Skimo

Col Collon from Place Moulin Dam

The majestic environment of the Col Collon

Details

Place Moulin Dam

Departure location

Bionaz

Municipality

challenging

Effort

Difficulty

1.124 m

Ascent vertical drop

4h 10m

Ascent time

Description

Services in the surroundings

Lac Place Moulin

Bionaz 519 m

Lac Place Moulin

Bionaz 519 m

Nearby attractions

Place Moulin Dam

Bionaz 47 m

Details

Place Moulin Dam

Departure location

Bionaz

Municipality

challenging

Effort

Difficulty

4h 10m

Ascent time

1.980 m

Starting elevation

3.080 m

Arrival elevation

1.124 m

Ascent vertical drop

11.000 m

Total length

Apr - May

Best period

medium

Crowding

Overview

Col Collon is a pass on the border between Italy and Switzerland, at the end of the long Comba d'Oren and is set in an enchanting glacial setting. It can be considered both as the final destination for a day trip and as a gateway to the ski mountaineering peaks in the area, such as the Punta Kurz to the east or the Becca d'Oren to the west, whose climbs require the proper equipment.The itinerary is purely late spring, when it is possible to drive to the Place Moulin Dam parking lot, as well as to be able to do the route with the right safety and snow conditions. This is a very long route, due to the initial shift along the Place Moulin Dam, so it is advisable to use one of the two huts on the route as support points during their opening period, namely the Prarayer Hut and the Nacamuli Hut.

Reaching the start

From the Aosta East tollbooth take the tunnel along the E27 road leading into the Great St. Bernard Valley, at the end of which you meet the SS27 coming from the center of Aosta. Just before Gignod, immediately after the last tunnel, proceed to the right following the SR28 of Valpelline, reaching the capital.Continue on the SR28 passing Oyace and Bionaz, then continue to the end of the road at the Place Moulin Dam, where there are numerous paid parking lots.

The route

From the parking lot of the Place Moulin Dam, continue along the small road on the left bank that runs along the entire dam, with a few slight ups and downs, and in about 5 km reaches the Prarayer Refuge, a possible support point. A few hundred meters before the hut, after the chapel of La Lé, follow the track to the left that enters the short forest going up a hump and arriving in the vicinity of the hut Praz Mondzou dèsot 2070 m.You enter the first part of the very long Comba d'Oren, passing on the left bank until you reach the huts Grand Oren 2165 m, where depending on the snow cover you can stay high on the summer trail, or on the bottom of the gorge if the stream is covered by snow.Quickly you pass Alpe Garda 2216 m and then with little incline climb the entire lower part of the comb under the steep slopes of Becca Vannetta.You pass a morainic hump on the right entering Plan du Gan where the main gorge bends sharply northward; shortly after at about 2500 m you meet the detour of the path to Rifugio Nacamuli, which in snowy conditions with skis is not practicable, so you continue following the course of the gorge that gradually increases in slope.At 2580 m, continue to the right where a steeper gully originates, near the stream's furrow, giving access to the upper part of the Comba d'Oren at 2750 m where the Rifugio Alessandro Nacamuli 2828 m can already be seen high on the left, on rocky ramparts.Without reaching the hut (unless you go overnight to split the hike into two days) you continue into the vast former glacial plain below the hut, until you return up along a kind of gully in a northerly direction, leaving the rocky barrier of Punta Kurz to the right.At the end of the steepest section, you reach the basin that houses the glacial pond of Col Collon, and with a short level path you can reach the pass where a fine cross is placed.From here the most skilled and trained, as well as adequately equipped, can continue toward the more challenging and alpine climbs to Punta Kurz 3498 m, or Becca d'Oren est 3522 m.The pass is also a destination for multi-day ski mountaineering traverses to nearby refuges, Refuge des Bouquetins on the Glacier d'Arolla and Refuge Aosta via the col du Mont Brulé.