Sport Itineraries: Fontainemore

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). After signpost 2A, the trail continues flat for about fifty metres but starts to climb in the woods after the cabins. You soon come to the pasture of Grangeas where you can get fresh water. After this point, you go through a series of small valleys until you come to a fork that leads to the pasture of Pere Bionche Deseut, which is still in use. With the cabins on the left, continue for about three quarters of an hour until you come to some ruins, where you take the path on the right leading to Col Gragliasca, after a few bends. From here you can reach Lac Torretta (Lé de Fournoil) and Col Marmontana.

Features
Near Mattà, you go into the steep wood of larch trees and Swiss pines mixed with various broad-leaf species: birches, quaking aspen, sorbus, laburnum and green alder. The wood comes to an end at the pasture of Grangéas, with the typical nitrophilous vegetation including alpine rhubarb, nettle and wild spinach. Just beyond this point you come to a peat bog near a cliff pasture, where you should move cautiously in order not to disturb the delicate carpet of musk and moss. Near the hill, among the mountain rocks you can see edelweiss, alpine aster and mountain avens, as well as a few sightings of the alpine azalea.

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 hill are on terrain containing rock debris.

Features
The name Vargno derives from the patois name of the silver fir, which is typical of the area, but not so frequent in the rest of the region. It is found on the stretch of road between the hamlet of Pillaz and the bridge over the Mattà, along with maples, Sorbus, birch, alder and laburnum, as well as the ever-present larch tree, which accompanies visitors as far as Lè Lounc. As you go up, the woods, populated with larch trees, Norway spruce and Swiss pines, become less thick, having been cut down over the years to make way for meadowland, and competing with stone ground and humidity. The lake area provides geological testimony of the history of the place, through over-excavation and sheepback rock, signs of quaternary glacial scouring. Note the water vegetation including the narrowleaf burreed and the common water-crowfoot. Lastly the pinguicola hirtiflora, an uncommon insect-eating plant.

Take the trail marked 1 which climbs up a rather steep slope in the woods as far as Chateroux. Continue, heading slightly to the right towards the chapel of Coulot and then continue up until you get to the village of Kiry. Here, the larch trees are less dense and the trail becomes more gentle, and continues up to the pastures of Ceve and Chalasc.
The trail becomes steep again and leads to the municipal-owned pastures of Nantrè and Prial. In the last section, the path becomes less clear and goes through the highest meadows leading to Col Prial, which you will recognise when you see a cross. Following the crest to the right you come to the lower summit, where the trail signs end. The climb to the summit requires moderate mountain-climbing skills and the use of your hands.

Features
Typical trail with steps and walling. First you cross the pastures of the village of Cara, then the mixed woods of larches, firs, birches, alders and chestnuts with a dense undergrowth. Meadow and pastureland dominate the area around Coulot with patches of gorse and spurred violet. Kiry is a village with a large house on whose roof stands a broad chimney. Nearby there is a lovely Rascard with stone “mushrooms”. Below Ceve, you will find a chapel with a beautiful stone bell tower in a panoramic position. The other side of Chalasc is dominated by wide pastures with vegetation consisting of expanses of larch trees, juniper bushes and rhododendrons.
Typical alpine fauna includes: the squirrel, the fox, the badger, marmots and roe, with alpine swifts and eagles overhead.
The view sweeps across the left side of Fontainemore and its hamlets and the Vargno valley. From Col Prial enjoy a picturesque view over the San Grato valley and Col Dondeuil.

After having gone through the village of Foy, in the municipality of Fontainemore, continue for a stretch and, after two hairpin bends, you can leave your car in the locality called Frastellé. Here you take the mule track, which climbs to the right through patches of vegetation and terraces, up to the houses of Bibioun. From here, in about twenty minutes, you arrive at the village of Ronginé, after which you go along a semi-flat stretch to the Pariassa stream. The path climbs between rocky cliffs (it is advisable never to abandon the path) and a thick deciduous vegetation until reaching the terraced meadows in front of the village of Saroun. The villages of Ronginé and Saroun show interesting architectural features: the former, completely abandoned, is quite large, with beautiful stone houses and ancient inscriptions on the architraves; the latter preserves the most beautiful example of rascard in the whole municipal area.

The Guillemore ravine is located on the border between the municipalities of Issime and Fontainemore, not far from the regional road nr. 44, where an ancient mule track leads to the “Gouffre de Guillemore”, a very deep ravine carved into the rock by the Lys stream and where it plunges with a suggestive jump.
To see the ravine, you can leave your car along a widening of the regional road or in the Plana hamlet and then reach the stream through the path in the woods. The surrounding environment is a mixed forest of chestnut, lime, maple and ash broad-leaved trees.
Follow the path marked by trail sign n. 4, passing along the villages of Plana, Barmotta, Nova-Desot.
You will arrive at the characteristic village of Farettaz which still preserves numerous examples of valuable rural architecture: the frescoed church, the stone houses, the community oven and the fountains.

Reach the village of Pillaz by car and, without entering the village, follow the path n. 2. Go along the dirty road which, entering the wood, turns into the Vargno valley. The road continues straight along the wooded slope until it joins the Pacoulla stream. After a few hairpin bends, the path crosses the bridge and gives way to the sweeter meadows below the Mattà alpine pasture (1677 m). Here begins the beautiful path with paved sections that leads into the Mont Mars Nature Reserve. You go up with a beautiful view of the basin of Lake Vargno.

A few dozen metres before the square in Plan de Coumarial, in Fontainemore, take route which goes into the beech and larch wood and leads to Alpe Vercosa. From here the trail continues flat as far as the bridge over the Gouglias. After crossing the bridge, the trail rises more steeply until it comes to a crossroad below Alpe Serrafredda. After the left branch, turn right until you come to the pastures of Carisey Inferiore and Superiore. Continue along the itinerary to reach Col Carisey, which can be identified by the cross. Now take the path on the left, which soon leads to the Coda refuge.

After the village of Foy, in the municipality of Fontainemore, keep going until after two bends, you can leave the car in Frastellé. Here, take the mule track that rises up to the right, across vegetation and terracing, until you come to the houses of Bibioun. Thirty minutes from here is the village of Ronginé, after which, you proceed along a semi-flat section until you come to the Pariassa stream. The trail rises amidst rocky crags (it is recommended not to leave the trail for any reason) and dense broad-leaf vegetation, until you come to the terraced meadows in front of the village of Saroun.

Features
Cross ancient terraces, mostly turned into woods, which provide parcels of land for cultivation on the steep rocky slope: these are dominated by chestnuts, ash and several sorbus trees belonging to bird catchers.
The villages of Ronginé and Saroun contain some interesting architectural features. The former, which has been completely abandoned, is large with beautiful stone dwellings and ancient inscriptions on the lintels. The latter preserves the most beautiful example of rascard in the whole of the municipal territory.

Go across the mediaeval bridge next to the parish church and take the only mule track on the left before the old village of Boures de Gris. Go into the woods until you reach the village of Borney. From here take the paved road until you cross the road for Gressoney. On the opposite side take the path following directions for Guillemore. On the other side of the characteristic bridge, go up the orographic left side of the Lys stream and, when you get to the village of Planaz, turn right at the chapel and continue along the trail through the meadows, until you reach a stone house on the edge of the woods. After a good half hour you come to a steeper path that leads to the picturesque village of Farettaz.

When you reach the municipal road, follow it to the torrent, where you take the road on the left next to the bridge, and go up to a wooden construction. Here you walk along the right side of the mountain, return to the mule track and then continue on the left towards the chapel of Pillaz (departure point of Oropa procession). Go through the group of houses and then cross the municipal road to take the mule track next to the fountain. Next go up a slight slope which crosses a brook and leads to the municipal road for Coumarial. Take this road for 200 metres, then take the path on the right before the stream. The mule track goes into the wood until it touches the village of Verghedo, from where it descends rapidly to the village of Thea, partly on the paved road. Continue down until you come to Chuchal, then take the mule track below the square that leads to the start of the village of Bressé. Lastly, cross the dirt road at the stone bridge until you come to the village of Fontainemore.

On the outward journey, the route follows the rural road with the fitness trail and on the way back, the cross-country track which is a little higher up, parallel to the road below. The route is often in the woods but in some stretches you can admire the panorama of the peaks on the opposite side. Suitable for a short walk with children.

Area rich in larches with the presence of spruce, stone pine, beech and occasionally Scots pine, birch, rowan and willow, with an undergrowth consisting of juniper, rhododendron, blueberry and raspberry.

It can be reached by taking the road which, from the town of Fontainemore, climbs towards the Mont Mars Nature Reserve, in the locality of Coumarial.

Proceed along the snow-covered road prohibited to traffic for a couple of turns until you reach a few typical houses: turn right, ignoring the nature path that continues straight. Continue along the slope that crosses a thick larch wood. You’ll reach the fork for Cour de Ry after a slight ascent: leave the descent on your right and continue along the slope until you exit the woods. The Vercosa houses are just a few minutes from here.
After Vercosa, the slope turns slightly to the left to climb to a ledge under the Crotal alps. The road, with a series of small turns, crosses the pasture and leads to the Gressoney valley side: there are interesting views of the Dames de Challand. After a straightaway, turn right to the village of Leretta.
Without descending to the houses below, turn left and climb the short field near the stone house. Just beyond you’ll enter a larch woods and, moving to your left, the base of the Leretta ridge: this part is rather steep (be careful of frozen snow) and leads to the Punta Leretta ridge peak.

Carry on along the road that winds through the valley that is just slightly sloping. After about half an hour, the road heads up a steeper stretch with some turns and crosses the river over a pretty, stone bridge.
Carry on along the road as far as the Vargno Lake then head up to the left of the pretty slopes where there are a few houses. At the end, head up through the larches to the left as far as a depression: you will find yourself in front of a small river gorge that can be passed by, both on the right and left.
Further on, on a steeper stretch, you will come to a hillock where you can find an old Alpine hut.
Flat cross the slope and head into a steep, small valley, watching out for any snow falls along the last stretch. Carry on up the valley until you come to a depression. Head to the right along pretty slopes as far as the clearly visible Gragliasca Pass (2213 m).

From the parking area of Pian Coumarial continue along the farm road for a few hundred meters, leaving the road that leads to the Coda refuge to the right and continue along the flat, traced out safety route which crosses to the left and follow it until it ends. Continue along the road that goes down for a bit until it joins with the one coming from Pillaz. Continue along the road until you arrive at lago del Vargno (Vargno Lake).
Before actually reaching the lake take the path of Col della Barma. You will arrive first at Lac de Lé Lounc, at the alp bearing the same name and then to Lac de la Barma where is the new mountain hut.
You continue to the right on path 2b that leads to the col Chardon where the ferrata begins.
You immediately climb a strengthened tower to the left with steps (every 30 cm) and handrails. You continue to go down and climb up on three main gendarmes. There are two short jutting parts of about 2 meters, but they are not difficult.
The last part of the ferrata looks alot like a fully equipped trail. The safety equipment consists of hemp ropes in good conditions. In the grassier parts its better to stay on the edge of the crest.
You continue downwards until you reach the passo della Capra (2414 meters) that joins with the normal path of the Oropa. You then continue to the right, going up, until you reach the Mont Mars peak (2600 meters).
From the top you go down on the opposite side with the help of hemp ropes until you reach the col Goudin superiore, with the view of the historic Carisey crest. You continue going down to the right on path 3a that leads to laghetto Gaudin (2083 meters) where you intercept the Alta Via numero 1. After a part along middle coast you start to ascend in a beautiful environment filled with mid mountain vegetation.
Once you’ve reached Serrafredda go to the left (trail 3a) crossing path 3 that goes down from col di Carisey. You continue downhill until you reach the delightful little cottages of Vercosa and then to alpe Chicail (1536 meters). You continue to go downhill on a wooded path until you reach the picnic tables and 50 meters to the right, going up, to the parking area.