have been easier to ascend than descend). The sign warns that the trail is not suitable for people who are afraid of heights

The first part of our hike: It took about 90 minutes to get to the back, followed by a steep descent on a cliff wall. (Several years ago we walked one trail higher up, the Ancien Bisse du Ro, all the way to the dam)

I enjoyed the trail, although it would definitely not be suitable for people who suffer of vertigo

On the left is our trail. A bridge also offers the opportunity to cross to the other side of the valley here

Every once in a while we have to cross sections of fallen rock

1h 15 minutes to Icogne is the time it would take if you could walk at a normal pace! From here, though, we have another 100m steep descent....

Most of the people we met were doing the hike in the opposite direction, which makes sense as this section would have been easier to go up.

Shortly after reaching the river, the interesting part of the Irrigation Channel hike starts!

Of course stopping to take all these photos also cost us some time!

VIDEO:

Gabrielle walking along the Grand Bisse de Lens

VIDEO:

Urs walking along the Grand Bisse de Lens

More of the beautiful cliffs above us

These two had quite the fast pace going!

On this middle section of the trail, the channels have been cleared and probably prepared to have water running through them soon

The trees on the side where the cliff drops straight down help give the illusion that it is not as steep as it really was. We have done such hikes where there is no vegetation, and it is much more difficult.

Near Icogne is a copy of the declaration signed in 1448, that the Prior Jean de Lens was given permission to build the irrigation channel provided he could complete it in two years, which he did. 1448 to 1450. A fantastic feat when you consider the tools they had at the time

Below us the bridge over the narrow Liène Valley, which we crossed earlier by bus on our way from Sion to Crans

On the outskirts of Icogne, the valley opens up for this fantastic view over the communities above Sion

Beautiful flowering meadows.

From Icogne, the channel continues around the mountain to Chermignon, a total of 8 km, but we only did the 3 km to the point at which we could descend to St.Leonard.

On this final section of the Irrigation Channel (another 3 km before we descended to St.Leonard), the water was flowing, to my great pleasure, as you can see!

This is the most popular section, there were more people along this trail and it became more difficult to cross paths. It is built out quite nicely, though.

A look back into the Liène Valley: Village of Icogne behind me, and behind that the narrow valley we came down

Further back the channel was hewn out of the rock face, here they use wooden troughs

Very interesting walk high above the Rhone Valley. Below you can see the city of Sion

At the furthest point South on the trail, the channel follows the mountainside to the left, and northeastward into the Rhone Valley. At this point, though, we headed westward down the hill through the vineyards to the train station in St.Leonard

Heading down through the vineyards above St.Leonard. Across the valley is the Bisse de Clavau, an irrigation channel we have also walked along previously.

A look up the Rhone Valley. We were up high on the hill on the left

A view over the city of St.Leonard, and the popular Val d'Hérémence on the South side of the Rhone Valley

The full almost 17 km that we walked in about 6 hours. Even after this long day of walking, we timed our arrival at the train station perfectly, getting there just one minute before the scheduled train to Brig

This map shows the various Irrigation Trails that we have walking in the past 7 years. The yellow one is the one we did this day.

After the ca.17-km trail and about 7 hours of walking (with some pauses) because we had to go slowly along the steep cliff and the narrow irrigation trails, we got to the train station in St.Leonard for the 17:17 train to Brig, with just one minute to spare!. Which means we got to our hotel at about 6 p.m., got ourselves freshened up in our beautiful large room at the St. Ursula Monastery's Guesthouse, picked up a pizza and ate it in the lovely and restful monastery gardens. After which we went up to the nearby church to enjoy the waning evening light over the city, before heading for an early bed-time.... could barely move my feet by that time...

Walking through Old Town Brig from the train station to St.Ursula's Monastery

The beautiful Stockalper Palace was right next to the guesthouse gardens

Panorama view from the Guesthouse door to the Stockalper Palace, and the Jesuit College Church

Eating our take-out pizza in the guesthouse gardens

View of the Stockalper Palace from the convent gardens

From the courtyard at the Jesuit College church on the hill, a view over the Stockalper Palace as the sun is going down

In the circle is the area of the Liène Valley and the Grand Bisse de Lens Irrigation Channel. From St.Leonard near Sion it was about 40 minutes by train to Brig, to our hotel for the night. Between these two is the language border: French from Sierre to the West, German to the East.