Sport Itineraries: Saint-Oyen

Climbing up towards the Great St Bernard Pass, the first centre you come to is Gignod, which features a picturesque church with a Gothic entrance.
Continuing the ascent, you reach the mediaeval village of Étroubles, and a few kilometres further on, you pass through Saint-Oyen, a small village with traditional Val d’Aosta style houses.
At the foot of the main village, you can see the Great St Bernard charitable home run by monks, and the Regina Pacis monastery.

The last municipality on the Italian side is Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses, famous for its DOP raw ham called “Vallée d’Aoste Jambon de Bosses”.
Before entering the village, you turn right onto the road which, in 10 kilometres, leads you to the Great St Bernard Pass. The Celts, the Romans and, from the Middle Ages, numerous pilgrims who traveled the Via Francigena in the direction of Rome passed through this Alpine pass. The most famous crossing was that made by Napoleon. Just a few metres across the Pass, on the Swiss side, stands the famous hospice where they breeded St Bernard dogs.

Places you go through on the route:
- Aosta (590 m)
- Arpuilles junction 1.9 km (690 m)
- Valpelline junction 3.8 km (780 m)
- Gignod 8 km (960 m)
- Etroubles 16.4 km (1,265 m)
- Saint-Oyen 18.1 km (1,350 m)
- Great St Bernard Pass junction 20.3 km (1,490 m)
- Saint-Rhémy 22.2 km (1,615 m)
- Great St Bernard Pass 35.1 km (2,473 m)

Route included in a stage of the Giro d’Italia in 1973 (Geneva/Aosta). Stage won by Merckx (Belgium).

You can immediately take the Great Saint Bernard Valley or lengthen the road a bit, choosing the variation that will take you to Doues, picturesque village in the middle of the mountain, in a prime panoramic position.

Another location to “taste”, in every sense of the word, is Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses, where the renowned Jambon de Bosses was born, a genuine gastronomic rarity, celebrated every year in July with a big festival.

Past Saint-Rhémy, the road climbs up to 8114 feet of the* Great Saint Bernard Pass* (don’t forget gloves and heavy sweater!), important alpine passage used since antiquity, as attested to by numerous archaeological finds. It was Saint Bernard himself who constructed here, in the 11th century, the grand hospice that for a long time gave assistance to travellers. Behind his statue, which today dominates the pass, the ancient Roman road carved into the rock is still quite visible.

From the Saint-Oyen campsite take dirt road 7 which goes along the Comba di Flassin. Route 7D goes off to the left, at altitude 1950, near a right bend. This path rise above a rock wall and winds up the narrow valley. It comes out onto a small valley before the hill, where its slope decreases and it is easier to go over the section with debris.

Take the private route (7) for the Flassin valley near the Saint-Oyen campsite, and follow it up to the pasture of Tsa de Flassin (2258 m).
From the houses, continue to the left, following the cattle trail, which becomes a path higher up. Ignore route 7B, which you meet on the right as you go up, then continue on the meadows and, move leftwards diagonally over the debris as far as the hill.

From the Saint-Oyen campsite take dirt road 7 which leads to Comba di Flassin. Follow this itinerary until you come to Tsa de Flassin after going past Alpe Flassin du Meiten. From here, take route 7 on the left of the road that rises behind the cabins, and which, initially, is hard to make out among the cattle trail. When you get to the crossroad, leave route 7 on the left and take route 7B on the right. Continue the trail across the meadows until you get to the top.

From the Saint-Oyen campsite take dirt road 7 which leads to Comba di Flassin. Follow this itinerary until you come to Tsa de Flassin after going past Alpe Flassin du Meiten. From here, go past the cabins and, ignoring route 7 on the left, take route 7A on the right, and continue over the high altitude pastures and sparse wood until you get to the top.

Near Saint Oyen town hall take route 14 which rises steeply alongside the stream. It crosses a paved road and then continues towards the woods. It turns right at a junction, and continues along 14 up to the cabins of Morginaz. Continue west on the path that goes into the woods and reaches the private road. On the left, you come to a junction. From here, continue along the branch that rises to reach Plan Puitz with its characteristic grotto fortifications.

From the large parking lot where the Foyer di fond is located, climb South along the slopes, cross the steam and continue to the woods. Enter the woods following the farm road to the Upper Flassin mountain pastures. Climb to the left along the steeper slopes heading for the gap between Testa Cordella and Mont Flassin. Follow the wide ridge and then the steeper segment to the summit.
Descent down the upward itinerary.