Itineraries of the spirit

Just beyond the square in Champorcher, the municipal seat, take the road on the right that winds towards the village of Grand Mont Blanc and then continues along the dirt road to Dondena. Park the car, cross the stream and go up to the old royal hunting lodge, built by Victor Emmanuel II, and now in ruins, and to Dondena refuge (2192 m). A caretaker is only present during the summer months. From here, continue along the dirt road which, with a long stretch across the hillside gently climbs the wide valley, When the path starts to wind upwards, leave it and take the path on the open terrain leading to Misérin. The refuge is located near Lac Misérin, near the sanctuary of Our Lady of the Snow (Madonna delle Nevi).

To get to Promiod, in the municipality of Châtillon, follow the Valtournenche road until you come to the municipality of Antey-Saint-André. Next take the regional road towards Magdeleine and after about 4 km, turn right at a crossroad, following directions for the Dalai Lama campsite. Go past the campsite and you come to a square before the village of Promiod, where you can park the car. Follow itinerary 105 which goes through the village and then continues on a mule track that goes up through the walls and bushes, until it meets the road that leads up to the pastures. Take the branch that goes up and past the ruins of Boettes, then ignore the track to the left of the crossroad, and continue along the private road on the right, which crosses t he Promiod stream, 1.5 km later. When you come to another crossroad, ignore the flat road and continue to the left until you get to Alpe Arsine and then Alpe Francou. At the upper residential area, the trail goes off to the right to reach a wide grassy crest that takes you to the summit, amidst charming panoramic views.

From the square in Lillaz, in the municipality of Cogne, take route AV2 which continues into the Urtier valley. After reaching a group of houses and going past a short section of a penstock, it goes up into a wood, and after crossing a number of meadows, reaches the pasture of Goilles Inferiore. Next, the trail goes over the stream, across a small bridge, and continues on the orographic left bank, climbing up inside the wood. You then come to junction where the trees become less dense. Continue along the same itinerary, ignoring the path (13G) to the right that goes into Bardoney valley, until you come to the P.N.G.P. park guard’s lodge. Continue to further crossroads, where you ignore first route 13D on the right for Col Acque Rosse, then AV2 on the left for Col Finestra, and take routes 13B and 13C on the right. After a short section, take itinerary 13B, on the left at a junction, which takes first over grassy meadows and then along a hunting trail to the snowfield below the hill. The final climb is up a snowfield. Colle dell’Arietta is the most used pass between Cogne and Val Soana and is the pilgrim route to the Sanctuary of San Besso in the municipality of Campiglia.

Leave Pillaz, in the municipality of Fontainemore, following signpost 2, then take the inter-estate road which leads through the woods to the Vargno valley.
The road continues in a straight line along the wooded slope alongside the Pacoulla stream. After a few bends, the path stops climbing and you cross a bridge to reach the more gentle meadowland below the Mattà pasture (1677 m). This is the start of a beautiful trail, which is paved in sections and runs into the Mont Mars Nature Reserve. Enjoy the beautiful view of Lac Vargno as you go up and, after an ice step featuring stone ground, you come to a wonderful basin of lakes including Lè Lounc and Lè Barma (2020 m) The last bends before reaching the pass are on terrain containing rock debris.

From the Balma pass, follow the ridge that rises towards Balma di Oropa, then cut to the right, passing at the foot of the summit of Monte Camino.
You go down past the Capanna Renata and then, along a well-marked path along the cable car route you reach the Albergo Savoia, where the cable car that goes up from Oropa arrives. You descend along the D13 path, which passes the Rosazza Refuge and which, after a few bends, enters a dirt road which you follow until it ends on the asphalt road. Once you have crossed the road, take the path on the opposite side which, before a restaurant, turns right and then returns to the asphalt road near the bridge over the Oropa stream, behind the Basilica.

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 (1350 m). Take route 2A 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, leave the forest track, and continue in the woods, until you come to the agricultural road for Alpe Tza de Chaligne. Follow this road briefly, then leave it for the path on the right which leaves the woods, just after this point. Go up to Cresta Tardiva, towards an antenna tower that is clearly visible from below, until you come to the large saddle of Col Tardiva (2410 m). Continue on the same itinerary, veering left until you reach Punta Chaligne, marked by two large crosses (2608 m).

When you get to the main car park in Pila, near the cable car cabin, take the dirt road that goes under the Pila-Chamolé cables, then takes you comfortable to the Saint-Grat hermitage.

From the car park at the bar in La Joux, take the Alta Via 2 route, AV2. Go past the crossroads with the itineraries that lead to the three waterfalls on the Ruitor, and when you come to another crossroad, continue along AV2, ignoring route 8 on the right, and head for the lakes of Bella Comba. After a section on level ground at Alpe Glacier and the lakes of the same name, the path steeply gains altitude, climbing to the pasture of Ruitor and lastly to the Deffeyes refuge.

Once you reach the square in Porliod, where the tarmac road finishes coming from Lignan, a hamlet in the municipality of Nus, you take footpath no. 11B which goes up through the high pastures and conifer forests, often crossing the un-made road and leads to the plateau at the foot of the Tsa de Fontaney. Here you turn onto footpath No. 11 coming from Lignan which soon takes you to the mountain pasture where you bear right before coming to the Col du Salvé. You continue along the same route and soon after it runs into the path of the Alta Via no. 1, and onwards along the base of a rocky cliff, before bearing left and going up to the refuge and Cuney Sanctuary.

From Vernosse, in the municipality of Oyace, continue towards Bagnera bridge. Continue along the road until you come to route 4 - at the end of the paved road and start of the private road - which rises steeply to the alps of Verdonaz, Broiller, Tsavanne and Tza de Verdonaz (near the latter you will find the chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Snow - Madonna della Neve - celebrated on 5 August).

Leave the car in the car park in front of the town hall, and take the paved road the goes through the village and down across the Ayasse stream. Continue along the road that runs alongside the stream, then take the old mule track on the right, which rises smoothly to reach Creux and Crest di Sotto (in the last section, the old paved mule track gives way to the new road). Just before you get to the houses of Crest di Sotto, take the trail on the left which follows a pipe of the ENEL company and reaches the valley floor, where you can cross the Brenve stream over a bridge. The climb up to the sanctuary begins just beyond this point, At the top of the steps, the trail continues along the path, and heads left at the crossroad. Go past the derelict cabins in Larsine, until you come to the pastures of Retempio (1460 , where there is the small sanctuary.