Switzerland

Arriving at the cabane well before dinnertime, we had an excellent view of the Argentine range, the Pré-alpes Valaisanes and Lac Léman. We enjoyed a nice "apéro" (typically a plate of dried meat, cheese and white wine) on the terrace of the hut as the sun was setting. At 7pm sharp dinner is served. Everyone is served the same food, though one may request a vegetarian option. The dinner in a Swiss mountain hut usually consists of a salad, a carb-heavy main course and a simple dessert to feed mountaineers through their next day's adventure. The food was tasty and there certainly was plenty to go round.

Cabane de Plan - Névé

Making the climb to the Grande Dent the Morcles is usually a 2 day venture, though I have done it in one day on several occasions. It involves 1300m of vertical ascent, initially on an easy hiking trail up to Cabane de la Tourche. If you are staying in the cabane for the night, I recommend leaving as many of your belongings there as possible before continuing. Bring LOTS of water (2L per person absolute min). From the cabane the hiking gets steeper and more exposed until you get to an old military fort inside the mountain. If you're adventurous you can sleep there too and make the ascent to the peak before sunrise. That's a really cool experience - highly recommend, but bring a WARM sleeping bag because there is no insulation in the walls.From the military fort the hiking gets very steep and exposed up a tight couloir. Use caution as rocks may fall from above from mountain goats or other hikers. The final ascent takes about 1 to 1.5hrs at which point to arrive at the peak from behind. The view is stunning 360 degrees.

Dent de Morcles

Cabane de la Tourche

Grande Dent de Morcles

To round off a nice day in the mountains surrounding Villars,  I highly recommend going to the Refuge de Taveyanne for a dinner. It's a typical Swiss mountain restaurant with all the traditional dishes you can imagine - raclette, fondue, charbonnade (grilling meat right at your table), rösti, you name it!The restaurant is situated in the middle of a field of cows, along with a few other traditional chalets. It has a beautiful terrace with a view of the sunset. Hear the cow bells ring as you enjoy a glass of white wine and dinner - this is pure Switzerland!NB: Make sure you reserve the charbonnade and the raclette ahead of time, as the capacity can be limited!

Col de la Croix

Refuge de Taveyanne

Lac des Chavonnes: a great place to spend a sunny day in the Villars area. Our favourite way to enjoy this place is to take our mountain bikes up on the telecabine from Villars to Roc d'Orsay and then bike down to Bretaye. There we lock up the bikes and make the 30-40 minute hike down to Lac des Chavonnes. The path is clearly marked, but the "SwissTopo" app can be really useful too.At Lac des Chavonnes there is a restaurant run by local chef "Medou" where you can eat a delicious lunch or simply stop for ice cream. We usually like to go to the meadow on the opposite side of the lake, where the sun reaches better and where you can relax undisturbed. Recommendation: jump in the lake!! It's cold (maybe 12-16 degrees) but it's a fantastic feeling when you get out. I recommend leaving around 5 or 6pm to catch the last rays of sunshine as you make the hike back up to Bretaye and bike back to Villars.Local tip: go for a pint at the P'tit Chalet opposite the train station :-)

Lac des Chavonnes

2 months adventuring in the Swiss Alps, climbing peaks and eating cheese

Discover Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland and all it's beautiful nature

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