Yak Trekking

Yak trekking is a unique adventure in the Swiss Alps: A Himalayan feel in breathtaking scenery.

Be a nomad for a few days, live at the rhythm of the yaks, close to mountain nature and the elements surrounded by peaks of more than 4000m in altitude.

Trek up or down the Hérens Valley

This is a two-day trek from Vex to Les Haudères or Les Haudères to Vex which we do in spring (Mai-June), minimum of 4 people

Prize (night in tent) : CHF 220. - per person,  (portage, meals, yaks and guides included)
Night in dormitory: CHF 280.- per person (portage, meals, dormitory, yaks and guides included)

Two day treks in autumn

We organise individual two day treks for small groups in september. Possible itineraries are the mountain refuges Cabane des Aiguilles Rouges, Cabane de la Tza or Cabane des Becs de Bosson. We can also suggest you trek itinararies with camping in the mountains.

Prize: CHF 220.- per person (without half-board in the refuges), minimum 4 people

Contact us for more details: info@yakshuloche.ch

Trek from the Hérens Valley to the Valley of Zermatt

We follow part of the trail around the Matterhorn from La Sage in the Hérens Valley to Embd in the Valley of Zermatt. Four days of trekking, crossing four passes of more than 2800m, sleeping in tents.

Requirement: good physical condition (you must be able to climb huge differences in elevation daily, at altitudes ranging from 1500 and 3000m) you need to be at ease walking on and off small mountain trails on steep mountain pastures or boulders. The weather in the mountains can change quite suddenly and the wind and cold put an extra demand on the body.

Dates:

1 to 5 October 2010: Les Haudères - Embd
Arrival on the afternoon of the 1st October, visit the yaks, common supper, getting to know each other and explanation of the details of the trek and the work with the yaks
2nd - 5th: trek with 5-7 hours walk per day, camping in the mountains

12 to 16 October: Embd - La Sage
Arrival on the afternoon of the 12th October, visit the yaks, common supper, getting to know each other and explanation of the details of the trek and the work with the yaks
13th - 16th: trek with 5-7 hours walk per day, camping in the mountains

Prize: CHF 580. - per person (accommodation of the first night, meals, portage, yaks and guides included)

Number of people: 4-6 per trek

Contact us for more details: info@yakshuloche.ch

Trekking and QiGong

On request we organize treks with shorter legs leaving time to discover the mountain nature and relax through guided QiGong and Tai Chi practice.

Contact us: info@yakshuloche.ch

Organisation

Assistance: Two guides and herders who know the region and the yaks perfectly.

Dates: Contact us to find out which dates are possible. Please note that we don’t do any treks in July – we have to bring in the hay then.

Legs: 5-7 hours walk a day. Depending on the weather condition the trails might be modified. You need to be in good physical condition and be at ease in mountainous terrain.

Application: Register as soon as possible. We can only do a limited number of treks a year.

Deposit: Registration is only assured if you wire a deposit of 20% of the final price. The rest of the sum has to reach us two weeks prior to departure.

Cancellation: If you cancel the trek, we have to charge you cancellation fees.
Cancellation up to two weeks before departure: 20% of the total price (registration fee)
Cancellation up to one week before departure: 50% refund of the total price
No refunds will be provided 6 days or less prior to start date.

If we have to cancel a trek, all fees are refundable or transferable. If the trek has to be interrupted because of major reasons, we will refund an amount to define.

Insurance: You need to have personal insurance covering accidents including recue in the mountains.

Material: Take the minimum, only what is absolute necessary: sleeping bag, camping mattress (self-inflating), headlamp, army knife, hiking boots, sun glasses, sunscreen, water proof jacket, warm sweater, hat, gloves, small personal first aid kit and toiletry bag, water purification tablets (optional), day-pack, thermos or water bottle, pic-nic for the day, trekking poles. Put you things into a waterproof bag easy to load on the yaks (e.g. Ortlieb 22liter bag).

The yaks will carry your bags; every participant is allowed 5kg of personal luggage.

Tents: If you don’t have a tent, please contact us, we can provide one for you.

“Our green ideology”: Since we travel with yaks that carry our luggage, it is important to us to do the treks autonomously, i.e. without the additional use of a Landover. Since the loads the yaks can carry are restricted, we can only take items that are strictly necessary. We keep a basic expedition style comfort and cook simple meals on light camping stoves, but with good local products.
But if you would like to have more comfort, we can organize a trek where we sleep in mountain refuges.