Zinal to the Cabane du Petit Mountet

From the Les Plats de la Lé bus stop in Zinal, follow the tracks up the Plats de la Lée beside the Navisence river, then take the way that climbs to the right to the Cabane du Petit Mountet at 2,142 m, which overlooks the Zinal glacier. Return the same way. The walk ends at the hut: the glacier above it is not part of the walk.

It is 9.2 km there and back with 447 m of ascent; allow about 3½ hours. The hut's own page says to count 2 h to 2 h 30 on foot from Zinal to the hut (one way), with 460 m of ascent, and calls the way easy, fully accessible to families and walkers; Val d'Anniviers Tourisme gives 5.4 km, 1 h 56 and 467 m up for the route from Zinal. Ours starts at the Les Plats de la Lé stop and is 4.6 km each way; the tourist board's page does not say where its 5.4 km starts. Doubled, the published one-way times (1 h 56 and 2 h to 2 h 30) come to about 4 to 5 hours there and back, against our 3½. The grade is Moderate on our count (3.5 hours by DIN 33466), on tracks and mountain paths.

Val d'Anniviers Tourisme says the hut is open only in summer. The hut's own page lists it open from Thursday to Sunday from 1 to 31 October 2026 and closed in winter, with no dates for 2027. To stay the night the hut takes bookings by telephone or an online form; its page lists light meals all day, and the fondue evening, the hut menu with the overnight stay and a picnic to take away as on reservation. The pages say nothing about booking to walk up. Val d'Anniviers Tourisme describes a forest-path variant with slippery sections and places that need chains; 3.1 km of our line, there and back, is on a path mapped as mountain hiking (SAC scale) on OpenStreetMap above the Plats de la Lée.

PostAuto's network map for Sierre and the Val d'Anniviers shows line 453 from Vissoie by Ayer to Zinal, with stops at the cable car, Zinal centre, Les Plats de la Lé and the holiday village. The hut's page puts a bus stop and car park at the place called Singline. Look up the timetable before you go.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.