3 days – 3 peaks: our hiking tips for the Leysin/Les Mosses region

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It’s beautiful here! No, at the beginning of our hiking weekend in the Leysin/les Mosses region, I really didn’t think that I would find a candidate for my mountain lake favorites list here. I know from experience that the Vaud Alps are always good for a surprise. Last summer, we walked 1.5 stages of the 130-kilometer Tour des Alpes Vaudoise and discovered some pretty corners between Les Diablerets and Villars. If the weather had been a little better for us back then, we would have completed the loop to Aigle.

This summer we wanted to dedicate ourselves to those corners of the Vaud Alps that I had previously skipped – the Leysin / les Mosses region, which is hidden in the deeply cut valley landscape directly behind Aigle. In contrast to last year, the weather was much better this year and gave us magnificent hiking days after a slightly foggy start. From this long hiking weekend, I have brought you many pictures and three tips for varied circular hikes – each including a summit experience and mountain lake panoramas mentioned in the introduction. It is therefore quite possible that you will be gripped by the “wanderlust” when reading the following lines.

Tag 1: Via Refuge de Solacyre zum la Riondaz

The way to get to Leysin is via Aigle. From there, the Aigle-Leysin cogwheel railway takes you directly to the Vaud Alps. The almost 30-minute drive is an experience in itself. The train winds its way through the picturesque vineyards of Aigle almost 1,000 metres uphill to the “Grand-Hôtel” terminus, high above the centre of Leysin. Thanks to its sun-drenched, elevated location, Leysin was once a lung spa – in the 1950s, the ski resort evolved into a year-round holiday resort with the opening of a Club Med. Today, a number of international schools are stationed in Leysin – apart from that, it is quiet here in the summer. The perfect starting point for all those who like to go on varied – but not per se high alpine – hikes including a stop at the Alp-Beizli.

We can convince ourselves of these advantages immediately after our arrival. We start right from the terminus of the cogwheel railway with a first pleasure hike. It’s lunchtime and my stomach is rumbling. Is that a good idea? Of course! We follow a forest path uphill over alpine meadows until, after a few hairpin bends, the Refuge de Solacyre appears in front of us.

The small alpine hut is looked after by a collective of volunteer innkeepers who serve simple but good food. It is worth checking the news on the website before making a detour to the hut and checking whether it is open. If so, this is the perfect culinary introduction to a hiking weekend in the Vaud Alps. Almost every tour leads past a recommendable buvettes/alpine restaurant.

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When the weather is nice, you can enjoy a great view of the Rhône Valley from the terrace of the Refuge. During our visit, however, this view is shrouded in threatening dark rain clouds. Will the weather hold? We are confident and, after the refreshment in the refuge, tackle the remaining meters of altitude to “La Riondaz”.

This summit is located opposite the “Berneuse”, which can be reached from Leysin by gondola and offers a fantastic panoramic view when the weather is nice. We only have to be content with a view of the Berneuse – the rest remains shrouded in clouds – and then hike via Col de Luissel along the ridge back via Solacyre to Prafandaz.

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On the one hand, Prafandaz has a pleasant restaurant with a beautiful sun terrace – the perfect place to toast yourself after the first tour with a glass of Aigle de Murailles or locally brewed beer and sip two or three bites from an aperitif plate. Location and food is great – the waitress, on the other hand, could be a bit more attentive. If I hadn’t made myself heard loudly at some point, we would probably still be sitting a bit lost on the terrace.

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The detour to Prafandaz is not only worthwhile because of the restaurant, but also because of the fantastic viewpoint, which is located about 250 meters west of the restaurant on the edge of the slope. The viewpoint is equipped with benches/wooden tables and a fire pit and is the perfect spot to admire the backdrop of Dents du Midi and Lake Geneva in the evening light.

Key dates of the tour Leysin – Solacyre – La Riondaz – Prafandaz

Starting point	Leysin-Feydey railway station
Length	9.5 kilometres
Elevation gain	↗ 656 m 656 m ↘
Duration	3:15 p.m.
Destination	Leysin-Feydey railway station

Tag 2: Rundwanderung Pic Chaussy – Lac Lioson

While the first day, which was mixed with the weather, ended on a positive note with a great sunset, our second day of hiking in the Leysin/les Mosses region started promisingly. While the sun fights its way out from behind the mountain flanks, we make our way towards les Mosses.

By car, the journey from Leysin to Les Mosses takes only 20 minutes. The outward journey by post bus, on the other hand, is a bit more complicated. To do this, you first go from Leysin-Feydey to Sepey, gare and from there with one change to the top of the Col des Mosses. Time required: in the best case just over an hour – in the worst case almost 1 hour and 45 minutes. There is a need for optimisation – nevertheless, it is worth looking for the right connection and making your way towards the Col des Mosses.

The Col des Mosses is the starting point for a magnificent circular hike called “Chemin au royaume de la Perle Emeraude”. This leads via Lioson d’en Bas to the Vers les Lacs plateau, which is used for alpine farming, and from there on to the Pic Chaussy. In the 1960s, this area was opened up by a gondola. However, this was shut down again in 1987 and dismantled in 2009 after demands from environmental protection associations. Fortunately – I am inclined to say at the sight of this seemingly “untouched” magnificent backdrop. The panoramic view on the Pic Chaussy extends from the Fribourg Pre-Alps with the striking Gastlosen to the Glacier 3000 above Les Diablerets. And in the middle of this wonderful landscape, Lac Lioson shimmers like an emerald pearl – as the name of the circular hike aptly sums it up. For this, every single drop of sweat that accumulates during the 900 meter ascent is worth it.

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Afterwards, with a view of Lac Lioson, you head down into the valley to the Lac Lioson restaurant, which is located directly on the lakeshore and is a popular weekend excursion destination. Many of them only tackle the 1 kilometre (about 30 to 45 minutes) long ascent from the car park at the reservoir above Lioson d’en Bas to the lakeshore. This option is ideal for a leisurely family outing with small children (the path between the lake and the parking lot is relatively wide and gravel throughout). For everyone else, however, I recommend the round via Vers les Lacs – and if you have the appropriate basic fitness, the additional ascent to the Pic Chaussy. For us, this is a real highlight in this mountain summer.

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Eckdaten der Tour Col des Mosses – Pic Chaussy – Lac Lioson

Starting point	Bushaltestelle Col des Mosses, Post Office
Length	10.5 kilometers
Elevation gain	↗ 944 m 944 m ↘
Duration	4:30 p.m.
Destination	Bushaltestelle Col des Mosses, Post Office

Tag 3: Path of Kuklos

The third day of hiking also starts with a magnificent view of the peaks of the Valais Alps, glowing fiery in the morning light. Today, as on the first day, we start the tour directly behind our hotel, where the second stage of the Tour des Alpes Vaudoise (Leysin – Col des Mosses) passes. This is where the “Chemin du Kuklos” takes place. This circular hike zigzags from Leysin up to La Berneuse and from there continues via Lac d’Aï and Lac Mayen back to Leysin. On the way, the trail passes the revolving restaurant Kuklos on the summit of the Berneuse as well as three rustic Alps with places to stop for refreshments.

I am critical of hiking trails that lead directly below cable cars. Why should I hike up when I could use the cable car? However, the ascent from Leysin to the Berneuse leads over a really beautiful mountain path, which for me offers both the perfect ground (not too rocky, not too rooty) and a great gradient ratio (constantly climbing, without being “really” steep) and thus offers the ideal environment for slope training. For me, conquering inclines is usually more of a mental thing than pushing myself to my limits. And here it went so fast that instead of the signposted two hours, we needed just over an hour and reached the summit before the arrival of the first regular gondoli.

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Once at the top, you can either stop off at the revolving restaurant (with appropriate reservations) or curb your appetite a bit and continue hiking towards Alp Mayen. On this route, some works of art from this year’s open-air gallery “Ailyos” are waiting to be discovered.

Ailyos is a joint project of Aigle, Leysin and les Mosses, which will take place for the third consecutive year in 2020. Around 30 artists have thought about this year’s theme “Heaven and Earth” and created some of the works that are poetically and beautifully integrated into the landscape.

The fact that the hike functions as a walk through the open-air museum allows us to generously overlook the fact that we are guided over a tarred road between Alpwirtschaft Mayen and Le Temeley. Le Temeley is home to the alpine cheese dairy, where the locally known “Fromage d’Ai” is also produced. And if you’re not into cheese, you might enjoy a piece of fresh blueberry pie. The last section leads along the same path as we ascended. All in all, it was also a very varied round, which scores with a motivating ascent and varied refreshment stops.

Key data of the tour Leysin – Berneuse – Mayen – Leysin

Starting point	Leysin-Feydey railway station
Length	11.6 kilometres
Elevation gain	↗ 720 m 720 m ↘
Duration	4:00 p.m.
Destination	Leysin-Feydey railway station

Sleep better – our hotel tip for Leysin

Leysin is a sprawling village spread over several altitudes. Our accommodation – the “Le Grand Chalet” is located in the top row of houses, directly adjacent to the mountainside of the Berneuse, in less than 10 minutes walking distance of the train station Leysin-Feydey and/or Leysin Grand-Hôtel. The rooms are beautiful and renovated with lots of homely wood and if you have a room facing south, you can enjoy a fantastic panoramic view over Leysin to the Valais Alps.

Prices for a standard south-facing room range from 160 to 180 CHF (including breakfast). An accommodation that we can 100% recommend to you for your stay in Leysin. The hotel also has an outdoor jacuzzi and a nice restaurant. Only for a dinner in the village center – for example in the fromagerie – the location is suboptimal. On the other hand, you save valuable meters of altitude for the ascent to the Berneuse and Prafandaz.

Practical tips for your hiking weekend in the Leysin / Col des Mosses region

• Leysin can be reached from Aigle by the Aigle-Leysin rack railway in less than 30 minutes. From Leysin, a post bus connection leads to the Col des Mosses with one change in Seypey
• From Leysin, a gondola lift leads to La Berneuse, where the revolving restaurant Kuklos is located, with views from the Eiger to Mont Blanc.
• There is also a bike park on the Berneuse with various downhill trails
• If you like it adventurous and are immune to a fear of heights, you can also go on two Via Ferratas in Leysin. The Via Ferrata Plan Praz, just above the village centre of Leysin, and the Via Ferrata Tour d’Aï, which leads to the most striking peak in the area. According to the description, both via ferratas are not suitable for beginners and include some technical passages.
• Fondue, raclette or cheese slices can be found at almost every alpine restaurant. Another traditional restaurant is the “La Fromagerie“. The restaurant is located in a historic chalet in the centre and serves regional classics with home-made cheeses.