Pointe du Tsaté
Walking from one mountain valley to the next, via a col or a peak, is a certain kind of awesome adventure. I love gaining altitude and seeing the surroundings laid out more and more as you get higher. I really enjoy that first glimpse you get of the next view as you reach a col, and the satisfaction of pushing uphill until there is no more mountain to climb. A few weeks ago Tanya picked such a walk, and this one included both a peak and a col - both of the name Tsaté.
Tanya at the Lac du Tsaté, Dent d'Hérens and glacier de Ferpècle behind.
We started in Val d'Hérens in the tiny town of La Forclaz at 1725 m. From there we wound our way up to the Lac du Tsaté, and then brached off to bag the summit of Pointe du Tsaté (3078 m).
L-R, 4k peaks: Bishorn, Weisshorn, Zinalrothorn, Ober Gabelhorn.
Looking down to the Barrage de Moiry.
The summit and Dent Blanche behind.
Tanya on the Pointe du Tsaté.
From the summit we returned to the lake, then cut across and up to the Col du Tsaté (2868 m) to gain access to the Val de Moiry.
Back at the Lac.
The view down from the Col.
Check out these zig-zags!
Once down in the valley we had great views up onto the Glacier de Moiry and its associated summits. We walked down the valley next to the incredibly blue Lac de Moiry, and caught the last bus back from the Barrage. It was a fantastic walk from Val d'Hérens into the Val de Moiry. I'll let some photos finish off this post.
Glacier de Moiry, Pigne de la Lé on left and Pointes de Mourti on right.
Lac and Barrage de Moiry.
A car park in the Swiss mountains?
Looking back from just above the lake.