Skimo

Crou de Bleintse from Chatellair

Panorama of the Great St. Bernard Valley and Mont Blanc

Details

Chatellair

Departure location

Doues

Municipality

challenging

Effort

Difficulty

1.331 m

Ascent vertical drop

3h 45m

Ascent time

Description

Mont Crou de Bleintse is the highest elevation of the ridge that from Mont Saron ends at Col Champillon, on the watershed between the Ollomont and Great St. Bernard Valleys.
This is a fairly popular route in the winter period, rather direct and with moderate slope gradients, which therefore require optimal snow conditions and safety.
The proximity to Aosta and at the same time the high-mountain environment with the Grand Combin that can almost be touched, make it a very scenic destinatio...

Services in the surroundings

Valpelline Pharmacy

Valpelline 1.911 m

Doues Post Office

Doues 1.238 m

Nearby attractions

Castle of La Crête

Doues 1.252 m

La Tour

Valpelline 1.937 m

Details

Chatellair

Departure location

Doues

Municipality

challenging

Effort

Difficulty

3h 45m

Ascent time

1.493 m

Starting elevation

2.824 m

Arrival elevation

1.331 m

Ascent vertical drop

7.000 m

Total length

Jan - Feb - Dec

Best period

medium

Crowding

Overview

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. Continue along it, passing the village of Gignod.Continue for another 4 km along the E27, to abandon it in favor of the detour to the right for Allein, Doues, Valpelline.
Reach Doues, where you turn left following the signs for the Comba di Champillon, and after 2 km you reach Chatellair where generally in the winter period the road is cleared of snow near the cottages of Haut Praz Bas.

The route

From the cottages of Haut Praz Bas continue along the road, snow-covered but often beaten by snowmobile tracks, tackling the first 4 hairpin bends until you reach the Pointier hut 1648 m, at the edge of a small coniferous forest. One still keeps on the road (or possibly the slope above) moving left (west) until the hairpin bend with the Piolet pastures 1700 m, where on the left one meets a secondary track at the edge of the forest leading to Alpe Creux 1820 m.
Continuing in a northerly direction taking advantage of the wide slopes one arrives at Alpe Moffes 1953 m, which should be left on the right.
Cross the forest of centuries-old larches leaving on the right the direct track to the Arp du Praz and the Comba of Champillon, and head gradually to the left coming out of the forest at the beginning of a hump, which allows you to enter the small valley enclosed between three south and southeast ridges of Mont Crou de Bleintse.
You traverse the gully moving to the right under the slopes of the east face of Mont Saron reaching a hanging amphitheater about 2500 m below the slope-channel that gives access to the summit.
You ascend the gully, which is rather steep (safe and settled snow is required) until it meets the south ridge of the mountain; the slope drops, and by traversing the comfortable ridge with a few boulders outcropping, you reach the summit.
Descent:
The very rewarding descent takes place along the ascent gully, where, depending on the season, one can find large areas of powdery snow, especially in the counter slopes below the Tete du Praz, or spring snow in the sunnier areas, especially in the early spring period.