Alittlebitoutoffocus

Alittlebitoutoffocus

When I got back to the car park after my walk up Bella Lui, I thought I’d have a quick look at the Bisse du Ro. I wasn’t planning on doing the whole route, of 5 km (3 miles) there and 5 km (3 miles) back, but there was a sign at the start saying it was closed in 2 km (1.25 miles), so I thought I’d do what I could.

This of course meant that if I had been able to continue on my intended route over Bella Lui and down the path from the Col de l’Arpochey, I would have been stuck on the other side of whatever blockage there was. So it was a good job I did turn around when I did. 😊

As you will see, it’s not a route recommended for anyone with vertigo!

18 responses

  1. blhphotoblog Avatar
    blhphotoblog

    Well that must have been an interesting job constructing that channel and indeed the modern walkway….think I’ll give it a miss.

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    1. Alittlebitoutoffocus Avatar
      Alittlebitoutoffocus

      Most of it is perfectly safe, though there was a section, where the path was only 4 feet wide and the drop off to the left was pretty steep. (And I mean fall to your death steep). It would never be allowed in the UK, due to ‘elf and safety!

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    2. Alittlebitoutoffocus Avatar
      Alittlebitoutoffocus

      P.S. I also meant to make a little joke about the flag on pic 10 being the new Union Jack after Scotland leave…

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  2. Bug Woman Avatar
    Bug Woman

    Strewth….some of those walkways look as if they’re just dangling off of the rockface. So spectacular though! I must do some walking in Switzerland one of these days…

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    1. Alittlebitoutoffocus Avatar
      Alittlebitoutoffocus

      Well, yes, they are attached to the rockface – but hopefully fixed with typical Swiss precision! And, yes, you should visit Switzerland. You would love the abundance of flowers in late June/July. There are superb walks all over the country. Check out this website and expand the Hiking option on the left (with the +) and then select Regional or National routes or, zoom into an area and select local. (I guess it’s the equivalent of the Ordnance Survey maps). https://map.schweizmobil.ch/?lang=en&photos=yes&bgLayer=pk&logo=yes&season=summer&resolution=250&E=2631750&N=1189000

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  3. DavidH Avatar
    DavidH

    Wow. Amazing views. But not a walk for even vaguely vertigo-suffering ramblers. Like me. The people who built those walkways must’ve been made of pretty stern stuff.

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    1. Alittlebitoutoffocus Avatar
      Alittlebitoutoffocus

      I was amazed to read (see pic 10) that they counter-weighted the plank with stones as they moved it along cutting the holes. I think they must have also been crazy!

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  4. Hanna Avatar
    Hanna

    That path had never turned into anything if I had to stand for the work 😉😊
    Fabulous work!!

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    1. Alittlebitoutoffocus Avatar
      Alittlebitoutoffocus

      Yes, it’s amazing engineering (certainly for the time they were built). The bisses only drop maybe 50 to 100 metres over several kilometres.

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  5. Jet Eliot Avatar
    Jet Eliot

    Oh how dedicated the Swiss have been to their mountain walks. I love these photos, Mike, demonstrating the engineering of these paths, and the ingenuity. I can never fathom how these are built, so I espec. enjoyed reading the explanation. A plank pushed out in open space, loaded with stones to counter-balance. yikes. and yikes again! Terrific post.

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    1. Alittlebitoutoffocus Avatar
      Alittlebitoutoffocus

      Thank you Jet. It must have been a precarious business. (Just like some of those guys who built the New York skyscrapers that you see sitting having lunch on a girder!) At the end of the day, they obviously thought it necessary in order to water the crops to keep people fed (and wined, if you consider the vineyards as well!) 😊

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  6. M. Oniker Avatar
    M. Oniker

    Around here everyone pats themselves on the back for some basic conversion of an old railroad track into a walking path. Holy cats… plus, if you ever need a photo example of the word “trust” you have a few now.

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    1. Alittlebitoutoffocus Avatar
      Alittlebitoutoffocus

      There are 28 bisses around the Rhone valley (at least in our canton of the Valais) but not all have those death-defying walkways. I must have walked about 8, maybe even 10, of them now and I’d say 4 or 5 have some sections like that. I certainly trust the Swiss engineers, but the biggest danger is from rockfalls from above. I think that’s why the route must have been closed. That was certainly the case with the Bisse de Lens in February (see pic 21): https://alittlebitoutoffocus.com/2020/02/25/grande-bisse-de-lens-walk-valais-switzerland/ I would have continued on this route, to find out why it was blocked, but for 2 guys sitting at a bench near the closed sign. I will no doubt return next summer to complete the walk that I intended to do. 😊

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  7. Sandra Avatar
    Sandra

    This post was such an awesome discovery! The engineering behind the walkways, just amazing! This hike is not for everyone. Only the fearless! Thank you so much for sharing Mike!

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    1. Alittlebitoutoffocus Avatar
      Alittlebitoutoffocus

      I’m sure some parents must take their children along there, though I bet they hang on tight along some sections! 😱

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      1. Sandra Avatar
        Sandra

        My goodness, I can’t imagine! But I’m sure you’re right! 😳

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  8. bayphotosbydonna Avatar
    bayphotosbydonna

    Intimidating and intriguing paths, wow!!

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    1. Alittlebitoutoffocus Avatar
      Alittlebitoutoffocus

      Definitely unusual! 😊

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