Some snowshoes itineraries

Follow the directions for the Col Serena, making your way along an almost flat stretch of track which passes under the viaduct of the Great St. Bernard tunnel. Cross the Torrent de la Belle Combe and walk along the side of a few Alpine pastures before entering a small larch tree wood near the torrent. You emerge into a beautiful clearing and then continue walking along the side of the torrent, and further on you turn left and continue on as far as the Chapel of Saint-Michel. Veer to the left and make your way towards the Eteley Alpine pasture, and then continue on, following the track that climbs up along the ridge with a number of hairpin bends. As the path gradually continues its climb, the steepness of the ridge diminishes until you come to the Alpine pastures of Arp du Bois Desot. Make your way past the houses on the left and continue a short climb until you meet the farm track once more: turn right and go round a short relief. You go past the Alpine pastures of Arp du Bois du Meiten and finally you climb steeply uphill around a couple of wide bends and take a beautiful diagonal path to reach the Alpine pastures of Arp du Bois Damon.

From Saint-Rhémy, briefly climb the road for Gran San Bernardo to the left hair-pin curve: here you’ll find the Alta Via 1 signposts that indicate the route along a beautiful snow-covered path. After an initial downward slope, you’ll start to climb to the fork for Saint-Oyen, marked by another signpost. The route is well-marked and a large left bend leads to the southern-exposed ridge. After several more curves you’ll reach the Plantaluc mountain pasture.
A few more curves leads into the beautiful Bois Coupé fir wood. The climb is never too intense and is extremely pleasant, especially with fresh snow. You’ll find a slope at a hair-pin turn: turn left ignoring the fork for Barasson and continue along the practically straight path. After two more long curves you’ll find the last part of the path.
You are near the end. After the last straightaway, you’ll find a small building and, just beyond, you’ll exit the woods in Plan Puitz with its characteristic grotto fortifications.

Opposite the car park you can find the start to a snow-covered track that climbs above the small park surrounding the Chapel of the Partisans. Once past the no-entry sign, you follow a short, almost flat section of the path until you reach a junction a few minutes later: here you ignore the left fork and continue going gently uphill towards Monte Zerbion. Along this section, you can enjoy some interesting panoramic views over the central valley and, in particular, across to the unmistakable silhouette of Mont Emilius. You slowly make your way into the larch wood which gradually gives way to some stunning examples of red spruce until you reach a second and less evident junction than the previous one: you ignore the right-hand fork and continue straight on, going gently upwards. The path proceeds in pleasant fashion beneath the unusual peaks that make up the southern ridge round Zerbion, until it reaches the junction point with route 107: here you make a sharp, right-hand turn almost making a U-turn. You go briefly uphill again and then start downwards once more until you meet another signpost, where you turn left and go past a covered tank, before climbing upwards again along a short section. As you walk through the woods, some small openings in the thick vegetation allow you to enjoy some interesting views over the central valley. You go downhill again once more and approach Fromy, a small village nestling in a beautiful clearing. The path starts to climb again and leads you once more into the thick, red spruce wood where the sunlight creates some interesting light and shade effects. You are almost at the destination when the ups and downs come to an end. You continue to follow the wide, well-beaten track, going through the wood until you meet another signpost and, soon after the charge basins for the Ru Courtaud waters: here you turn slightly to the right, taking a path which leads you downhill and finally to Col de Joux.

Go down along the regional road until you reach a signpost on the left, which indicates you should turn left: you continue downhill a short way until you reach the Chapel of Saint-Pantaléon. You go past the chapel and continue onwards, entering a beautiful pinewood with some stunning panoramic views towards the Matterhorn, Valtournenche, the Emilius group and the underlying plateaus. The pathway proceeds through a fir wood where the sunlight plays light and dark games on the snow; you continue along the track of a wide path which leads across a wooded ridge-divide between Valtournenche and the plateaus of Saint-Denis and Verrayes. Our gentle walk continues onwards following the continually undulating pathway. After about 20 minutes you come to a left-hand turning in the middle of the wood, which leads to Sez de Creuvö: you climb up through the woods for about 100 metres and come across a peculiar, hollowed-out stone.
Returning to the main route, you will find a number of benches along the pathway where you can sit and enjoy some remarkably beautiful views over the central valley. Finally you reach the level clearing where the characteristic Chapel stands.

Take the road that leads to Usellières along the left-hand side of the valley to the fork for Arp Vieille: turn right and follow the snow-covered farm road (often beaten) that climbs with a couple of bends to a wooden panel that points to the left to Arp Vieille - Forcla de Bré.
The path gives breathtaking views of Pointe de Feleumaz and Becca di Tos (on the other side of the valley) as well as the Pointes de Ormelune on the valley floor. You’ll reach the Bochat mountain pasture after a couple of bends.
Cross the pasture and start on the series of curves that rapidly climb a hundred meters to the mouth of the basin under Mont d’Arp Vielle. The settings slowly change: the sparse larch woods are left behind, opening onto a short level crossed by several hair-pin turns where you will start to glimpse the Meillares ruins. You’re nearing the end. After Meillares, follow the farm road first towards the Mont d’Arp Vielle peaks and then turn right to the Arp Vielle houses.
Continue along the summer path, climbing the ridge on the left to its peak where you’ll find the Capitano Crova hut houses.

Continue along the lane leading to Usellières going alongside the artificial lake of Beauregard. The first part of the route is amost flat and after going through a tunnel carved in the rock, you reach the junction for Rocher and from here you start to climb.
You turn left and start to climb along a snowy track often beaten by ski-moutaineers on their way home. After four hairpin bends you reach a junction: you turn right following the directions towards Plontaz and Quattro Denti. You enter a wood of mainly larch trees making your way along a lengthy, almost straight section; after going past a avalanche mound, you reach a splendid clearing below the abandoned Alpine pastures of Bouque, which you come to after taking a long bend to the left. Once past Bouque, you enter the wood again and climb up the ridge taking a number of hairpin bends until you reach the turn-off for the refuge: you follow the directions for Epée leaving behind the path followed as far as here.
Following the track, which is generally visible, you enter the Bois de Mugner among some imposing larch trees and a few red spruce trees. This stretch, which is slightly uphill, is a mixture of easy level sections and some not-so-easy transverse sections. Gradually you begin to go round the slopes of the Truc de la Seyaz emerging from the wood in view of the summer road which climbs up from Usellières. You take another brief section across the mountainside, entering the snowy bed of the Torrent de Bouque, which you climb along to the foot of the Epée. Your destination is now almost in sight: you make your way across the level area below and finally come to the Chalet de l’Epée.

After leaving your car, you cross the Savara Torrent over a small wooden bridge; you turn right and start to climb towards an isolated building. Go past the building and you meet the summer path which you join in order to reach the Alpe Praviou in a short time. You continue going uphill along the beautiful mule track with splendidly-built, dry-stone walls which run alongside it; following an “endless” series of turns you climb up through the larch-tree wood until you reach a short flat section just over 2000 m. Here the woods begins to become less dense, providing some interesting views over Valsavarenche until you come to Lavassey where you find the Park Rangers’ station and some unusual Alpine pastures with their characteristic half-cask shape. You go through Lavassey passing the station on the left and start to climb the slope, which becomes very steep after leaving the last trees behind. Gradually you enter the high part of the Valley of Savolère, as the Gran Paradiso appears before you in all its splendour. Slowly the climb becomes less arduous, as you walk alongside the spurs of the Côte Savolère and then you practically come to the foot of the refuge. You turn left and climb up across the mountainside until you at last come to the Federico Chabod refuge.

Take pathway (8) leading to Vers le Bois.
Take the wide Royal Hunting Road and straightaway you will come across the roadsigns that indicate the entrance to the Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso. The pathway starts off on level ground, then after 5 minutes it turns sharp left and starts climbing the slope that lies beneath the Fourquin de Bioula. You continue to climb gently through the fir woods. After about 25 minutes, the woods open out near a vast landslide that fell from the overhanging peaks in the distant past. This “fissure” allows us to catch a glimpse of the Fourquin de la Bioula and at the end of the valley Mont Fallère, the Costa Tardiva and the Pointe de Chaligne. You continue walking along this wide, easy mule-track which leads you southwards on a fairly even path, and it is not uncommon to bump into a chamois or steinbock along the way. You leave the woods and make your way across a dangerous section where avalanche couloirs are quite evident. Once past this crossing, you finally come into the level clearing lying in front of the Royal Hunting Lodge (now a Park Ranger Station), which you reach in a few minutes (2165 m.).