Moiry Hut: the loop hike from the dam

Key figures

A small trap: the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) time and elevation gain start from the far end of the lake, not from the dam. We started from the dam, so the walk is longer, hence our 3 hours.

Our experience

3 August: the climb

We had spent the night before in Sion so we could make an early start. It’s about an hour’s drive to the Moiry dam, in the Val d’Anniviers. Even before you start walking, the dam is impressive. Parking there is paid.

We hiked it as a loop:

• on the way up, follow the lake along its left shore (as you face it from the dam);
• on the way back, the next day, come down along the right shore, then cross the dam to get back to the car.

The result: you never walk the same trail twice.

Note: the dotted line is a sketch, not the exact path. On the ground, follow the trail markings, and download the route to a hiking app such as AllTrails to find your way.

We won’t lie: the climb is fairly steep. The trail is technical, and some sections run along drop-offs. Allow 1 hr 30 min from the dam to the first lake, Lac de Châteaupré, then 1 hr 30 min of climbing from the lake to the hut: 3 hours in all for about 600 m of elevation gain.

At the top, the reward: a close-up view of the glacier and its seracs.

The night at the hut

The hut was fully booked. We had reserved a month ahead, and most other dates were already gone.

Hut-style sleeping: we were in a 14-bed dorm, on 3 cm mattresses laid straight on the floor, with a very thin pillow. The hut also has 4-bed mini-dorms, which cost a little more (see the rates below).

Two things to know so you’re not caught out:

• Water. The hut is supplied by helicopter and the water isn’t drinkable. On site, a one-litre bottle cost 12 CHF. Fill your bottles before you set off.
• Meals. They’re included in half board. Don’t go up for the food: breakfast is basic and dinner simple, nothing more. But a hut is first and foremost a shelter: you come for a roof, a night at the foot of the glacier and an early start the next day.

Our bill: the official rate of 109 CHF per person for the night with dinner and breakfast, plus a packed lunch each (20 CHF) for the next day.

Late in the afternoon, the sky clouded over. Storms had been forecast; in the end, nothing fell. Before you go up, check the day’s mountain weather forecast carefully.

4 August: down the other shore

The next day, we came down along the right shore. On the way back there are two lakes, Lac de Châteaupré and Lac de Moiry, joined by a river.

The descent took us 1 hr 30 min in total to the dam, including 30 to 45 minutes from the hut to Lac de Châteaupré. Easier than the climb, but watch out if you have weak knees: it drops steeply.

How long does it take to hike to the Moiry hut?

From the dam, it took us 3 hours for about 600 m of elevation gain. If you start from the far end of the lake, the SAC gives 1 hr 30 min for 500 m of elevation gain, so the walk is shorter.

No car? In summer, the dam is served by PostBus (CarPostal) line 452 Vissoie – Grimentz – Moiry. In 2026 it ran daily from 27 June to 11 October. Check the current year’s timetable before you go.

How hard is the hike?

The SAC grades the normal route T3 on its mountain hiking scale. From the dam, we found the trail fairly steep and technical, with sections along drop-offs. Wear good hiking boots and come with some mountain hiking experience.

How much does a night at the Moiry hut cost?

For an adult who isn’t a Swiss Alpine Club member, in the dormitory, budget 109 CHF in 2026. That covers the bed, dinner, breakfast and the tourist tax. Online bookings are only possible with half board. The balance is paid at the hut, in cash or by card.

Add to your budget: water (12 CHF a litre when we were there), the next day’s packed lunch (20 CHF) and paid parking at the dam.

When and how to book?

As early as possible, and online only. In peak season, allow at least a month. The good news: you can cancel or change your booking on the website up to 48 hours before arrival (6 pm). Under the 2026 terms, bank and admin fees are deducted from any refund.

For the 2027 season, the hut says bookings open on 10 February 2027.

What should you bring?

Your checklist before you set off:

• Water for the climb and the evening: it isn’t drinkable at the hut.
• A sleeping bag liner (hut sheet): it’s required by the hut rules.
• Good hiking boots: the trail is steep and technical.
• A bag for your rubbish: here, you carry it back down.
• A way to pay: the balance is settled at the hut.
• Mobile data for Switzerland: Switzerland isn’t in the EU, and many plans, including UK and US ones, don’t include it by default. Check roaming charges with your carrier before you go, or get a travel eSIM such as Airalo, handy for downloading your hiking route.

And two house rules: arrive before 6 pm, and no dogs in the hut (2026 terms and conditions).

Which way to come down?

Along the right shore of the lake (still as you face it from the dam), then across the dam: that’s what we did, and the loop means you don’t retrace the way up. Our photos from 4 August 2026 (Lac de Châteaupré, the river, Lac de Moiry) were taken on this path.

Allow 1 hr 30 min from the hut to the dam. It’s easier than the climb, but the slope is steep: weak knees will remember it.

How do you book the hut?

The hut can only be booked on its official website, cabane-moiry.ch.

We had driven from France, with the Swiss motorway vignette bought online. After the hut, we headed to Lausanne and Lake Geneva for four nights: quite a contrast after a night in a mountain hut. All our articles about the country are on the Switzerland page.