We opted out of hiking up the Haut de Cry - as apparently the rock is very unstable and should be done when the ground is frozen so you can get footholds in! It turned out to be a great idea to walk around the Mont Gond which is in between Derborence & the col du Sanetsch. We started off in the cow fields and soon found ourselves in a 'lapiaz' - a carsistic formation of limestone which has been worked-out by the elements (mainly water). Just overhead we had a juvenile gypaète flying in the bright blue sky! What a wing span, even for a young one!! Then up and over the col to the other side which was really a lunar pile of shale with massive rivulets from rainstorms.
Then it was picnic time with 25 to 30 bouquetins females with their young ones eating as well, the males with their huge horns were lying in the sun watching it all. The views were stupendous, the whole range of Valaisan Alpes from the Monte Leone to the Matterhorn, Grand Combin all the way to the Mont Blanc on one side; and the Sanetsch area to the Diablerets and Muverans - wow!