Snowshoeing

Alpe Menouve from Prailles

The fountain in front of the mountain pasture

From the mountain pastures into the valley

The alpine pasture is protected by the forest

Details

Prailles

Departure location

Etroubles

Municipality

average

Effort

Difficulty

4.0

Rating

351 m

Ascent vertical drop

2h 35m

Total time

Description

Stunning winter hike in the heart of the Vallon de Menouve, among forests and glades dotted with alpine pastures.
The hike takes place entirely along the route of a farm road that follows the course of the stream. While it presents no particular risk, it is a hike that should be undertaken with the correct snow conditions.
The trail is of medium length and with a moderate elevation gain, however, it requires a minimum of training, especially in case there is no trail beaten by other hi...

Services in the surroundings

CARREFOUR

Etroubles 1.212 m

Food and Tobacco of Crippa Stefano (C/O Marronners)

Etroubles 1.062 m

Nearby attractions

Château Verdun

Saint-Oyen 1.904 m

Vachéry Tower

Etroubles 730 m

Reviews

31/12/2024

biella10

Description

Messo ciaspole da subito. Dieci gradi sopra zero. Si può salire anche senza le racchette da neve.

More info

Road access: Ok.

Upper section snow: Powder

Lower section snow: Powder

Snow altitude: 1700

Details

Prailles

Departure location

Etroubles

Municipality

average

Effort

Difficulty

1h 30m

Ascent time

1h 5m

Descent time

2h 35m

Total time

1.557 m

Starting elevation

1.908 m

Arrival elevation

351 m

Ascent vertical drop

8.300 m

Total length

Signposts

Dec - Jan - Feb - Mar

Best period

low

Crowding

4.0

Rating

Overview

Reaching the start

From the Aosta East tollbooth, take the tunnel that leads into the Great St. Bernard Valley and continue along it, passing the villages of Gignod and Etroubles.
Just before Saint-Oyen, turn right, following the signs for Prailles.
Go up the municipal road for about 4 km until you reach the small village of Prailles Dessous, the starting point of the itinerary.
Leave your car in the small parking lot of the hamlet.

The route

From the parking area, go past the last houses of Prailles taking the almost flat farm track that immediately enters the Vallon de Menouve, with trail marker no.20 (where visible).
You will meet a first fork on the right where the paths (20,20B and Alta Via no.1) that descend to cross the stream, continuing on the main track that enters the coniferous forest.
With no possibility of error, faithfully follow the road that makes a few hairpin bends and then a long straight stretch until you reach a clearing, at the edge of a wide snowy pasture.
Following the next series of hairpin bends again, you reach a plateau below Alpe Comba German 1865 m, visible by looking up to the left.
The beautiful valley now opens up in front, the road continues with modest gradient and flat sections; at 1855 m, you leave out the detour to the left for Comba German and find trail no. 20 which returns to follow the track of the farmstead.
A little further on you reach Alpe Menouve 1908 m, set slightly higher than the road at the edge of the forest.
It is advisable to continue further into the wide valley that widens with the vast plateau called Grand Menouve, where cattle graze in the summer.
For those who wish to lengthen the hike further, once the end of the shelf is reached, at the confluence of the upper Molline and Menouve valleys, placed on the right is the large Arvus 1983 m alpine pasture, on the slopes of the hump that supports the Molline Bivouac (reachable in summer by a pleasant hike).