On foot · Central Valais · July 2026
Derborence, around the valley
A lake born of a rockfall, a primeval forest, larches that catch fire in autumn. We came back to Derborence in October and again in July, and the emotion never fades.
- Date
- July 2026
- Distance
- 13.3 km
- Elevation gain
- 656 m
- Walking time
- 4 h 16 min
The route · indicative
October
The autumn mirror
One windless morning is all it takes for the lake to become a perfect mirror: the Diablerets walls, the golden larches and the hard blue sky reflected exactly. We stayed a long while, saying nothing.
The colours do the rest: a bright red rowan on dry grass, russet slopes tumbling towards the Lizerne. Valais autumn at its finest.
July
A valley of memories
In summer we walked the full loop around the valley: balcony paths, streams to ford, the turquoise water of the lake. That evening we were expected for raclette in the little mountain chalet where Christian spent the happiest years of his childhood.
Along the way, last winter's giant avalanche had laid whole forests flat like matchsticks. Impressive, and a relief to see the old chalets spared, sometimes only just.
