Col de Arbolle, from Pila

Access

Leaving the motorway at the Aosta Est exit, take the state road and continue in the direction of the capital. Once in Aosta, follow the signs for Pila until you reach the locality of Pont-Suaz: from here, having crossed the Dora Baltea, continue in the direction of Charvensod. Go up the entire regional road until you reach Pila, at the first parking area near the arrival point of the Aosta-Pila cableway.

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Introduction

Making the ascent to Col d'Arbolle can be a beautiful excursion in itself: the route in a very wild natural environment with excellent panoramic views makes it very fascinating. There is, however, the possibility of completing the traverse by descending to the Laures lakes: the route is considerably longer and requires an overnight stay at the Arbolle Refuge.

Description

Leaving the car park, go up the metal staircase that leads to the gondola station and, after crossing the little meadow in front of it, turn right onto a small road. After a few metres, ignore the road to the left that leads to the hermitage of San Grato, and shortly afterwards you come to a temporary signpost indicating to turn left in the direction of the Chamolé mountain pasture. We ascend a dirt track that in a few minutes first leads to an alpine pasture and after a few metres ends at a signpost indicating Alpe Chamolé (1851 m, 0h10'). The path climbs up a deforested strip among the fir trees, populated by Sorbus (Sorbus aucuparia) and Alder (Alnus cordata), to an altitude of about 2,000 m, where the deforested section becomes wider and gives way to some grassland. You soon reach a wider path (2062 m, 0h30') and turn left up a beautiful trail that quickly crosses the forest and leads to the beautiful pastureland clearing below the Chamolé alpine pasture. The path, with a wide semicircle to the left, first approaches a ruin and finally reaches the Chamolé mountain pasture (2154 m, 0h50'): from here, the panorama is already exemplary, Mont Blanc stands out in the distance and in front of us, the view of the Fallère group and the Grand Combin is unmissable... especially at first dawn. At the back of the mountain pasture, we take a small road, still following the signpost, near a fountain. You first climb up a small road that becomes a path and enters a wooded area. After a few minutes you come to a fork: both lead to Lake Chamolé, the 102 on the left reaches it directly, while the one on the right takes you up a small valley to the arrival point of the Chamolé chairlift (2,310 m, 1h 20') with a refreshment point. From the chair lift, we follow a wide, almost level path that leads us to Lake Chamolé (2325 m, 1h30') in less than 10 minutes. From here we begin to climb the ridge that leads to Col Chamolé: the path, which is very popular, comfortably climbs the grassy ridge below the Tête Noire; as we ascend it, the panorama becomes more and more captivating and the view of the needle below becomes more and more suggestive. At the end of the innumerable hairpin bends, the pass is finally reached and the Arbolle omba opens up before us with the refuge and the two small lakes located near it. The marker placed on the pass (2655 m, 2h10') indicates that the path for Punta Valletta starts on the right. We ignore it and begin the descent of about 150 m until we reach the plateau that precedes the refuge. We cross the stream with the runoff water from the Arbolle lakes and reach the Arbolle refuge (2523 m, 2h30'). A little path starts in front of the hut and shortly afterwards rejoins the one below, which runs alongside the two small lakes and begins to climb up the wide Arbolle valley; in front of us, Punta Garin (3451 m) begins to appear and a little to the left we can glimpse the notch of the pass of the same name. The path flanks the torrent until it reaches a wide plateau where it disperses, widening out: from here we begin to climb halfway up its orographic left, almost immediately meeting the fork for Col Garin (, 2583 m, 2h50'). At this point, the path gains altitude, crosses the small outflow stream of Lago de l'Echo and with a couple of hairpin bends takes us to a small ridge dividing the basins that descend from the Tre Capuccini and d'Arbolle hills. The environment is now that of the high mountains, the prairie thinning out more and more, leaving room for immense stony ground: every now and then it is worth pausing to admire the beautiful panorama behind, from the ridge of Punta Valletta the Grivola and Mont Blanc appear imperious. The walk continues steadily upwards without, for the time being, excessive steepness until reaching the Lago Gelato (2970 m, 3h40'). Climb up a detrital stretch and reach the fork for Col d'Arbolle (3033 m, 3h50'): we now continue on the right-hand fork b that will lead us to our destination. We now climb up the orographic left of the small valley below the pass; by now the ground is composed of stones and, due to its northern exposure and height, may be covered by the first snows of September. After 20 minutes you finally reach the pass (3149 m, 4h10'): from the small notch between the rocks, the view of the Laures lakes and Punta Tersiva is not to be missed. The return walk follows the same route as the outward journey, or you can descend into the Vallone delle Laures and arrive in Brissogne. 

Photo gallery The Alpe Chamolé Sunrise on the Fallère Lake Chamolé A busy Col Chamolé Rifugio Arbolle and Punta Garin A glimpse of the Grivola The Punta Tersiva The high Vallone delle Laures Bibliography: L.Zavatta, I Monti di Aosta, Cogne, l'Avic e Champorcher, Rimini, 2001 Cartography: Les sentiers du Mont Emilius 1:25000 - Comunità Montana Monte Emilius - ©2003 Hapax