Sport Itineraries: Valtournenche

The walls are all visible from the road that leads to Cervinia and are made of green rock (serpentinous), smoothed in some parts by glaciers. For this reason, it is hard to find holds on steeper walls except for the cracks typical of this rock. Climbers will find both easy and difficult walls and faces with athletically challenging climbs. These walls have always been climbing gyms for the Cervino alpine guides, many of whom trained for the more challenging “Gran Becca” climb. Multi-pitch routes are set for modern climbs and never too easy. The most interesting sectors are the gym and ledge sectors, the Gouffres di Bousserailles sector and the large wall.
The activity requires technical experience. Alpine guide assistance is recommended.

Descent: Stops include chains and belays or Munter hitches. Climbers are either belayed down on a 60 m cord or abseil on longer routes.

Minimum, maximum and average route difficulty from 3c to 7b+, average 6a.

Total number of routes: 59 in different sectors.

Average length is 20 meters with a minimum of 8 and maximum of 130 meters.

It is one of the classic, medium difficulty ice climbs in the valley; fairly crowded as it features a simple approach and does not have any particular dangers. It consists of numerous steps, some vertical, interspersed by easy connecting stretches: level WI4 not much sustained.

Level: II/4
Length: 200 m
First ascent: A. Cambiolo, R. Lale, T. Sergi 1993
Altitude: 1700 m
Exposure: West
Coordinates: Lon.: 7,61756 Lat.: 45,855389 - UTM (ED50) - X: 392758,87 Y: 5079108,27

L1: ice ramp followed by a wall. Belay on ice next to the free-standing.
L2: vertical free-standing. Belay to the tree up on the right (ropes).
L3: easy cliffs, a little to the left. Belay to the tree (ropes).
Short 50-metre transfer to the left.
L4: ramp to the left (be careful of the fringes over your head!). Belay to the tree at the change of direction.
L5: nice articulated wall followed by a final ramp. Belay at the tip of the tree.

Descent: two solutions, abseiling or on foot. In the first case, abseil from a tree (ropes) located on the left side bank of the ice climb and rappel along the fringes that flank the last jump. Run the connecting stretch in the reverse direction on foot and abseil the second time from a sapling with ropes and maillon: go down onto another tree with ropes and maillon on the right bank at the side of the base of the free-standing of the second pitch. One last rappel allows returning to the base.
You can also walk down making a wide semi-circle on the left side bank of the slope (steep forest) until you intersect the continuation of the path being approached: through this, to the right, you will return back under the vertical of the ice climb.

Text and photos taken from Effimeri barbagli (M. Giglio, 2014), the complete guide to ice climbs in Aosta Valley.

From Valmartin, in Valtournenche, where the paved road ends, take Alta Via 1, which gains considerable altitude among the pastures and after crossing the woods, and after a diagonal slope, leads to several buildings of the hydroelectric power station (Promoron). From here you come to Alpe Falegnon and continue into the valley along the hillside, until you come to the foot of the artificial barrier. At this point, you go up to the right until you are above the barrier; cross it to reach the Barmasse refuge.

Leave the car in the car park in Barmaz, in Valtournenche, then continue along the dirt track as far as Cheneil. Then take route 31 (on this initial section, route 31 corresponds to Alta Via 1), until you reach a crossroad. Leave the AV1 and take route 31 on the right, which leads to Col Fontana Fredda. From here, continue left up to the Clavalité Sanctuary, built in 1970 and dedicated to Saint Dominic Savio.

After reaching Barmaz, in the municipality of Valtournenche, leave the car in the car park and continue along the dirt road until you reach Château (a small cross has been erected here, in memory of the Abbé Aimé Gorret. Tradition has it that Abbé Gorret and Edward Whymper, famous early mountain climbers, used to stop to rest in Valtournenche. Then take trail no. 26 which rises slightly and leads out onto a beautiful green basin (2300m).
After the basin, the trail gets steeper, goes over a rocky leap and enters a small channel next to the stream, finally leading onto a large grassy basin called Pâturage de l’Aran (2660m).
Continue along the trail until you reach a crossroad. Leave route 29 on the right for Mount Roisetta and continue along the left branch, no. 26, which goes up the side to Becca d’Aran.

Leave the car in the Plain Maison ski-lift car park, and follow the paved road (signposted 15) into the sports centre tunnel. At a left-hand bend, take the path, still marked 15, which goes off to the right. After a short section on the paved road, at the Cime Bianche hotel, turn right again onto the path that leads up, and, after a few bends, goes past Alpe Vieille and comes to Tsa Vieille. From here you soon come to a bar, from where you turn left into the private road and go down to the ski-lift arrival station.

You can reach the village of Champlève from Valtournenche in 8/10 minutes by car or by a comfortable mini-bus, available during the summer season. In Champlève you will find an equipped pic-nic area and a playground park for children. At the bottom of the flat path just after the pic-nic area you will take on the right the path n. 32 light downhill into the wood. This was the start point of the first chairlift of Valtournenche towards the village. From here you will have a very nice view on the valley and on the mountains and you will reach the village of Promindoz in about 30 minutes. To return back to Champlève you can also walk on the paved road.

The Church was built as a memorial to the dead of the Battaglione Alpini Sciatori Monte Cervino (Matterhorn Ski Battalion) and can be easily seen from the village if you look towards the Matterhorn (at night it is also illuminated). You reach the church along a wide and easy trail, mainly on farm roads, from the tennis courts at the end of the village. A small car-park is available here. Follow the yellow signs for no.13, the same trail that leads you to the Oriondé/Duca degli Abruzzi Refuge at the foot of the Matterhorn. On the left of the Church there is a large cross in deal wood as a reminder of the celebration of Holy Mass by Pope John Paul II on 19 July 1991 and on a nearby rock there is a bronze plaque commemorating the event. From here you can enjoy a marvellous view of the village and the valley.

From Crépin, in the municipality of Valtournenche, veer right through the houses and take mule track 7, in the upper section of the village. As you climb you comet to a cross the private road several times, until you reach Tomaley and Liortère. From here, you soon reach the dirt track, which goes up; follow this until you go past Vachère. After a left-hand bend, continue along path 7 on the right, which takes you to Croux de Tsa and Col Finestra di Cignana. Now follow route 7 on the left (sections of which are rather exposed), which goes up the steep grassy slopes of the western side, and leads to the highest peak of Mont Pancherot, near which you will also find a forest bivouac.