Marta's Monterosa Blog

I am passionate about the Alps. They are my heart's home and the place where I would like to spend the last day of my life. I have been a tourist in the village of Champoluc in the Italian Monterosa for all my life and worked as a tourist operator in this area since more than 15 years.

I believe in respect for the special environment of this place that you can find only here. We all gain by enjoying its beauty, while trying to make a minimum impact at the same time. Leave it for our children in the future!

I believe in respect for people who live here with their traditions and culture, language, and work, their genuine products and delicious wines. They open their homes for us, tourists and meet us as their guests, if we are able to open our hearts for them. I have a friend who is a hotel owner and he says that when stressed people from the city come to his place, he tells them to sit down and take a drink before they even begin to worry if they have a room. Perhaps, we can bring a little of their kindness and calmness with us on our way back to the city.

My philosophy is to give back a little of what the mountains and the people from this place have given to me and to my family through my work, to communicate my philosophy and my passion to those who follow me on the blog, and in my trips as a tour operator.

If you would like to visit Champoluc, Gressoney, Alagna or other villages in the Aosta Valley, trek or ski in the Monterosa, discover Sardinia or other places we offer, contact us.

The Little S.t Bernard pass opens 31st May

Posted: May 29, 2017

Categories: News

Comments: 0

Author: Linnea

It is always an emotional event, the re-opening of the Little St. Bernard Pass, between Italy and France, after a long and harsh winter. This year the opening is scheduled to 31st of May, weather permitting. It is in fact, not unusual, that the opening is postponed due to too much snow, and the snow clearance, on both sides, is at the moment working hard to secure the viability.

This squiggly, scenic road, with its saddle at 2188 m above sea level, works in the winter as piste number 7, in the ski area Espace San Bernardo, shared between La Thuile on the Italian side and La Rosière on the French.

The Little St. Bernard pass was historically one of the most important Alp passes. During the roman era, the pass was long time the principal route over the Alps, and there was even a "mansio", a store and a shelter for both wayfarers and the military along the road. Here is also the remaining of a Roman temple, dedicated to Jupiter who also gave his name to the pass throughout the Middle Ages.

According to some to some researchers, it was right here, over the Little St. Bernard Pass, that Hannibal led the Carthaginian Army, including the elephants, over the Alps on his way toward Rome in 218 BC.

Today this beautiful mountain route is popular with both cyclists and motorcyclists and it is a convenient starting point for many treks.

Do you want to know more about La Thuile in the summer and winter?

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