Hiking

Ru de Menouve

Panorama of the Great St. Bernard Valley

Details

Comba

Departure location

Allein

Municipality

suitable for all

Effort

Difficulty

132 m

Ascent vertical drop

3h 10m

Total time

Description

Services in the surroundings

Allein City Hall

Allein 1.175 m

Allein Post Office

Allein 1.178 m

Nearby attractions

Medieval house of Ayez

Allein 1.709 m

Parish Church of St. Andrew

Allein 1.171 m

Details

Comba

Departure location

Allein

Municipality

suitable for all

Effort

Difficulty

1h 40m

Ascent time

1h 30m

Descent time

3h 10m

Total time

1.689 m

Starting elevation

1.808 m

Arrival elevation

132 m

Ascent vertical drop

11.800 m

Total length

25B

Signposts

Apr - May - Jun - Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct

Best period

medium

Crowding

Overview

The "Ru" are man-made canals built between the 13th and 15th centuries to bring water from territories that are rich in it thanks to their high mountains with glaciers or snowfields until late in the season,to drier territories, both for the purpose of irrigation to make the fields cultivable and for the water supply of the population.One of these is the Ru de Menouve, which over the years has been piped and flows below a beautiful dirt road, connecting the high hamlets of Allein territory to the heart of the Menouve Valley, bordering the municipality of Etroubles, and ending near the lower Alpe Ponteille.The route is very pleasant and suitable for everyone and is a beautiful walk with little elevation gain; in late spring there will be contrasts between the verdant meadows and the first blossoms with the snows of the peaks above, in summer you can enjoy the coolness of the wooded sections, while in autumn you will appreciate the bright and warm colors of the larches.

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.On reaching Allein continue upstream, reaching the hamlet of La Ville; after the beautiful little church, turn right, following the asphalt road that with a series of hairpin bends reaches the high hamlets of the Allein hill, until Comba, where you park in the clearing with a fountain.

The route

The hike begins at Comba, where you follow the beautiful flat dirt road westward below the alpine pastures, which immediately provides beautiful panoramic views of the mountains of Gignod, particularly Pointe de Chaligne. The first part of the Ru trail is open and sunny, crossing pastures on the slopes of the southern slope of Mont Saron.At 1708 m you meet the Berruard alpine pasture, where you also cross on the left a dirt road coming from the hamlet of Bruson, visible below. From here there is also a nice view of the entire Allein hill and its many hamlets.We now enter the forest, initially with a predominance of larch trees, beginning to contour the western slope of Mont Saron. This section will be pleasantly cool in the summer.As you continue, panoramic views of the upper Great St. Bernard Valley will begin to appear with the municipalities of Etroubles, Saint Oyen and Saint Rhemy en Bosses already visible.The Ru, the presence of which can be sensed from the numerous manholes and some concrete works encountered, continues almost flat or slightly uphill; when you meet the Guet alpine pasture 1689 m on the left, the larch forest gives way to tall pines. One crosses a couple of streams on concrete fords, gradually entering the Vallone de Menouve.The forest gradually thins out, allowing glimpses of the verdant lower part of the valley furrowed by the stream, and at the top the high peaks of the head, such as the Pointe de Barasson and Bec Noir. To the right, on the other hand, the gorge is barred by the steep grassy slopes of the Mont Saron, Mont Crou de Bleintse and Mont Chenaille chain.At an altitude of 1745 m, a grassy plateau is reached, where just above it the lower Alpe Ponteille can be clearly seen: the Ru still continues on a flat grassy road, and it is possible to reach its point where the water intake (concrete artifact) is located right at the narrowing of the gorge with the Torrent de Menouve.To reach Alpe Ponteille 1808 m, follow instead the small road/mule track on the right, which with a short climb leads first to the alpine pasture barn and then to the house. From here you can enjoy a beautiful panorama of the mountains facing you to the south, in the territory of Etroubles, in particular of the Flassin and Comba d'Ars valleys, with the imposing northern slope of Mont Fallere.The return is along the same route as the outward journey, and you will be able to admire the views that you had behind you on the outward journey, with the mountains of the Mont Emilius group dominating Aosta, and the pyramid of the Becca di Viou silhouetted against the sky.