Difficulty: Experienced (if you go to the summit, moderate to reach the hut)
Starting point: Ovronnaz
You can do this hike in one day (depends on your hiking conditions) or you can split it over two days and enjoy the view and landscapes!
We decided to split it over two days. The first day we left from Ovronnaz to Cabane Rambert where we spent the night. That hut is located at 2580m and offers a beautiful panoramic view over various famous peaks.
The hike to reach that hut starts smoothly if you take the cable lift to reach the top of the ski resort. You will cross at first green fields with scattered Larch trees (that must take beautiful red/yellow colors during fall). From the ski lift, you reach that hut in 2h30. Any other access will take you around 4 to 6 h. While the first part has a relatively mild elevation gain, the last part before the hut catches up the missing elevation in quite a steep way! But that last effort is definitely worth it!
If you are lucky enough you will encounter Ibexs and and Bearded Vultures along your journey.
After a good night of rest, we prepared our way to reach the top of Muveran.
As mentioned, that last ascent is quite demanding and most of the part is really exposed (very high drop if you fall, very little place for footsteps). During most of the journey up, you will have room for two feets next to each other, one section with a chain (and only one foot space) and one section with a chimney, where you will have to get close contact with the wall and climb up. That last part revealed to be the most difficult when going back down.
As it was the first of the kind for us, it was quite an impressive hike and slightly stressful, despite our mountain experience. I prefer to be transparent rather than tell you it was an easy moment and get you stuck into something you did not expect.
What I would also change here, is that we took the full package with us up there. If I had to do it again, I would leave most of it at the mountain hut and recover it on my way down. This would make some of the sections that required close wall contact or climbing less tricky.
Anyhow. The way up is not extremely long, but the experience is not something you will forget easily. The view from up there is breathtaking. Amazing. We had a quick lunch and went all the way back down to the hut.
After a short break, a drink and enjoying the sun, we walked all the way down back to the cable lift and the car.
Overall, that hike is memorable. Not only from the view that you can enjoy at the hut, but also the hike up and the emotions we experienced during our journey.
I’d definitely go back to the hut in the future. The hike up, who knows. Depends on what the future holds!
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