Testa Cordella, from the Pré Neuf car park

Description

This long hike (over 20 km in length) takes place in the beautiful Flassin valley, and more precisely on the watershed with the Citrin valley to the north: the Testa cordella is in fact on the continuation of the ridge that descends from Mont Flassin and slopes down to the Tête du Bois de Quart, the last point of the long ridge. The peak is wrongly less frequented than the nearby and slightly higher Mont Flassin, but it is still a very beautiful vantage point over the alpine chain bordering Switzerland in the Gran San Bernardo area, over the adjacent valleys and peaks, and with a fine view of the distant Grivola. The route takes place, in the first part, on the farm track that arrives at the last alpine pastures and then on a well-marked path until the junction with the one that goes up to Col Flassin; beyond this junction, the track sometimes disappears among the grass or in the terrain that has been eroded a little, but with yellow signs, although a little faded, located in the right places. Although in the last part the exposure and the slope are somewhat accentuated, one never encounters major problems with progression. However, the low number of people on this itinerary makes it possible to catch sightings of the numerous fawns that populate these territories. If you wish to complete the excursion by touching another peak, you can, having returned to the Tsa de Flassin hut, walk along the beautiful path halfway up the hillside to the Tête du Bois de Quart and from there, take another path back to the farmstead; the route is a little longer but is certainly less monotonous and more panoramic. Description From the car park, take the little road that, to the right of the bar, enters the wood where you first pass a hut on the left inside the wood, then an electric cabin and immediately afterwards keep left at a fork with another little road that branches off to the right. With a slightly sloping path, go past the wood and, skirting the extensive pastureland, go past a hut on the right (1454 m) to reach the Flassin desot alpine pasture (1552 m), which is passed by a hairpin bend; after a few more bends, leave the Flassin de metien hut on the right (1646 m) to reach the beautiful Flassin hut (1699 m), from which you continue towards the bottom of the valley. Immediately after a hairpin bend, leave a path to the right near a marker (1934 m), and at the next bend, leave another path marked with yellow bolts (1952 m) to the left; advancing towards the comba, stay to the left (orographic right) and go over a grassy rampart above which the splendid and verdant upper part opens out with its grassy undulations. After making a wide semicircle, you arrive near the huts of Tsa de Flassin where, shortly before, a path branches off to the left (2275 m); start to climb it, immediately ignoring a path to the left to continue to the right with the slope now increasing, passing between grassy rises and reaching a fork signposted by yellow markers at which you take the one to the right (2369 m). Without crossing the stream, follow the track that now becomes less evident and passes by a grassy plateau heading towards the high flanks of our destination; after passing a small lake, turn left and enter a small basin that you cross on the right, heading towards the steep grassy slopes. Following the faint trail and the yellow signs, which are sometimes faded, we make wide hairpin bends over somewhat friable terrain, remaining below the vertical of the summit and reaching a small grassy shoulder. From here, we begin a traverse to the left and then make two wide hairpin bends over steep and somewhat exposed terrain that lead to the wide ridge. From here, deviate to the right towards the now evident summit cusp, which, with a panoramic route, is soon reached. For the return journey, follow the ridge downhill, passing a few small points to reach a pass below the peak of Mont Flassin (2652 m) and from here, without any obligatory route, descend the grassy slopes where residual snowfields can be found, passing next to a ruin (2537 m) and, taking some old tracks, you will arrive at the intersection with the path (2466 m) coming from Col Flassin. From here, turn left, passing by the crossroads at an altitude of 2369 m, and again arrive at the huts of Tsa de Flassin (2272 m), which you cross to take the path that branches off up the slope on the opposite side. The trail becomes very scenic with a half-hill path that, with a few short ups and downs, crosses the steep grassy slopes below Testa Cordella and its north-east ridge; after a long traverse through low vegetation and some coniferous thickets, you reach the panoramic cross of the Tête du Bois de Quart (2256 m) from which, to the right of the arrival path, the descent trail begins. Leave a path that descends to the left (2229 m) and arrive at a forestry hut (2212 m) that you pass in front of and continue with a few narrow hairpin bends in a steep descent; after passing a small grassy clearing you make a few short ups and downs crossing to the right to arrive at a stream that you cross and then turn left, arriving shortly at the crossroads post on the farm road at altitude (1934 m) and from here you return to the valley floor.