Cabane de Tracuit, from Zinal

Access

Reach Zinal by car via the Val d'Anniviers road from Sierre. Leave the motorway in Sierre, take the cantonal road up the valley to Vissoie and then continue to Zinal. The village is also served by public transport with bus connections from Sierre.

Introduction

The Cabane de Tracuit is located at an altitude of 3,256 metres, on a broad glacial ridge overlooking the village of Zinal, in Val d'Anniviers, Canton Valais. Its panoramic location makes it a privileged vantage point over the surrounding peaks, in particular the Bishorn and the Weisshorn, and it is a popular destination for both hikers and mountaineers preparing to climb the surrounding peaks.
The hut, managed by the Swiss Alpine Club, is a modern structure, renovated in 2013, capable of accommodating hundreds of mountaineers with comfortable facilities and spaces suitable for high altitude resting. It is one of the classic bases for the ascent to the Bishorn and an important transit point for high-altitude mountaineering routes.

Description

From the centre of Zinal (1675 m), take the path that climbs north-east towards the Vallon de Tracuit. The route initially crosses meadows and woods, with regular gradients leading gradually away from the valley floor. Pass alpine pastures and high-altitude meadows until you reach the alpine meadows, where the path becomes steeper.

Go up the grassy ridge overlooking the valley, with wide views of the Dent Blanche and the peaks of the Val d'Anniviers. Continue on the marked trail, which winds its way up with numerous hairpin bends to the scree and snowy area near the hut. The last section, often snow-covered at the beginning of the season, leads directly to the glacial plateau where the Cabane de Tracuit is located.