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2007 Zermatt Marathon
The first half of this route climbs up through the meadows to Thyon, high above Veysonnaz. The return to Veysonnaz crosses the famous Piste de l'Ours and descends on small paths through a very pleasant forest. Marmots are common on the higher parts of this route.
1. Turn left at the main door of the apartment building (Mont Rouge), and follow the road for a few hundred metres through the resort to the road junction just past the Greppon Blanc restaurant. Turn sharp left here up the hill, following the signs for the tennis courts - just after passing the play park on the right the road crosses the Bisse de Vex. Continue up the road and shortly after crossing the bisse turn right onto a track (signposted "Thyon, Les Combes"), follow this for a few metres then turn left onto another track, then right again, this time onto a narrow rocky path which climbs up through some trees and meadows. The path soon reaches a vehicle track - follow this track as it bends round to the right to join a road.
2. Turn left along the road, then soon turn right (at a small painted yellow arrow) onto a narrow path that leads up a small gully - the path is indistinct for the first few metres. This path soon reaches the road again - this time turn right and follow the road to a hairpin bend. At the bend turn right then left - following the signs for "Thyon". The narrow road climbs up through the meadows of Les Combes. At a junction just before the telécabine, turn left along a level road which passes under the telécabine and into the forest.
3. Where the
road enters the forest, turn right up a small path, which crosses the
road then heads into the forest (this walking route can be shortened by
heading back to Veysonnaz from here - to do this follow the description
onwards from point 6 below). After about 400 metres, turn right
onto a larger track, signposted for "Thyon". Just after a left
hairpin bend at the edge of the forest, turn right up a steeper path,
the right again at a signposted junction. This path leads out of
the forest and under the telécabine through scattered larch
woodland. About 250 metres after passing under the
telécabine, take the small signposted path left up a wooded spur
towards Thyon.4. The small path passes through some scattered larch trees (and gentians in May / June), then levels out as it approaches the top of the telécabine. If you are lucky you may see marmots in this area. Just before the top of the telécabine (at the foot of a short steep slope), turn left and follow the signposted path across the top of the Piste de l'Ours and through some woodland to the car park at Thyon 2000. Follow the road downhill around a left bend then a right hairpin bend. About 400 metres past the hairpin bend turn left onto a footpath that heads into the forest - signposted "Veysonnaz" and "Gouilly d'en Haut".
5.
Follow the path through the forest to the pond of "Gouilly d'en Haut",
which is a pleasant place to rest a while in the peaceful forest, and
perhaps bathe tired feet. 
The path then crosses the
Piste de l'Ours - the path back into the forest on the other side of
the piste is not obvious. It starts a short way below
the snow machine, but not as far down as the telécabine
pylon. As you cross the piste, keep an eye out for marmots lower
down by the pylon. Once in the forest, the path is marked by
yellow diamonds painted on the trees. Follow the path as it winds
down through the forest, crossing a couple of larger tracks along the
way. About 800 metres after crossing the piste the path comes to
a junction with the uphill route. Follow the signpost for
"Veysonnaz", turning left onto a larger track, round a hairpin bend,
then left again down a small path through the forest to reach the road
at the edge of the forest. Cross the road and follow the road
down the edge of the forest which shortly crosses the road again.
6. Continue
down the small path down the edge of the forest to reach a large
track. Turn right along this track into the forest, then in about
100 metres turn left down a track which leads back to the edge of the
forest and joins a road. Follow the road under the
telécabine, the turn right down a steeper path which passes the
Restaurant de Caboulis to reach a large track. Turn right along
the track, then left onto another track which leads downhill for 50
metres until a small path leaves it on the right (look for a pink sign)
and heads down through the trees. The path leads under the
telécabine to the tennis courts, then follow the road downhill
past the bisse and the playpark to the Greppon Blanc restaurant.
Either turn right and follow the road through the resort back to Mont
Rouge, or stop at the Greppon Blanc for some well earned refreshment.Forêt du Magrappe and the Bisse de Vex - distance 4.5km, 1 hour
Clèbes and the Bisse de Salins - distance 5km, 1.5 hours
Verrey and the Bisse de Vex - distance 6km, 1.5 hours
Forêt de Salins and the Bisse de Salins - distance 7.5km, 2 hours
The Bisse de Vex, Forêt Noire, and the Bisse de Salins - distance 12km, 2.5 to 3 hours
Thyon, the Piste de l'Ours, and Forêt du Magrappe - distance 11km, 3 to 3.5 hours