Snowshoeing

Refuge Champillon from Chatellair

A mountain pasture in a panoramic position

The easy slopes of the Comba de Champillon

Details

Chatellair

Departure location

Doues

Municipality

challenging

Effort

Difficulty

4.3

Rating

922 m

Ascent vertical drop

5h 0m

Total time

Description

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

Reviews

06/01/2026

climbandtrek

Description

Racchette utili da Plan Debat da dove sono salito su traccia esistente. Neve di tutti i tipi fuori dalla traccia.

Comment

Meteo sereno e freddo. Solita gita annuale in un bell'ambiente scelta per l'esposizione al sole. Tre skialp in salita e due racchettari al rifugio. Oggi da solo. più info e foto su climbandtrek.it

More info

Road access: Strada aperta a quota 1750

Upper section snow: Refrozen Crud

Lower section snow: Refrozen Crud

Snow altitude: 1800

01/01/2025

climbandtrek

Description

Saliti col sentiero estivo su poca neve sino a Plan Debat; da qui lo spessore aumenta molto e seguendo tracce di ciaspole e motoslitta siamo arrivati comodamente al rifugio.

Comment

Meteo bello con leggero vento nella parte alta. Alcuni skialp diretti al colle e pochi ciaspolatori nella comba. Oggi gita di inizio anno con la moglie Stefania. più info e foto su climbandtrek.it

More info

Road access: strada pulita sino a quota 1750

Upper section snow: Soft Windblown

Lower section snow: Spring snow / Firn

Snow altitude: 1700

Details

Chatellair

Departure location

Doues

Municipality

challenging

Effort

Difficulty

3h 0m

Ascent time

2h 0m

Descent time

5h 0m

Total time

1.493 m

Starting elevation

2.402 m

Arrival elevation

922 m

Ascent vertical drop

12.400 m

Total length

8, AV1

Signposts

Jan - Feb - Mar - Dec

Best period

high

Crowding

4.3

Rating

Overview

The Champillon Refuge is a modern structure built in 2005 that is located in the municipality of Doues, and overlooks the beautiful pastoral comba of Champillon. Dedicated to Adolphe Letey historical mayor of the municipality of Doues from 1951 to 1990.
The ascent route does not present technical difficulties or objective dangers, but should be approached with good snow conditions; there is often a trail (including snowmobiles) up to at least Plan Debat.
Good training is required because this is a medium-length route, alternating stretches of road with others along easy slopes between forests, clearings and alpine pastures.
The location is particularly scenic both toward the upper Ollomont Valley with beautiful views of the Grand Combin group and the pyramid of Mont Gelè, and the middle Valpelline. Toward the south, on the other hand, the steep slope of Mont Crou de Bleintse partially limits the landscape, but the Emilius group above Aosta is clearly visible.

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, tackling the first 4 hairpin bends until you reach the Pointier hut 1648 m, at the edge of a small coniferous forest.
A little after passing it, on the right, you meet path no.8 which should be followed as it enters the band of fir trees, arriving at a slightly steeper slope that, once passed, leads to the Red hut 1734 m.
We briefly return to the farm road, flanking a hut with a fence, and then abandon it by climbing the slope that leads to the Alpe di Plan Taredaz 1836 m, already clearly evident to our eye.
We ascend through the beautiful snow-covered pastures towards Vorbè, from which we find again the road that we should follow to the right until the hairpin bend and then find again in the next traverse the path n.8 which will allow for a shortcut, reaching the alpine pasture Parc 2063 m, with its characteristic half-barrel-shaped stables.
At this point, follow the path of the road, which with a bend to the right leaves the southeast side of the mountain and the glimpses of the Aosta basin, to pass on the side of the Valley of Ollomont giving breathtaking views of the peaks that dominate the valley, such as the Grand Combin, Mont Gelè and Mont Avril.
The road leads to the entrance to the vast comb of Champillon, which in summer is teeming with grazing herds.
You arrive at Plan Debat 2070 m and just beyond at the stone cross of Nôtre Dame de la Neige.
You leave the road, which continues towards the Conca di By, turning decisively to the left as you ascend the gentle and wide snowy slope remaining to the right of the Torrent de Vesey furrow.
Having overcome the undulations of the terrain, you reach the large alpine pasture Tsa de Champillon 2309 m, from which the final goal of the hike is now clearly visible not far away.
We continue to hike slightly to the left, taking advantage of a wide, gently sloping rounded ridge, until we reach the Letey - Champillon Refuge located at the top of a hump below the steep slopes of Mont Crou de Bleintse, and with the Champillon Col clearly visible on the right.