UP THE VALPELLINE - IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE FIRST MOUNTAINEERS
NATURE, CLEAN AIR
AND WONDERFUL OPEN SPACES
The Valpelline is full of paths and itineraries for all tastes and abilities. The uncontaminated landscapes and the beauty of our mountains will give you unforgettable moments in the open air and will allow you to rediscover the wonder of nature that surrounds us.
WE CLIMB THE VALPELLINE
IN FIVE DAYS
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE FIRST MOUNTAINEERS
What would you say to a journey on foot starting from Aosta and following paths and mule tracks all along the Valpelline, through natural environments and agricultural landscapes designed by the work of man, until you reach the alpine refuges of Prarayer and Nacamuli?
Nature, people, flavours, animals, culture, traditions and fun: these are the main ingredients of this hike to reach two alpine refuges in the upper Valpelline.
This trek takes you back to the first mountaineers who had to leave Aosta on the back of a mule to reach the great peaks of Valpelline. The slow ascent of the whole valley allows us to experience the environment, starting from Roman Aosta, then passing the Grand Arvout aqueduct bridge and the medieval Tornalla to reach the large dam of Place Moulin and finally almost touching the glaciers.
Far from mass tourism and ski lifts, the trek from Aosta to Bionaz is also the most beautiful and sustainable way to reach the head of the valley.
- Departure locality: Aosta
- Arrival locality: Place Moulin (Bionaz)
- Difficulty: excursionist (the more difficult Pas des Feuilles can be circumvented with a variant)
- Number of days: 5
- Best period: From July to September
- Starting altitude: 550 m
- Arrival altitude: 1980 m
- Maximum altitude: 2828 m
- Height difference in ascent: approx. 3600 m
- Height difference in descent: approx. 2300 m
- Total length: 59 km
- Total time: 21 h
Hotel:
Le Lievre amoureux
Guesthouse:
Souvenir de Tsaneli
Campsite:
Grand Combin
Restaurants:
Le Lievre amoureux
Farms:
La Petite Ferme du Bonheur
The Aosta railway station can be easily reached by train, near there is also the arrival of the bus, the timetables are available on the regional website in the transport section.
If you arrive by car, beyond the railway station, towards the Cogne area there are both paid and free car parks.
- Departure locality: Aosta
- Arrival locality: Valpelline
- Difficulty level: T
- Departure altitude: 550 m
- Arrival altitude: 945 m
- Maximum height: 945
- Height difference on ascent: 500 m
- Total length: 16 km
- Ascent time: 4h 15 '
- Descent time: 0h 20 '
- Signposts: 26, 103A, Cammino Balteo 3
- Exposure level: 0
From the railway station continue along the main street towards the centre of Aosta until you reach Chanoux Square where the Town Hall is located.
Turn right along Via Sant'Anselmo until you reach the Praetorian Gates. Just before on the right it is possible to see and visit (paying) the Roman theatre. Go through the Praetorian Gates and continue until you reach the majestic Augustus Arch. You will then reach the Buthier stream, coming from Valpelline, which you will skirt on the left.
At the end, turn right towards the Saumont area. At the roundabout, take a small tarmac road that leads to the hamlet of Comba. A short climb takes you to the regional road that leads to Roisan.
Follow it for a short stretch and then cross it, passing between the houses and starting to climb. After a lovely meadow, cross over to the left along the Tzamberlet protected area and finally reach the beautiful Gran Avout aqueduct bridge.
A short descent takes you down to the little bridge from where the monument can be seen in all its beauty, then climb up to reach Ru Pompillard. Now follow the flat path passing through the upper part of Roisan until you reach the regional road.
Cross it, go down to the small bridge and start climbing. After about a hundred metres of difference in height, take the little road on the right that descends to the beginning of Valpelline. Continue along the regional road as far as the roundabout at the entrance to the village. Continue along the pavement and, without crossing the bridge, pass between the houses and reach the little square in Valpelline.
From the Aosta Est motorway exit, continue in the direction of the Gran San Bernardo Tunnel. At the exit of the long tunnel take the Valpelline road on the right until you reach the village.
It can also be reached by bus from Aosta, timetables are available on the regional website in the transport section.
- Departure point: Valpelline
- Arrival locality: Dzovenno
- Difficulty: E
- Departure altitude: 945 m
- Arrival altitude: 1575 m
- Maximum height: 1575 m
- Height difference on ascent: 860 m
- Total length: 10.5 km
- Ascent time: 3h 15 '
- Descent time: 0h 30 '
- Signposts: s.n., 1, 3, s.n., 16
- Exposure level: 1
When you reach the main road, follow it to the right for a few dozen metres and then turn left onto the path.
The path climbs steeply for a few hundred metres to cross the rocky barrier and then continues between the larches in the direction of Oyace.
When you reach a fork, take the path on the right that descends to beautiful pastures where a rural road arrives. Follow the rural road until you reach the regional road again at a bend.
Follow it until you reach the church of Oyace.
Continue past the bakery and turn right onto the small road that runs through the village. You will then meet the regional road again and then follow a nice mule track with a fence on the right. After crossing the road again, you will reach the hamlet of Closé.
Continue along the regional road until almost reaching the houses of Places. Just beforehand, turn right and follow a track that crosses the meadow to reach the wood. Once you have reached it, climb up along a lovely path to a fork where you must turn left and continue the gentle climb through the larch wood until you reach a lovely clearing among the trees.
Follow it to the left and then take a wide path that leads to an asphalt road. Follow it to the left as far as the bend and then take the path to the right that leads to lago Lexert.
Walk along it on the right and then turn left onto the regional road to finish the stage.
Hotel:
Locanda Lac Place Moulin
Guesthouse:
Clè du Paradis
Alpe Rebelle
Restaurants:
Locanda Lac Place Moulin
From the Aosta Est motorway exit, continue in the direction of the Gran San Bernardo Tunnel. At the exit of the long tunnel take the Valpelline road on the right until you reach the village, continue along the main road passing Oyace and reaching Dzovenno.
Dzovenno can also be reached by bus from Aosta; timetables are available on the regional website in the transport section.
- Departure point: Dzovenno
- Place of arrival: Rif. Prarayer
- Difficulty: EE
- Departure altitude: 1575 m
- Arrival altitude: 2005 m
- Maximum altitude: 2310 m
- Height difference on ascent: 1450 m
- Total length: 17.7 km
- Ascent time: 5h 30 '
- Descent time: 1h 50 '
- Signposts: s.n., 3A, 4, 5, 3, s.n., 9
- Exposure level: 2
The trail now climbs up a steep wooded valley to reach a rural road at Alp Granron. Descend along the rural road until you reach the B&B Alpe Rebelle, then take a short stretch along the road and turn left onto the path.
You will then reach the beautiful clearing where the Chalon alpine pasture is located. From here, the trail climbs steeply through the larch forest, skirting the cogwheel track that leads to the La Tsa alpine meadow, which is located in a beautiful basin dominated by the great wall of the Tour de la Tsa.
The trail, which offers a spectacular view of the valley, crosses the steep mountainside to Pas des Feuilles. After an initial descent into the pastureland, you reach the equipped section, which should be done with care.
After this section, descend to cross the stream and walk along it until reaching the Grand Chamen alpine pasture. After a short stretch along the rural road, leave it and start crossing among the larch trees, go round the ridge and then descend to rejoin the tarmac road.
Follow it uphill until you reach the diga di Place Moulin. From this point, the only thing left to do is to walk along the large reservoir along the rural road until you reach the Rifugio Prarayer.
From the Aosta Est motorway exit, continue in the direction of the Gran San Bernardo Tunnel. At the exit of the long tunnel take the Valpelline road on the right until you reach the village, pass it and continue past Oyace to Bionaz. Without entering the village, turn left onto the road that leads to Place Moulin, where the road ends.
Only the main town of Bionaz can be reached by bus from Aosta, timetables are available on the regional website in the transport section.
- Departure point: Rif. Prarayer
- Arrival locality: Rif. Nacamuli
- Difficulty: EE
- Departure altitude: 2005 m
- Arrival altitude: 2828 m
- Maximum height: 2828 m
- Height difference on ascent: 823 m
- Total length: 5.8 km
- Ascent time: 2h 35 '
- Descent time: 0h 0 '
- Signposts: s.n., 8
- Exposure level: 2
From the hut, go back a short distance and then take the path on the right that leads to the Praz Mondzou Dessous alpine pasture.
Cross the small bridge and immediately go up to the right until you reach the huts of Grand Oren where you cross the path that goes up directly from the dam and that you will take the next day downhill.
Continue through the wide, flat valley until you cross the stream again and reach Alpe Garda.
The path, which is never steep, follows the direction of the stream until it reaches Plan Gan.
At this point, the valley has a considerable change of slope and becomes very steep. Go past the ramparts on the right along the path, with some equipped sections, which takes you to the basin below Col Collon. At this point the hut is clearly visible on the left of the valley and, after crossing the stream, is reached with a last stretch between the rocks smoothed by the glacier.
- Departure point: Nacamuli Refuge
- Place of arrival: Place Moulin
- Difficulty: EE
- Departure altitude: 2828 m
- Arrival altitude: 1980 m
- Maximum height: 2828 m
- Height difference on ascent: 0 m
- Total length: 8.4 km
- Ascent time: 0h 0 '
- Descent time: 2h 10 '
- Signposts: 8
- Exposure level: 2
- Total length: 5.8 km
- Ascent time: 2h 35 '
- Descent time: 0h 0 '
- Signposts: s.n., 8
- Exposure level: 2
From the mountain hut, follow the itinerary of the previous day until the huts of Grand Oren.
At this point, cross over to the right to get high above the lake.
You will reach a rural road that you will follow up to the pastures of Arpeyssaou. Go on for a few hundred metres and then take the path on the left that goes downhill and reaches the rural road just before the dam.
Valpelline All Season
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Associazione culturale Valpelline allseason by Naturavalp
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CF 91073910076
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