Two days. One family. A playground the size of Haut Val de Bagnes.

Two active days as a family in Haut Val de Bagnes

Our ambassador Xavier De Le Rue has swapped his snowboard for a mountain bike and a via ferrata set. On the menu : climbing, a night in a tipi, an e-bike ride up to the Cabane de Chanrion and a well-earned snack. Two days to discover Haut Val de Bagnes.

Route to the Saxifrage Via Ferrata at Mauvoisin

Day 1 : climbing above the Dranse, sleeping in a tipi

1. The Saxifrage via ferrata, from eight years old

It starts with a monkey bridge over the void. Below, the Dranse roars. Above, the kids move up rung after rung, eyes locked in focus.

The Saxifrage via ferrata was designed for young climbers from eight years old. A first monkey bridge, a crossing on cables and rungs, and the gorge rushing by right beneath your feet. Enough to feel the adrenaline rise, without ever putting yourself in danger.

Via Ferrata Mauvoisin - Saxifrage (blue)

Practical info : you can rent the gear at the Fionnay tourist office or directly at the Hôtel de Mauvoisin. You reach the Hôtel de Mauvoisin, the starting point of the via ferrata, by bus, by bike or by car (free hotel car park). Check the bus timetable. Then head down the marked trail towards Madzeria, barely 10 minutes on foot.

New to via ferrata?

Bring a mountain guide along and take it on safely.

Discover the mountain guides

2. A night in a tipi, in nature

In the evening, head to Bonatchiesse and its tipi village, at 1,600 m.
In front of each tipi : a grill, a table, benches.
Inside : mattresses and breakfast waiting for the next morning.

Good to know : the campsite is also reachable by public transport, with a stop less than 500 m away. Check the bus timetable.
In July and August, it’s best to book your tipi ahead.

Discover the campsite

Day 2 :
e-bike at the dam,
a break at the hut

1. From Mauvoisin to Chanrion, by e-bike

Wake up, breakfast, and into the saddle. Off to the Mauvoisin dam, the highest arch dam in Europe, standing 250 m tall.

From Mauvoisin to the Cabane de Chanrion

29.3km

4h 30minHard

Good to know : in the galleries, you ride up on even hours and down on odd hours, to avoid oncoming traffic. Two charging stations top up e-bike batteries for free, at Mauvoisin and at the hut.
The route is rated difficult : best kept for families already comfortable on a bike.

2. Lunch at the Cabane de Chanrion

Up there, the terrace faces the peaks.
You park the bikes, soak up the view and dig into a fondue.
The quiet, the altitude, and that feeling of being at the very end of the valley.

3. An afternoon treat at the Hôtel de Mauvoisin

The descent brings heavy legs and wide smiles back down to Fionnay, to the Hôtel de Mauvoisin, at the foot of the dam.
A snack, a drink, and two days that wind down gently.

Hôtel de Mauvoisin