Col de l'Aprilly – Legendary Mountain Passes

Starting from Sierre – the sunniest city in Switzerland – the road climbs in the typical vineyards of the Rhone Valley. You pass through the small villages of Veyras then Venthône before gradually slipping into an environment more mountainous. The grade is very steady, leaving little respite, and the several shaded sections of the climb are refreshing and gladly welcomed in the summer when the sun floods the mountainside. After the resort of Aminona, the itinerary heads to the right and the road becomes more narrow. The final stretch brings you to the Col de Crans-Montana located in an area called Mayen de Colombire, providing you with a fantastic view of the Weisshorn.

The first kilometres of this long climb of 17 kilometres between Sierre and the Col de Crans-Montana take place in the middle of the vineyards, through small villages typical of the region. After Venthône, you enter into groves of deciduous trees and eventually pine and larch trees take over. From Aminona, the panorama before you is perhaps one of the most spectacular of the Valais. Five summits of more than 4,000 metres of altitude stand on the side of the Rhone Valley, forming the imperial crown of the Valais: the Weisshorn, the Zinalrothorn, the Ober Gabelhorn, the Matterhorn, and the Dent Blanche. This sumptuous view will accompany you all the way to the summit where the restaurant of the Mayen de Colombire provides a well-deserved break!