Aug 16 to Aug 21, 2026
The Bagnes Valley is a mountainous region of the Valais canton in the French-speaking side of Switzerland. It is famous for its jaw-dropping array of high-altitude ski slopes and picturesque villages, such as Verbier. Bagnes Valley has an abundance of protected wilderness and 3000m+ peaks, including the majestic Grand Combin, a pavlova of pristine snow above the Glacier de Corbassière, where we will spend a night en route! At the top end of the valley is an otherworldly lake and reservoir, Lac de Mauvoisin. Our unique 74km route over 6days has been carefully planned by Nina. We will cover 5000m ascent gain in total, and journey through incredible scenery. The route follows hiking paths, and varies in vegetation, from forests, to barren rock and shale, to glaciers and grasslands.
Expected climate in August
The Swiss Alps in high summer is a heavenly awakening. The skies are flawlessly blue, and the afternoons mild and lingering. The air is bursting with the aromas of fragrant wildflowers, and is peppered by the mineral spray of mountain spring water. Average temperatures range from a low of 7 degrees to a high of 20 degrees Celsius. However, when the sun is out and you are hiking, the real feel is up to 28 degrees Celsius from midday to early evening. In the early morning and late evening, temperatures can drop dramatically given the high altitude.
Fitness and hiking experience
It is recommended that you are fit, comfortable with being on your feet for ±7hours, and have some experience of mountain hiking. All ages are welcome. We will be carrying our own backpacks. Breakfast and dinner and accommodation is provided along the way. There are a few steep sections that will require care and some skill to navigate. Hiking poles are recommended.
Nina
Nina integrates poetry, personal transformation and unique insights to her practice, enriching body movement with meaning. Her classes are playful, flowing and accessible to all levels, offering an inclusive space where everyone can discover their own personal edge and cultivate presence.
This is a nature immersion and hiking holiday, with daily meditation and yoga. It is not a yoga retreat in the sense that yoga is not the main focus. The main focus are the mountains! We will be doing guided meditation and functional movement for 20mins every morning, and 1hour of chilled, accessible yoga for all levels in the afternoon. There is plenty of exercise to be had with all the hiking, so our yoga practice on this holiday is to calm the mind, cultivate presence, and support the body. I find yoga to be a wonderful accompaniment to hiking. I find my legs are so much fresher and lighter because I always do the right kind of chilled yoga in the evenings after a big day of hiking. All yoga sessions have to be done outside, and so if we are unlucky and have very wet conditions, this may effect the timing and duration of the yoga sessions.
The route is accessible to someone who is fit and steady on their feet. You do not have to be an experienced hiker to complete this, but you must be comfortable with spending long hours on your feet and carrying a pack. There are some steep climbs and descents, so I highly recommend you bring hiking poles, to help with footing and stability. Please have a look at the route descriptions and details above on this page. You will see that Day 3, 4 and 5 are quite long (±17km each day)! The fitter you are when you start the hike, the more you will enjoy it. If you do not train in advance of the hike and are unfit, you are opening yourself up to possible injury and a lot of discomfort. You will also slow the rest of the group down, and may be forced to miss out on sections, which is not fun for anyone.
Each cabane is unique, but they all have the same basic layout: A large kitchen and dining/relaxing/social area with cozy fireplaces; bathrooms; ski / hiking boot room; dorm bedrooms, ranging from 2 bunk beds p/room to 10+ beds per room. Where possible, our group will have a dorm room we all share, or smaller rooms where you will be paired with someone from our group. The beds are comfortable and clean. There are pillows, duvets and blankets. You will not need to bring a sleeping bag. You will need a sleeping bag liner. They are very remote hiking cabins, they are not luxury hotels. They are designed for communal living. It is strongly advised you bring an excellent pair of earplugs and an eye mask. There is hot water, toilets, and showers the communal bathrooms.
On night 1, Vermigehütte only accepts cash, and small cafes and farmers stalls along the route also on accept cash. The 2 hotels we stay at, and both restaurants we will go to for dinner on night 2 and 4, accept credit cards. I recommend you bring some Swiss Francs with you (or Euros are also sometimes accepted, but you will get Swiss Francs in change). I would bring ±200 CHF in cash per person, and a credit card.
The best location to stay the night before and after the hike is in Andermatt. For hotel and b’nb recommendations, please ask Nina.