Elysium 2010
Trient Valley
The lower part of this valley is so difficult that there is no road to cross it, even it would be the most direct way between the Chamonix region and Central Wallis/Valais Central. The Trient river originates in the Mont Blanc group and ends into the Rhône as is breaks throught toward North, out of the Alps. Are these two events related?
It is rather unprobable that water alone would have been able to break through the 3000 m high mountain chain North of Valais/Wallis. There is a general agreement that the giant Rhône Glacier made the job during the several great glaciations from one million years ago. The arrival of the Trient Valley in the middle of the breakthrough may be significant in this perspective, because even during the last glaciation, the ice in the Vallée de l'Arve (Chamonix) was as high as 2800 m ! That's to say that the ice flow was probably on two directions, not only downwards toward Geneva and Lyon, but also backwards, eastwards, toward Central Wallis where the ice war "only" at 2400 m., far over the lower Col des Montets (1460 m) and then down the Trient Valley directly into the mountains where the Rhône achieved its breakthrough out of the Alps. The Trient and Rhône valleys are full of Mont Blanc granit stones, rounded by a very long travel into glaciers.
The only crossing through the lower Trient Valley is a secondary railway, the Mont Blanc Express, between Martigny (Valais/ Wallis) - Chamonix and even, Saint Gervais (France) The lower Trient Valley is doubtless the most difficult part with many tunnels and bridges.
Without any traffic, this lower valley is very wild, beautiful and interesting for anyone who is ready for a long and somewhat Rock & Roll (even, gorges and cliffs) trekking.
Trient Valley
The lower part of this valley is so difficult that there is no road to cross it, even it would be the most direct way between the Chamonix region and Central Wallis/Valais Central. The Trient river originates in the Mont Blanc group and ends into the Rhône as is breaks throught toward North, out of the Alps. Are these two events related?
It is rather unprobable that water alone would have been able to break through the 3000 m high mountain chain North of Valais/Wallis. There is a general agreement that the giant Rhône Glacier made the job during the several great glaciations from one million years ago. The arrival of the Trient Valley in the middle of the breakthrough may be significant in this perspective, because even during the last glaciation, the ice in the Vallée de l'Arve (Chamonix) was as high as 2800 m ! That's to say that the ice flow was probably on two directions, not only downwards toward Geneva and Lyon, but also backwards, eastwards, toward Central Wallis where the ice war "only" at 2400 m., far over the lower Col des Montets (1460 m) and then down the Trient Valley directly into the mountains where the Rhône achieved its breakthrough out of the Alps. The Trient and Rhône valleys are full of Mont Blanc granit stones, rounded by a very long travel into glaciers.
The only crossing through the lower Trient Valley is a secondary railway, the Mont Blanc Express, between Martigny (Valais/ Wallis) - Chamonix and even, Saint Gervais (France) The lower Trient Valley is doubtless the most difficult part with many tunnels and bridges.
Without any traffic, this lower valley is very wild, beautiful and interesting for anyone who is ready for a long and somewhat Rock & Roll (even, gorges and cliffs) trekking.