Built in 1862, the Bisse de Chervé is the highest and most alpine of the bisses in the region. It takes its source at 2,370 metres above sea level and runs at an altitude of more than 2,200 metres throughout its entire length, offering breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding forests, the Rhone Valley and the turquoise waters of the Cleuson Dam lake.

Although the water no longer flows there, some evidence still bears witness to the titanic work carried out to dig this channel linking Cleuson to the mountain pastures of Thyon, the construction of which was intended to allow irrigation of these pastures. Some elders say that its use only lasted a few years, while others say that the water never flowed over the entire route... We'll never know the full story !

In any case, despite the fact that the Bisse de Chervé has been abandoned for many years, it is still possible to follow it thanks to its well-maintained hiking trail. What luck !

A BISSE, WHAT IS IT ?

The bisses were originally irrigation channels that diverted water from the rivers to water the farm land crops growing on the mountain slopes. They are true historical relics and bear witness to the Valaisans' relentless fight against drought. It is their construction that makes them so special. Indeed, these channels had to adapt to the different terrain and environments encountered along the way, giving rise to impressive workmanship, especially when we imagine what the means of construction were at the time. The bisses of our region take their source from the Printse, a river that flows along our valley. Of the eight bisses located in Nendaz, six still have water flowing within their banks and are still carrying out their original task of irrigation.