Alta Via 2

Courmayeur - Rifugio Elisabetta Soldini. From Courmayeur, take the municipal road that leads to Dolonne. After you leave the village, take the path on the right that goes up, with some steep stretches, to Praz Neyron, where you will find the “Le Randonneur” stop-off point, and just a little further ahead, the Maison Vieille Mountain Hut.
From here, the path climbs up again, runs alongside two little alpine lakes and crosses the pastureland until a stony mountainside, from where it starts to go down, touching upon the two pastures of Arp Vielle Superiore and Arp Vielle Inferiore, until it comes out onto the dirt road at the bottom of the valley. Go along the dirt road, up the plain of Combal Lake and along the final stretch of path that intersects with the road and leads to the Elisabetta Soldini Mountain Hut.

Rifugio Elisabetta Soldini - La Thuile. From the Elisabetta Soldini Hut, go down the dirt road for 200 m until you come to a number of old stone buildings, near which you should take the path that continues across a wooden bridge to the other side of the torrent. From here, go across the plateau, walking alongside the torrent for about a kilometre, after which the path goes back up the mountain, amid grassy and stony slopes, until you come to Col Des Chavannes.
The route now descends along a dirt trail, passing through the pastures of Chavanne Superiore and Chavanne Inferiore before continuing more gently towards the pasture of Berrio Blanc Inferiore and crossing the deep valley on the mountainside on towards the pastures of Porassey, Monquet and the hamlet of Orgères, from where the road turns to tarmac until Pont Serrand. From Pont- Serrand, go down along the path, which intersects with the bends of the trunk road, until you come to the Miramonti Hotel, where you can cross the bridge over the Dora di Verney and reach the centre of La Thuile in just a few minutes.

La Thuile - Promoud. From La Thuile, go back up the asphalt road on the left of the Rutor Torrent and continue on until the road forks; take right, cross the bridge and continue along the dirt track until you come to the path that intersects with the tarmac road for brief stretches and leads to La Joux. From here the route runs through the fields, crosses the torrent and enters the wood, where it passes alongside three delightful waterfalls and climbs sharply up towards the Glacier lake.
After the Glacier pasture, continue on up towards the Alberto Deffeyes Mountain Hut, and from there continue left across a humid area of great natural value. Along grassy slopes and stony ground, the path continues on towards the Passo Alto col, from where it goes down first across a stretch of stony ground and then along an easy path through the pastureland until you come to the Promoud bivouac.

Promoud – Planaval. From the Promoud bivouac, go down and cross the little wooden bridge over the torrent, then go back up the ridge towards Col de la Crosatie. The last 200 metres of the climb are rather characteristic, in that the path runs along a beautiful ridge with a distinctive long flight of stone steps. At Col de la Crosatie the route starts its descent towards the first grassy ledges, where a long diagonal stretch runs around the mountainside towards the right, after which the path takes sharply downwards before becoming less challenging towards the Lac de Fond.
Go around the lake for a brief stretch until you cross the stream that comes out from it and continue on to the remains of the Baraques du Fond pastures. From here the path crosses a fine stretch of flat, at the end of which it crosses the torrent and goes down a ridge that crosses back over the torrent and leads to another flat stretch. The route continues down among the pastureland until the ruins of the Bénévy pasture, after which it continues through sparse woodland and comes out just down from a bend in the tarmac road that leads to Planaval. From here the itinerary follows the road, past the village of La Clusaz and on to Planaval (Arvier).

Planaval - Rifugio Chalet de l'Epée. From Planaval the route follows the tarmac road that goes down until it meets the regional road for Valgrisenche, along which it continues in the same direction until it leaves the road at the fork for Revers. Here it crosses the torrent and reaches the village, from which it continues along a flat stretch of dirt road that runs through the fields and alongside the torrent to Prariond. Go through Prariond and take the path that goes up to the left into the woods and leads to La Frassy, where the itinerary returns onto the tarmac road, before passing by Planté and Chez Carral and continuing on towards Gerbelle.
From Gerbelle, cross the torrent Dora di Valgrisenche and take the path up from the regional road that leads to the centre of the village of Valgrisenche. After you come out of the village, before a gallery, turn left onto the road that leads to Mondanges. From here, cross the bridge and continue right along the side of the sports field until you meet a path that goes into some thick conifer wood. Go along the path that leads to the Bénévy pasture and continue across the fields to the Bois pasture. From here, go up the farm road to the Praz-Londzet pasture; take the path on the right and go up to the Chalet de l’Epée Mountain Hut.

Rifugio Chalet de l'Epée - Rhêmes-Notre-Dame. From the Chalet de l’Epée, a brief grassy slope leads up to a large plateau, where the path runs alongside the torrent. From here there is a final climb, first on grass and then on stony ground, which will take you up to Col Fênetre. From the col, the path winds its way down a steep slope of detritus and pastureland and crosses an alluvial canyon, at the other end of which is the Torrent pasture. From here the route continues along a grassy ledge, tracing a long, slightly downhill traverse into some sparse conifer wood and then back down a grassy ridge with a high rock wall above it.
At the other side of the bridge over the torrent, the path crosses the fields for a brief stretch, coming to an end on the tarmac road near the car park at Veforche. Follow the tarmac road to the left for about 200 metres and you will reach Rhêmes-Notre- Dame.

Rhêmes-Notre-Dame - Eaux-Rousses. From Rhêmes-Notre-Dame, cross the bridge over the Dora di Rhêmes torrent, go past the visitors’ centre of the Gran Paradiso National Park and take the path that goes up to the Pré du Bois pasture. After the pasture the itinerary moves into thick conifer woodland, climbs up and comes out of the woods near a wooden cross, before entering the long plateau with the Entrelor pasture.
The route runs along the plateau before climbing up again to the Plan de Feye pasture, where it continues across the fields and then detritus until you reach Col Entrelor. From the col, the path goes down diagonally, with a few bends and crosses the pasturelands alongside a few alpine lakes until it meets the Djouan pasture, just after which lies the hunting lodge of Vittorio Emanuele II, currently used as a park rangers’ hut. From here you will come to the first stretches of larch wood, and a grassy ledge leads to the last pasture, after which, continuing along a gentle slope down through the woods, you come out onto the fields up from Eaux-Rousses.

Eaux-Rousses - Rifugio Vittorio Sella. After Eaux-Rousses, cross the bridge over the Savara torrent and follow the path that winds its way through the fields, before going into the woods and climbing back up a series of wide bends. After a flat stretch, you will come out of the woods and find the pasture of Livionaz Inferiore and the park rangers’ hut.
From here, the itinerary continues in the valley on a long plateau, climbs back up and crosses the little bridge over the Levionaz torrent, before climbing up over stony ground to the highest point on the Alte Vie trails: Col Loson, at an altitude of almost 3300 m. From the col, the path takes downwards, first along a traverse on the left and then, with a few bends, on a broad stony slope down to a grassy basin, from which it goes down a steep slope and then, with a gentler slope, along a long traverse that runs beside the torrent and crosses the fields to the Vittorio Sella Mountain Hut.

Rifugio Vittorio Sella - Cogne. From the Vittorio Sella Mountain Hut, start going down the deep valley, first along the left bank of the torrent, then crossing over it and going along the right bank until you reach the Thoules pasture. The route continues through the woods, crosses the torrent again and descends gently round wide bends until it comes out of the woods near the Paradisia botanic garden.
From here, cross the field and go down a brief tarmac ramp; cross the large wooden traffic bridge over the torrent until you reach Valnontey. From here, follow a brief stretch of tarmac road towards Cogne until you come to a campsite. After the campsite, take a dirt track that runs alongside the torrent until you come to an underpass that allows you to cross the tarmac road and continue along the trail that runs into the woods. Once you come to the first houses of Cogne, come off the trail and go down towards a car park, and from there continue along the tarmac road that runs alongside the beautiful Sant’Orso meadow and takes you to the square in the centre of Cogne.

Cogne - Rifugio Sogno di Berzé. From Cogne, follow the tarmac road towards Lillaz. Just before the chapel of Saint-Antoine, take the dirt track road on the right. Go along the dirt road that climbs gently up amid the woods until you come out near a traffic bridge. Cross it and turn left towards Champlong. From here, continue along the pavement that runs alongside the tarmac road until the large open square at Lillaz.
Cross it, and after about 200 metres take the path that goes up to the left through fields and woodland, walking for a brief stretch alongside a penstock, then continue until you reach a flat stretch that leads to the pasture of Goilles Inferiore.
Just after the pasture, turn right across the wooden bridge over the Urtier Torrent and go walk steeply up through the conifer wood. The wood now thins out and the route crosses a number of little torrents until you come to a rangers’ hut. From here the route flattens out, leaves the woods behind, crosses the pasturelands that streams run through and goes onto a dirt track that leads to the Sogno di Berdzé Mountain Hut at the Péradza.

Rifugio Sogno di Berzé - Rifugio Dondena. From the Sogno di Berdzé Mountain Hut, go up the path, round several bends on the stony ground to Col Fênetre, where there is an old military shelter.From here, now within the Mont Avic Regional Park, the path goes down into a little stony depression then, more gently, passes the beautiful Miserin lake, crosses the torrent downstream from the artificial dam on the lake and reaches the Miserin Mountain Hut.
From the hut, continue along the path, which intersects several times with the dirt track road. Move onto the road when the descent begins to slope more gently, and go along it at length around the mountainside until you come to the Dondena Mountain Hut.

Rifugio Dondena – Champorcher. From the Dondena Mountain Hut, go down along the dirt road, past the village of Dondena, and cross the torrent. Then take the path down from the road. The path runs through the fields, touching upon the pastures of Champlong and Créton, soon after which it goes into the woods, where it goes down sets of steps. This is why the path has been given the name “della Scaletta” (the steps).
Once you come to the bridge, cross the Ayasse Torrent and continue, first through woodland, then across fields, until you come to a wide stone road, built during the reign of Vittorio Emanuele II for the king’s hunting trips. When you reach Chardonney at the bottom of the valley, go along a brief stretch of tarmac road and cross the torrent again to the right, them continue along a dirt trail alongside the torrent until you come to the picnic area, after which you will soon reach Château at Champorcher.

Champorcher – Crest. From Château, after the bridge over the Ayasse Torrent, walk alongside the torrent and the picnic area for a short distance until you reach Karlantze; from here, continue round the mountainside, enjoying the spectacular view, until you come to the mountain huts, now in ruins, of Porte.From here, go right up the La Leigne valley, first to the Ourty pasture, then, after you cross the two bridges over the “Torrent du Bois”, the route climbs gently up within the conifer woods and reaches the long plateau of Sant’Antonio and the Chenessy pasture. The route now takes left and goes back up the mountainside, partly through steep fields and partly across stony ground, until it soon reaches the pass Colle della Fricolla.
The path now starts to descend along a traverse on the mountainside and then crosses some stretches of stony ground that lead to the Breuil hut, from where there are superb views, including a glimpse of the village of Brenve below. From here, cross the long plateau and go back onto the path that runs down towards the pastures of Lettaz and Miallet, then runs alongside the steep walls of the “Mont De Plodze”, passes the houses (now empty) of Fontana and leads to the village of Crest Damon, where it is possible to spend the night.

Crest - Donnas. From Crest, continue on the flat along the path that runs alongside a water duct, along which you will meet a number of votive chapels. The path crosses a wooden bridge over the Brenve Torrent, and after a few dozen metres, a set of steep stone steps lead up into the woods to the Retempio Sanctuary. From here, continue upwards, walking along a large ridge; at the first fork, take left and proceed to Valsomma.
Past the pastures, the path takes right and goes up to Col Pousseuil, the highest point on this stage, where the route enters into the municipality of Donnas. Go down the deep Mouilla valley to the Mouilla pasture, where there was once a lake; continue on the left, go through Giassit, Bochet and Mognissola, and before you come to Pian Mery-damon, cross the Bonze torrent. Go along the dirt road for about a hundred metres until you reach the houses of Donnes, then continue on down to Clapey, partly on the path and partly on the local tarmac road. When you come to the roundabout, cross the pedestrian bridge over the Dora Baltea river into the historic hamlet of the municipality of Donnas.