The Mont Fort expedition
A glacier discovery walking trail
The Mont Fort expedition is a three-stage educational walking trail located between Verbier, Nendaz and Mont Fort.
This educational trail is a great way of showcasing our region’s natural wonders and offers an opportunity to witness how environmental change has impacted the local glaciers. This initiative aims to raise awareness of how important it is to safeguard our natural world and biodiversity.
Our ski lifts make it easy to access the higher altitude areas where glaciers reign supreme, providing a rare opportunity to watch how the ice has been on the move over time and to explore the frozen landscapes. The col des Gentianes and Mont Fort have numerous glaciers and ridges (bearing witness to the presence of glaciers in times past).
Take the main path that links Verbier or Nendaz to Mont Fort and experience an adventure that’s one-of-a-kind. You’ll pass through lush green mountain pastures before finally reaching a world of rock and ice. A series of fun, fact-packed panels recount the history of the glacier de Tortin in comic strip style, taking in themes including mountaineering and the outdoor experience from an earth science perspective.
A three-stage ascent:
The information panels are presented in three languages and can be reached without the need for specialist equipment.
In order to create this kind of educational trail we worked with local experts in the fields of the environment and nature conservation. We were assisted by the Bureau Relief, which specialises in geotourism, mapping and promoting natural heritage.
Get ready to dive headfirst into this genuinely engrossing world! It’s a deeply enriching hiking experience, just perfect for clearing one’s head and learning something new at the same time.
La chaux and Tortin
Located more than 2,000 m above sea level, La Chaux (coming from Verbier) and Tortin (coming from Nendaz) are the starting points of this educational trail. As you climb, the atmosphere begins to cool. The first panel displays historical temperature records and points out the traces that the glaciers, which were once much more extensive than they are now, have left on the landscape.
Sites currently under construction
Les Gentianes
The location known as "Gentianes" offers a unique opportunity to touch the glacier de Tortin and explore its immediate surroundings. This ties in neatly with the Mont Fort Expedition and there are two possible loops to do, depending on how much time you have.
The first loop is a short one and enables you to walk on the glacier by following the markers which show its former outline. An information panel shows an artist’s impression of the glacier’s previous locations, helping us to understand how it has changed over time. You can now imagine how the landscape would have appeared to a mountaineer standing here 200 years ago, as well as thinking ahead to the future and what this scene will look like in 2050.
To provide you with a lasting memory of this experience, a picture frame has been installed in front of the glacier.
The second loop is longer. It leads to a viewing platform, from which you have incredible views over the La Chaux glacier.
Mont-Fort
This summer you will be able to access the summit of Mont Fort. A panel will mark the last stage of your journey. Here you’ll discover a world where even rocks are frozen and the scree is trapped in ice: the world of permafrost.
Connected to the ski lift station, this stage of the Mont Fort discovery trail consists of an information panel showing the temperatures recorded here by geomorphologists, making it possible to follow the changes in the permafrost as the seasons and years pass. You can also pursue your adventure by enjoying the magnificent panorama over the snow, ice and the glaciers’ footprints.
Embark on a new adventure!
Each stage in the ascent of Mont Fort offers a unique opportunity to explore the world of ice-bound mountains with its vanished glaciers, living ice and frozen ground. This concept is embodied in a visitor trail called ‘Ascension’ which features activities to help you learn more at every stage.
The expedition’s themes centre on both the spirit of adventure associated with ‘conquering’ an Alpine peak and the exploration of a world that’s totally removed from our day-to-day existence, one made of rock and ice. To come face-to-face with nature in the raw in this way is a powerful experience, enabling you to really get up close and personal with the natural world.
Activities map
