Excursions along the irrigation canals (ru)

Leave the car in Daillon, in the municipality of Allein, then continue after the village and is signposted 25B. This trail gradually climbs to reach the crossroad with the left detour for Alpe Crou, which you should ignore and continue right on the track that follows the brook. The trail is flat here and leads to Maurier, Comba and lastly Berruard.
You can continue the excursion to the source of the canal at Alpe Pointier. The entire trail is about 6 km.

The nature path Ru de Liès starts at the end of the bridge (crossroad to La Magdeleine) in the village of Champagne.
It is a flat walk, along the path you will find panels with information about history, geography, geomorphology, flora and fauna of Antey-Saint-André, and also information about climatology, environmental laws and typical products of the region. Typical mountain plain woodland which thins out at intervals along the path, leaving space for clearings cultivated with permanent meadow. Species in the hardwood coppice are Ash, Alder, Maple, Lime, Birch, goat Willow, with occasional Larch and Scottish pine.
Along the path you will find benches, and after crossing an asphalt road a small pic nic area with tables and 2 barbecues. If you will go further on you will reach the quiet village of Liès.

Coming from Saint-Nicolas, leave your car in the small parking on the right just before the Charbonnière’ s village.
Continue on the paved road that passes behind the houses and then, unpaved, goes up to the water basin (follow the indications of the “ru”). From here begins the path that runs along the “ru”, the irrigation channel that from Vedun’s area carries the water of the Vertosan creek to the cultivated fields of Avise’s hill.
After a first climbs, the path continues fairly flat, or with short slopes, and shortly after crosses the path of the “Cammineo Balteo” and follows it up to Vedun. The last stretch is taken on the municipal road that reaches the characteristic village.
The whole route is characterized by a magnificent panorama of the mountains of the central valley: Monte Emilius, Becca di Nona and Grivola.

The excursion has as its starting point the parking lot located in Petit Pollein. Coming from Pollein the parking is located on the right side of the regional road.
The signpost of the Cammino Balteo* is located right in front of the parking next to the
regional road. Walk a few meters and then enter the hamlet Pallu on a stretch of asphalt road.
After crossing the bridge, go down to the left and shortly after the houses you can see the path. Follow the path for a short distance and then continue on a dirt road. The route develops along the stream in a deciduous forest until you reach the hamlet of Etabloz.
In a few minutes, along the road, you can reach the hamlet of Neyran-Dessus where eventually you can take the bus to return to the parking lot.
Returning on foot, pay attention to the deviation that leads from the dirt road to the path. This itinerary can be connected to the Pollein itinerary for a longer excursion.

From the village of Pésan, a paved road, which then becomes a dirt track, runs along the Ru Herbal irrigation channel, initially covered with concrete slabs. The path, among stone walls and fences, runs along the course of the canal and finally reaches a beautiful green area.

Si parte dal Col d’Arlaz (tra Montjovet e Challand-Saint-Victor), dove si può parcheggiare l’auto e dal quale si apprezza una bella vista sulla valle centrale e sulle montagne.
La passeggiata, di quasi 12 chilometri considerando anche il ritorno, si snoda principalmente lungo un canale irriguo artificiale, il Ru d’Arlaz che risale al XIV secolo e che porta l’acqua del torrente Evançon dalla frazione Ponteil di Brusson ai comuni di Challand, Emarèse e Montjovet. Il suo nome deriva da quello del pinnacolo roccioso posto nei suoi pressi, il Flambeau d’Arlaz.

Dopo pochi minuti di cammino il tenue rumore del canale che scorre si fa decisamente più energico e dietro una curva, si incrocia una impetuosa cascata.
Ad un certo punto, il percorso si allontana dal canale e diventa leggermente più accidentato ma si tratta solo di un breve tratto con un sottopassaggio che supera le condotte forzate che scendono dal bacino di Plan d’Abellies fino alla centrale idroelettrica di Isollaz.
In breve si ritrova l’agevole sterrata e si raggiunge l’abitato di Orbeillaz.
Nel villaggio di Orbeillaz si percorre un tratto su asfalto, ammirando le case del vecchio borgo e le villette di più recente costruzione ed è possibile riempire le borracce con l’acqua fresca della fontana.

Dopo il bivio per la miniera di Bechaz si passa ai piedi di una fascia rocciosa dove la vista si apre: un cartello illustra le principali costruzioni che il medioevo ha lasciato nella valle: i castelli di Graines, Villa e la torre Bonod.
Il cammino prosegue lungo il ru d’Arlaz dove è stato allestito un percorso salute con numerosi attrezzi ginnici che hanno trasformato questo tratto in una simpatica palestra all’aperto.

L’itinerario si conclude poco prima della frazione Torrettaz, nel comune di Challand-Saint-Ansèlme, ma volendo il sentiero lungo il canale prosegue fino al villaggio di Arcesaz, nel comune di Brusson.

It is possible to reach the ru des Novalles, a still active irrigation canal, by chair-lift during the opening times or by foot, when you reach the Lod Lake, or from the village of Crépin (path n. 4). At the bottom of Les Foressus alp there is the departure point of the ru des Novalles. The canal follows a very panoramic path where you can have a very nice view ot the village of Chamois and its surrounding nature. It is also possible to make a round trip. Along the path you will discover the history and the nature through some panels. The word “ru” means only the canals of the Aosta Valley region. The ru are small masterpieces of hydraulic engineering, that’s to say irrigation canals that were built around the XIIIth and the XVth century.

In Barmasc, about 1 km from Antagnod, take the wide route 105 which goes off from the edge of the car park, and follow it until it crosses the Ru Courtod (or Courtaud) at an altitude of about 1970 m. Follow the flat trail on the right (no, 5), which runs alongside the canal, and go past the pastures of Chavannes and then Granaz. At Alpe Soudaz, after going over the road that leads up the pastures of Vascoccia, continue on the path below the “La Tschavana” holiday farmhouse, until you come to the crossroad with route 3. Take this route on the right and go down to the hamlet of Mandriou.

Arriving from Aosta, before a viaduct and the Chez-Les-Blancs sign, turn left for Echevennoz and park your car.
Go back on foot about 200 meters in the direction of village Chez-Les-Blancs-Dessus until you reach a stable where the indications of the Via Francigena are visible, yellow arrows or signs 103. This section also coincides with the path 1 which reaches Plan d ‘Avie in Aosta.
Upstream of the stable, turn left and follow the path entering the* wood* which, except for rare stretches, will accompany us along the whole route. The path is flat with rare ups and downs, pay attention at the intersections with the farm roads and always follow the 103 signs. Along the way you can find benches to rest. Shortly before arriving at the end of the route, crossing the Buthier stream, you arrive at the “Je te salue” cave with the famous Madonnina.
Another ten minutes and a large sign with information on the Via Francigena marks the final crossroads of our route. From this point, if you do not want to retrace the same stretch, going down to the left, continue on route 103 and you will arrive at Gignod Capoluogo where, eventually, you can take a bus for the return.
If you want to shorten the route by twenty minutes it is also possible to start from the village La Clusaz, from the large square to the left of the homonymous restaurant and going up about 200 meters of the dirt road that starts from the parking lot you reach Via Francigena. From this point, with direction Gignod, the route is about 3.7 km.

From the state road for Gran San Bernardo, take the road that leads to Buthier and leave the car in the square at Buthier Gorrey (1375 m). Take a route which soon comes to Clemencey, where the trail joins routes 3 and 3A. Continue up until you reach Alpe Mendey (1547 m). Near the residential area, take route 3, which goes into the woods. You soon come to the private road for Alpe Chez-Tognette, which you leave after a few metres to take the path that leads up alongside the pastures of Grangette. When you get to a crossroad, c. 1715 m, keep to the right-hand branch, which goes past Alpe Meriau Damon (1740 m), and up Alpe Collet (1919 m). From here continue on the right on the trail that covers the Rû Collet channel, signposted 3B, and which, gently winds up the slopes of Cresta Tardiva and enters the Ars valley. When you get to Alpe Ars (1975 m), go down the steep agricultural track signposted 4, until you reach the old military road (3C), near Alpe Praz-Gallet. Turn right and go down the trail until you come to a bend, where there is a no-entry sign for vehicles. Turn right and you quickly come to the pasture of Mendey. Go back down the same trail that you came along to get to the car park.