1. La Marlenaz (8km)
La Marlenaz is a small Chalet restaurant located under of Pierre Avoi. Starting from Verbier center, around the sports center, it is a very pleasant and simple itinerary on well-designed trails where the dogs are more than welcome. At the top of the trail is the restaurant where we often stop for a tea or a piece of fruit pie to admire the beautiful view over the valley.
Full itinerary
2. Croix-de-Coeur via les Planards (8km)
Summer and winter alike, the climb to Croix de Coeur is a bit the go-to trail for Verbier regulars. Direct, simple, and efficient, this vertical path is well marked and avoids the skis slopes in winter. It is a short route that we really appreciated for our race training. Of course, dogs are welcome on the path. We sometimes stop at Le Namaste for a bite or refreshment on our way down to the center.
3. Cabane de Louvie from Fionnay (8km)
For this hike, you'll need a car to get to Fionnay, 30 minutes from Verbier. This trail leads to Lac de Louvie, a lake in a nature reserve hidden between two mountain peaks. The route is short but steep from the start, with a few cliffs to watch out for. At the end, the cabane de Louvie, on the shores of the small lake, awaits you with its typical Swiss dishes.
4. Cabane Mt-Fort from Les Ruinettes (8km)
This legendary hut, located on the Haute Route, offers one of the most exceptional views of the mountains around Verbier. The spectacular panorama includes Mont Blanc and the Grand Combin. The traditional, cosy alpine atmosphere and the tasty local dishes make it a must-see destination. The itinerary starts at Les Ruinettes, the first stop with the cable-cars from Medran. From there, take the footpath along the mountain to Le Dahu, a popular restaurant on the slopes in winter. The final stretch to the Cabane is short but intense.
5. Les Chutes du Biss (10 km)
If you have tired legs and looking for an easy running trail, this one fits quite perfectly. The climb is short and sweet, passing la Marlenaz, and leading to a stupefying view of where le Biss falls from the mountain. In the second half of the path, after La Malernaz is in the forest and follows the Biss which is perfect for the dogs to cool down. Most of the trail is actually downhill and therefore great to train your downhill running endurance.
6. Le Col de la Marlène (10km)
In order to vary the route a little and to gain altitude, this trail takes you towards the Pierre Avoie, but forks just before and takes you directly to the summit of Savoleyres.
This route is particularly nice for a trail because it has some running parts as well as some downhill. Also, the dogs can be let free the entire hike! During the high summer season, this trail is particularly popular due to its ease and accessibility as it is possible to park directly at the planard.
Full itinerary
7. Savoleyres via Les Planards (12km)
This route is an extension of the "Croix-de-Coeur via les Planards" trail. The ascent is the same except that the arrival point is a few kilometers higher in Savoleyres - the end of the ski lift. We do not recommend this route in winter with dogs because the last part of the trail runs along the ski slopes where skiers descend at full speed. In summer, however, the path is clear. Most of the time, we actually do not run downhill if we get to the top. Rio's little paws preferred to take the cable car back down to the station for a well-deserved rest. For this trail, be careful on hot summer days. There is no forest to hide in the shade and one small river for the dogs to cool down.
8. Les Ruinettes via Croix-de-Coeur (13km)
Another version of the Croix-de-Coeur trail, but here at the top of croix-de-coeur, you turn left onto a long flat running segment to Les Ruinettes. We quite this option as we can free and shake off our legs after a steep climb. it is also great for trail training and running endurance. For the dogs, it is actually the funny part where they can have fun and play around. You also going to be able to find some shadows in a tunnel dug into the mountains. The flat segment leads to Les Ruinettes, the Médran cable car. A few options are available here: either run downhill back to Verbier, take the cable car down, or continue your trail to Le Dahu, or La Cabanne Mt Fort, or Le Lac des Vaux.
9. La Pasay (15km)
La Pasay is a trailing route in the domain of Bruson, right in front of Verbier, on the other side of the valley. In winter like in summer, this trail is perfect to train your climbing speed, and the path is quite beautiful. The trail crosses many forests which provide shades on hot summer days for the dogs. Also, in winter, we only met a few skiers on their way down, however reaching the top, we need to put the dogs on leash as we're crossing a few slopes before the summit. We usually stop for a hot chocolate in the restaurant at the top.
10. Cabane Mt Fort from Verbier (16km)
If La Cabane Mt Fort trail is too easy for you or if you are looking to extend it, the starting point of the trail can be pushed back down at Le Rouge, at the Verbier stations. In Winter, this trail up to Le Dahu is along the slopes and can be quite dangerous with and without dogs as you are crossing slopes and facing skiers speeding down. However, in summer, the only thing you going to come across are the VTTs which have their own marked trail. The rest of the mountain is yours.
11. La Cabane Brunet (15.8km)
Cabane Brunet is one of my favorites! Not being on the ski area, the climb to the hut goes through a huge forest above the village of Lourtier. The hut is the rallying point for several passes and summits such as Mt Rogneux, Col des Avouillons or the Grand Combin. It is a perfect hike to do with our dogs as there are no skiers going down into the forest, nor are there any dangerous parts. The only drawback of this climb is that it is mostly in the shade because of the forest. We are careful to take the dogs only when the weather is good because they can get cold very quickly (especially our little Rio). Read the blog post on this trail.
12. Lac des Vaux via Les Attelas (18km)
This trail is our favorite long trip in Verbier. The difficulty lies in the downhill part which represents more than 60% of the trail. You can go the other way around if you rather go up than down. The highlight of this itinerary is without doubt the lake. This beautiful dark blue lake offers a magnificent view arriving from the top of Attelas, and it is the perfect stop to rest and refresh the dogs. Read the blog post on this trail.
13. Mt-Rogneux ( 18.9km)
Our, yet so far, longest winter training trail (back-country ski trip) is the accent to Mt Rogneux. The first part of this route is Cabane Brunet itinerary. The second, and most exciting part, comes after the hut, where the forest disappears and the rocky path starts. Even if the trail to Mt Rogneux is in a high-mountain section, the road is pretty much defined as this is a very popular ascent on sunny days. However, it is still important to follow the high-mountains rules for this section of the trail. In winter, we would recommend to not taking the dogs with you, unless they are trained for this. In summer, the dogs would need to be on a leash to avoid rock falling and other accidents for you and the other hikers.
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