The Dents du Midi

The mythical mountain range of the Region and the entire Portes du Soleil domain, the Dents du Midi are composed of 7 peaks over 3,000 meters high dominated by the Haute-Cime (3,257 meters).

The rugged, 3 kilometre-long silhouette of the Dents du Midi mountain range dominates the Illiez and the Rhone valleys and is clearly visible from as far away as the shores of Lake Geneva. The 7 vertiginous summits are our ever present guardians and have been an iconic local landmark since time immemorial.

In 2018, this legendary mountain range becomes the icon of an entire valley and borrows its image to become "Région Dents du Midi".


"Walkers, hikers and trail runners"

One of the oldest hiking tours in the Canton of Valais, the Tour des Dents du Midi was inaugurated in 1972. Adventurous mountaineers and hikers can circumnavigate the iconic mountain range in two, three or four days, enjoying the stark contrasts in landscape between the glacial peaks and the verdant alpine meadows. Experienced mountain runners complete the tour in less than a day, on the Trail des Dents du Midi (7 Summits Challenge) race.


"Natural wonders"

The Dents du Midi are our very own 7 natural wonders. Their shady forests, steep rocky mountainsides, rivers, lakes and glaciers here are home to countless species of fauna and flora. Keep a watchful eye out for wildlife when you’re hiking; you might spot a local chamois, ibex, marmot or ptarmigan. If you’re really lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of a spectacular, and rare, Bearded Vulture or its 'bald' cousin, the Griffon Vulture.


"Name changes over the centuries"

Cime de l'Est (3'178 m)
The Cime de l'Est was known as the Mont de Novierre up to the middle of the 17th century. Following the rockfalls in 1635 and 1636 it was called Mont Saint Michel and then the Dent Noire until the 19th century.

La Dent Jaune (3'186 m) :
The Dent Jaune was known as the Dent Rouge as late as 1879.

Les Doigts (3'210 m) :
The Doigt de Champéry (1882) and the Doigt de Salanfe (1886) later became, simply, Les Doigts.

La Haute Cime (3'257 m) :
The highest of the 7 peaks, the Haute Cime has also been know by many names. The Dent de l'Ouest (1874), Dent du Midi, Dent de Tsallen et Dent de Challent.

L'Éperon (3'114 m) :
Several ruptures in the massif changed the shape of the teeth so that the names adapted according to the geological evolution. It is assumed that the Spur had two peaks but a landslide in the Middle Ages significantly changed its peak.


"First Climbs"

Cime de l'Est (3'178 m) on 16th August 1842 by Nicolaz Delez
Forteresse (3'186 m) on 7th June 1870 by E. Javelle et J. Oberhauser
La Cathédrale (3'160 m) in 1890 by Nicolas Delez
La Haute Cime (3'257 m) in 1784 by the vicar Jean-Maurice Clément