Hiking

Ru Pompillard from Roisan to Valpelline

The bridge announcing the arrival in Valpelline

Details

Roisan

Departure location

Roisan

Municipality

average

Effort

Difficulty

1.0

Rating

387 m

Ascent vertical drop

4h 20m

Total time

Description

Services in the surroundings

Chez Duclos

Gignod 1.364 m

Counseling in Variney

Gignod 1.355 m

Nearby attractions

Casaforte Caravex

Gignod 1.257 m

Medieval tower

Gignod 1.357 m

Reviews

10/12/2025

silva66

Description

Parto col dire che il ru Pompillard a circa 1 km dalla partenza è chiuso per pericolo caduta massi e per lavori. Quindi non andate!. Ma non volendo tornare subito a casa ,decido di risalire ad un bivio antecedente le transenne di chiusura.Sempre su sterrata navigo a vista verso un rudere visto all’andata finché la sterrata non finisce.Dopodiche’ a mio rischio e pericolo, tramite un sentiero impervio provo a traversare finché non mi trovo davanti a un tratto franato con massi e sotto i lavori .Scendo fino a rispuntare al Ru. Devo dire che a parte dove e’ franato su tutto il percorso non ho trovato una pietra. Dalla frana in avanti percorso pianeggiante fino al bivio dove bisogna scendere (mentre dritto si va verso la zona pericolosa dove il ru si incanala in una galleria dentro la roccia ,mentre a fianco di essa il vecchio percorso originario un solco nella parete rocciosa divenuto sentiero spaventoso e esposto!.Eppure anche lì qualcuno è passato,io non ci andrei mai anche se sono entrato per una cinquantina di metri,e quando ho visto che si faceva brutta la storia ho girato i tacchi e via .)per poi andare sull’altro versante. Si attraversa la strada superiamo un ponticello e si inizia a salire per sentiero il costone per Valpelline.Il sentiero è un disastro con manutenzione pari allo zero.Alberi caduti a ripetizione,erbacce e rovi a ostruire il percorso che comunque aggirando ,abbassandosi, e bypassando qualche pezzo di percorso si arriva al bivio che scende a Valpelline per sterrata. Arrivati sulla strada si torna indietro 50 metri e attraversando sulla sinistra troviamo il sentiero anche qui chiuso per lavori che passa a fianco della vecchia fonderia . Torno indietro e faccio un salto fino alla rotonda di Valpelline, giusto per completare il giro e a destra vedo proprio la vecchia fonderia che forse era l’unica cosa interessante da vedere.Il ritorno lo stesso percorso dell’andata. Non la consiglierei comunque…ma finché il Ru non sarà ripristinato sconsiglio questa gita.

Comment

Personalmente questa gita non offre spunti di Interesse (poi è chiaro che tutto è soggettivo.) Quello che mi attraeva era la vecchia fonderia ma con il sentiero chiuso non se ne è fatto niente.L'unica cosa che mi ha colpito e' il vecchio percorso del ru ,tracciato su parete rocciosa a strapiombo..pazzesco!che opera .Per il resto percorso pianeggiante con le uniche salite e discese tra un versante e l'altro. Considerato un po' di ravanage fuori percorso sono saltati fuori tra andata e ritorno 12,4 Km e 400D+

More info

Road access: Sopra le case di Sale' proprio alla partenza a fianco la fontana parcheggio per 5 ,6 macchine.

Details

Roisan

Departure location

Roisan

Municipality

average

Effort

Difficulty

2h 10m

Ascent time

2h 10m

Descent time

4h 20m

Total time

850 m

Starting elevation

950 m

Arrival elevation

387 m

Ascent vertical drop

15.400 m

Total length

ippovia Ru Pompillard

Signposts

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

Best period

high

Crowding

1.0

Rating

Overview

The "Ru" are artificial 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 is the Ru Pompillard that is now piped runs below a long dirt track, which connects upstream Valpelline, where there is the water intake, to the hamlets of Quart and Saint Pierre above Aosta, with a very long route.The proposed itinerary includes the most interesting section of the route, namely the one that starts from the municipality of Roisan and reaches Valpelline, flanking the entire west side of the Becca di Roisan and following the course of the Buthier stream from above. The trail is free of difficulty and with little elevation gain, but it has a fair length. Sunny stretches alternate with cooler ones in the woods, and given the low altitude it is an advisable route in the mid-seasons.Also very popular with mountain bikers or horseback riders.

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 SR28 of Valpelline, following it for 5 km.Reaching the locality Rhins, immediately afterwards turn right with a sharp bend reaching in 2 km the village of Roisan. Continue until you see high above the road the church, leave the car in the parking lot on the right before the town hall.

The route

From the small square of Roisan, go up to the beautiful parish church dedicated to Saints Fabian and Sebastian (beautiful panoramic viewpoint over the village), then enter the cobbled alley of the old town, which you cross uphill (locality Cretaz) to then follow a short path across a meadow reaching the houses of Salè where at a fountain the Ru Pompillard begins.We continue in a northerly direction, flat or slightly uphill, passing above the last houses of Roisan among meadows and cultivated fields with beautiful views of the middle Valpelline and the heights of Doues, on the opposite side of the valley.After a straight stretch, we reach a semi-curve where the path faces a slight descent and we enter a somewhat denser wooded area that provides some shade on hot days.A reminder that we are above the Ru, are the frequent manholes that are encountered on the roadbed as well as some concrete artifacts.Having passed a rock cliff, we continue flat along the western flank of the Becca di Roisan; we cross an evocative gorge and always following the track supported by dry stone walls, we arrive at a junction, where we must abandon the track under which the Ru flows because of landslide events that would make the next section of the route dangerous.The detour involves a quick descent to the left to reach the Valpelline provincial road, which must be crossed to descend to a small bridge over the Buthier stream, going up which allows one to climb the opposite slope and then along a convenient dirt road. At the fork you meet at about 970 m, you neglect the track that continues to climb in favor of the one that continues straight downhill towards Valpelline.Reaching the provincial road again, you cross it to find the Ru path again, near the old Copper Foundry of Valpelline.You cross the clearing of the unfortunately unsafe buildings, and continue slightly uphill on the grassy track that skirts a little further up the waters of the typical glacial color of the Buthier Stream.A pleasant wooded section precedes the large meadow of the sports area of Valpelline at 942 m where we note the water intake where the Ru Pompillard originates.From the square of the sports area, we can reach the center of Valpelline in a few minutes by following the Via Prailles.The return is along the same route as the outward journey, admiring the views that were behind us on the outward journey or returning to Roisan by public transport.