Sport Itineraries: Montjovet

Leave your car on the Barmachande road. Among the houses of the village, at the crossroads with the carriage road to the Grand-Hoel, take the dirt road towards Chambis. Just above this village, the road branches off; continue to the left, until you reach the Reserve of Lake Villa (an Italian wonder). The lake is surrounded by a thick cane-brake which houses the common toad, for which the reed is the main Aosta Valley breeding station. It is advisable to follow the path around the lake in order to note the vegetation, in particular the cane-brake, in contrast with the arid surrounding environment, and the fauna, birds of passage and amphibians. Returning to Barmachande, at the height of the Reserve sign, the path going up to the left reaches a remarkable panoramic point on the valley of Mont Avic, on Montjovet and on the central valley.

Starting from Col d’Arlaz, follow the dirt road for a short stretch along the ru d’Arlaz (which leads to the Arlaz waterfall) towards Challand-Saint-Victor. On reaching a small bridge on the ru, take a comfortable and cool path on the left that leads into the Arlaz wood, full of spruce trees and with splendid spring blooms. On some plates that make up the bottom of the mule track there are rock carvings and cupels. At the exit of the wood, about halfway through, you cross a vast stony ground from which you have panoramic views up to Mont Blanc. The path finally reaches the meadows of the Erésaz plateau. In the village, the birth house of Abbé Trèves, the church dedicated to the Holy Family and the restored oven deserve your attention.

From the locality called Le Balmas, take the flat mule track towards Toffo. In the first part of the itinerary, you can see the route of the Gaules Road, with the typical furrows of the Roman roads clearly visible. The itinerary, which corresponds to that of the Via Francigena, always continues flat among the vineyards. Along the whole route, the panorama on the plain, on the characteristic terraces and on the slope of the envers is remarkable. It is also possible to continue to Vignola in order to admire a sundial from 1815, painted on an old house next to the village fountain and you can choose to continue to the Le Petit-Hoel village. On the way back, you have a nice glance on the castle of Saint-Germain, on the built-up area of the village and on the hydroelectric power station.

Technical difficulty: medium (difficult descents)
Physical difficulty: medium/difficult
Bike-friendly: 90%
Type of Route: mixed asphalt, dirt, path

Take the Valle d’Aosta State Road no. 26 or A5 Motorway and exit at Châtillon - Saint-Vincent. Follow the State Road 26 to the Saint-Vincent village and then leave the car in the municipal square with the sports facility where the route begins.

You follow via Ponte Romano until the Feilley crossroads and then go uphill until the Estaod (village of Montjovet municipality) crossroads (702 metres above sea level) on the asphalt road. Then you descend to the Ruelle hamlet and continue until you come to the old church of Saint-Germain and the ancient village of Montjovet.
After having passed the Dora Baltea River near the district’s hydroelectric plant, continuing along the asphalt road leads you to Fiusey di Montjovet. Then carrying on further along the asphalt road that leans against the rocky side on the orographic right side of the Dora Baltea, you arrive at the village of Gettaz. After reaching the crossroads located near the fountain (drinking water) of this village, you take the road that goes up on the right in the direction of Col Marcage and then turn onto the farm track until the hill itself before reaching Rodoz by following a rather technical path; from here, you continue along the path, wheeling your bikes alongside you for part of it, (following the red stickers – provisional signposting that indicate the direction of Bellecombe of Châtillon), and then come to a very technical path before reaching the village of Bellecombe. Once at this point, the descent to Ussel can be made on asphalt road or by following the path of the martze-a-pià race until you reach the village of Ussel.

From this point, a paved path leads to the bridge of Pontey at the railway station of Châtillon, besides which, following the farm track that flanks the Dora Baltea, you reach the hamlet of Tenso and then the ex Saint-Vincent train station before returning on the municipal asphalted road to the sports facility square from where you set out.

The first municipality in the Aosta Valley is Pont-Saint-Martin. After passing the municipalities of Donnas, the fort of Bard, Hône, Arnad, Verrès and Montjovet, the short climb of the "Mongiovetta" begins which takes you to Saint-Vincent and then to Châtillon. Then after crossing Chambave, Champagne (Verrayes) and Nus, you arrive at the gates of Aosta, where the state road becomes two lanes in each direction in the municipalities of Quart and Saint-Christophe (commercial area).

After a possible stop in Aosta, having passed the Aosta Valley capital (Corso Ivrea, Via Roma and Via Parigi with numerous roundabouts) and after the crossroads which leads to the Great Saint Bernard state road N. 27, the road 26 continues westwards and crosses Sarre (crossroads for Cogne), Saint-Pierre, Villeneuve (crossroads for Introd and the valleys of Rhêmes and Valsavarenche), Arvier, Léverogne (crossroads for Valgrisenche), passes near Derby (fraction of La Salle), crosses  La Salle and then Morgex until you reach Pré-Saint-Didier (crossroads for La Thuile and, in summer, for the Little Saint-Bernard pass). From here continue to Courmayeur.

To return you can opt for the transfer route along the A5 motorway, which crosses the entire central valley, from Courmayeur to Pont-Saint-Martin. You will find indicated all the toll booths and exits that you may need to reach the starting points of the motorbike itineraries or to return home at the end of your excursions.