Skimo

Fenêtre Durand from Glassier

On the left, the slopes of the Tete du Filon

Details

Glassier

Departure location

Ollomont

Municipality

average

Effort

Difficulty

1.250 m

Ascent vertical drop

3h 45m

Ascent time

Description

La Fenêtre Durand is a pass that connects the Ollomont Valley with the Bagnes Valley in Switzerland in the Canton of Valais. At the pass there is a plaque commemorating the escape to Switzerland of Luigi Einaudi (second president of the Italian Republic) on September 23, 1943.The route is set in a high mountain environment, in a wide and gentle valley enclosed by the imposing western slope of Mont Gelè, and by the chain of Mont Avril and Tete du Filon on the other side.The slopes are wide and no...

Services in the surroundings

La Taverne

Ollomont 1.755 m

Gran Baita

Ollomont 1.699 m

Details

Glassier

Departure location

Ollomont

Municipality

average

Effort

Difficulty

3h 45m

Ascent time

1.571 m

Starting elevation

2.805 m

Arrival elevation

1.250 m

Ascent vertical drop

7.600 m

Total length

Dec - Jan - Feb - Mar

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. Just before Gignod, immediately after the last tunnel, proceed to the right following the Valpelline SR28, reaching the main town. Continue in the direction of Bionaz and as soon as you leave the village, on the left is the junction for Ollomont, which is reached after 5 km. Continue further along the road, which ends after 3 km in the locality of Glassier (or Glacier) in the large paved parking lot just before the houses.

The route

From Glacier's large parking area, continue to the right past the small bridge and follow a farm road towards the nearby Alpe Crottes where you will find the signpost of path no.6 for the Regondi-Gavazzi Bivouac.We climb upstream of the alpine pasture entering the forest following the path of the summer trail, which being in the shade preserves more snow than the other more direct access to the basin of By.After a hundred meters inside the forest the path forks: we must continue to the left (yellow arrow), continuing to climb with steep hairpin bends, until we enter a narrow depression in which the Torrent de la Gaula flows. Shortly afterwards you come to a characteristic chapel set in the rock, the Oratorio della Gaula 1863 m.The wooded little valley widens and becomes gentler, and at an altitude of 2080 m you come to a clearing with a hump, which you leave to the left, to continue still on the flat northward.You leave on the right the track that climbs to the Places damon alpine pastures, entering a depression located below the summer road to Alpe Thoules, and enclosed on the right by an obvious hump.You pass a somewhat steeper section that presents the ascent of a gully that ends not far from the Lombardin 2309 m alpine pasture, where the summer road is met.The beautiful gully widens further and becomes very gentle; the track should be followed to its end, that is, to Alpe Thoules 2381 m located in a beautiful hollow enclosed under the rocky mass of Mont Gelè. Continue for a stretch more on the bottom of the depression carved by the Fenêtre Torrent, before passing on the right bank, just below the wall of Mont Gelè, to get around a hump with a short steeper slope that allows access to the final slopes.You will face a series of humps and depressions valleys, one of which hosts Lake Fenêtre 2709 m that you leave on the right, before the final tear that precedes the arrival at Fenêtre Durand 2805 m.At this point a vast panorama of the Swiss side will open up, with the valley leading to the Cabane de Chanrion. more skilled and trained will still be able to climb to the top of Mont Avril 3347 m, traversing the steep slopes of the east side.Descent:From the ascent route, with the possibility of descending from Alpe Thoules directly into the valley that descends to the Comba delle Acque Bianche, by easy slopes until reconnecting with the route followed on the outward at the beginning of the Vallone della Gaula.