Hiking

Col Montagnayes from La Ferrère

At the bottom of the valley the Grandes Murailles

Details

La Ferrère

Departure location

Bionaz

Municipality

challenging

Effort

Difficulty

1.203 m

Ascent vertical drop

6h 55m

Total time

Description

This itinerary runs through the heart of the Reserve up to Col Montagnayes.A fairly long but very satisfying hikeThere are completely different environments alternating:- at the bottom a dense fir forest- in the middle part beautiful flat pastures- the final part a rugged rocky valleyThe environment is very lonely but of great beauty, in the upper part often herds of chamois can be seen.

Services in the surroundings

City Hall of Bionaz

Bionaz 1.749 m

Adventure Park "Rebel Park"

Bionaz 1.175 m

Point of interest presentation image: Adventure Park

Nearby attractions

Parish Church of St. Margaret

Bionaz 1.835 m

Marmitta dei giganti

Bionaz 800 m

Details

La Ferrère

Departure location

Bionaz

Municipality

challenging

Effort

Difficulty

4h 15m

Ascent time

2h 40m

Descent time

6h 55m

Total time

1.698 m

Starting elevation

2.901 m

Arrival elevation

1.203 m

Ascent vertical drop

15.500 m

Total length

Signposts

Jul - Aug

Best period

low

Crowding

Overview

Reaching the start

From the Aosta East tollbooth take the tunnel that leads into the Great St. Bernard Valley and continue along it.After about a hundred meters from the exit of the second tunnel, turn right for Valpelline.You will reach the village of Valpelline, which you pass, continue into the valley passing the village of Oyace.Just before reaching the main town of Bionaz you turn left along the road leading to the Place Moulin dam.You follow it for a couple of km until you find on the right the rural road that descends to the alpe Ferrère, you leave the car on a widening on the main road just before the entrance to the rural road.

The route

From the car descend along the rural road to its end at Pouillayes where a beautiful rural building is visible.Passing near the large rural building the path enters dense forest. You continue into the fir forest and then cross some steep slopes at the top and enter the Montagnayes gorge.Just after that there is a gate that is used to keep the steers from descending into the valley; it is recommended to close it again after crossing.The gorge now becomes flatter, continue high on the stream until you reach the junction of the path leading to the Bionaz - Chentre bivouac.You leave it on the left and continue along the gorge near the stream until you reach the outlet that brings water into the Place Moulin reservoir and some aqueduct tanks. After this stretch, the valley opens into beautiful plateaus and you reach the now ruined Arp alpine pasture.Continue along the stream, leaving the Forestry bivouac on the left (not visible on the way up) until you reach the abandoned alpine pasture called l'Aquelou or Tsa de la Quelod.Watch the large barn built to resist the large avalanches that invade the valley in winter.The trail now climbs more steeply to the left along a branch of the main valley, on the right clearly visible an old larch tree struck by lightning but which managed to survive.This leads up wide slopes to the Avoley diruti alpine pastures.From the alpine pastures the trail, in places barely visible, continues and then climbs the moraine to the left of the small valley. When the slope becomes steeper, the trail crosses to the right to reach a basin from which a beautiful pond is visible. From this point the trail is almost absent and you follow the existing stone cairns on the path. It climbs further for a stretch and then crosses to the right to reach a stony, flat little valley from which the pass is clearly visible (recognizable by the characteristic tower to its right). Follow the bottom of the gully (often with snow until late summer) and with a last steep section on scree you reach the pass from which a steep gully descends into the valley of Saint-Barthelemy.