Randonnée pédestre

The hidden side of Barberine

Finhaut

Easy

Welcome to the page dedicated to the educational trail The hidden face of Barberine!

Here you'll find an in-depth text on the construction of the dam, as well as previously unpublished photos from the SBB and Usine du Châtelard archives.

Acces

The trail can be taken either uphill (from the Montuires VerticAlp station to the Emosson dam) or downhill (from the Emosson dam to the Montuires VerticAlp station).

Here you'll find VerticAlp schedule and prices, the ideal way to access this tour.

Itinerary DESCRIPtion

As you tread along this educational trail, you'll discover "The hidden face of Barberine", your senses awakened by this fabulous saga. The story of the first dam to be built in the Haute Vallée du Trient is told to you along this route, which is packed with information revealing its construction, the precursor of a great adventure linked to water. Admire the journey of this tiny drop of water, which by the simple fact of falling from the sky, helped to provide the electricity needed to power the engines of the locomotives belonging to the CFF (Compagnie des Chemins de Fers Fédéraux).

Along the way, your attention will be caught by the discovery of a particular vestige: the water tower. This consists of a reservoir with a surge chamber in a room that houses an exhibition of photographs tracing the stages in the construction of the various structures.

Further information

Here is an extract from the book Entre Valais et Mont Blanc, un sommet d'ingéniosité et d'énergie renouvelable (2009), from which some of the information on the panels has been taken.

1925 : L'aménagement de Barberine, N. Fasel et G. Lugon-Moulin, pp. 35-52