Val d'Hérens is an
alpine valley in the
Valais
Valais ( , ; ), more formally, the Canton of Valais or Wallis, is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion, Switzer ...
canton of
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
. It was formed by the Hérens glacier, which retreated at the end of the last
ice age
An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages, and g ...
. It is now the valley of the ''Borgne'' river, a tributary of the
Rhone (confluence above
Sion).
It extends from the
Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...
valley to a number of high mountains -
Dent Blanche,
Dent d'Hérens
The Dent d'Hérens (4,173 m) is a mountain in the Pennine Alps, lying on the border between Italy and Switzerland. The mountain lies a few kilometres west of the Matterhorn.
Notable summits along the east ridge are Punta Bianca (3917 m), th ...
,
Mont Collon,
Mont Blanc de Cheilon. It is a popular start point for mountain expeditions.
The area has two mountain peaks over 4,000 metres in altitude: ''la Dent Blanche'' ("white tooth") at 4,357 m, and ''la Dent d'Hérens'' ("Hérens tooth") at 4,171m. Other noteworthy peaks along the valley include: Grand Cornier, Mt Collon, Pigne d'Arolla, Vouasson, Rosablanche, and Mt Blanc de Cheillon.
The
Herens breed of cattle is named after the valley.
The valley includes the following villages:
*
Les Haudères
*
Grande Dixence
*
La Sage
*
Evolène
*
Euseigne
*
Saint-Martin
*
Hérémence
*
Thyon Les Collons
*
Mase
Mason Durell Betha (born August 27, 1975), better known by his stage name Mase (often stylized as Ma$e), is an American rapper. Best known for his work with Sean Combs, Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs' Bad Boy Records, he signed with the label in 1996 ...
*
Vernamiège
*
Vex
*
Nax
Above Les Haudères, the valley separates into the valley of the ''Borgne de
Ferpècle'' to the east and the ''Borgne d'
Arolla'' to the west.
External links
Web site (in French, German and English)
Landforms of Valais
Val Dherens
Herens
{{Valais-geo-stub