Mognod, from Grand Moulin

Access

From the motorway exit at Châtillon, turn left along Via E. Chanoux. Go past the roundabout, third exit, and continue through the town centre for about 600m and then turn right into Via Menabrea, which you should follow until you reach the roundabout with the "Cervino" on the inside. Take the second exit and take the road, following it for 7.1km to Antey-Saint-André where, on the right, you will find the Tourist Office chalet in Piazza Attilio Rolando where 🅿️ free parking spaces are available.

[0h12'] - [8.7km]
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The information provided here has been verified on the date of the route survey. Before setting off, it is advisable to ensure that no substantial changes have occurred on the route to the starting point. We therefore recommend the use of the satellite navigation apps provided by Google or Apple for up-to-date and detailed directions.

Introduction

Mognod is the main village in the municipality of Torgnon: the town hall and the parish church dedicated to St Martin, the municipality's patron saint, are located here. The itinerary proposed here goes up the Valtournenche slope at the foot of Torgnon, passing through some of the characteristic villages that make up the diffuse municipality of Torgnon. Traces of rural architecture and places of worship are present in the places crossed, making the excursion very interesting also from a historical point of view. For this reason, this section of the climb is included in two important long-distance hiking itineraries: the Gran Balconata del Cervino and the Cammino Balteo.

Description

0h00' Cross the regional road and reach a block of signposts indicating the main paths from Grand Moulin. Follow the signposts of path , the Grand Balcony of the Matterhorn and the Balteo path, and proceed straight ahead for about 70m and, in front of the oratory dedicated to Nôtre Dame de la Guérison, turn left onto path indicated with yellow markings on the ground. A little further on, turn right and continue uphill as you leave the last houses of Grand Moulin until you come to a marker for the Baltese Path .

0h05' Turn left and follow the path until it joins the regional road . Cross the regional road and proceed slightly downhill to the right until you come to the markers indicating that the path has been resumed.

0h10' Climb up the path that immediately enters the woods and proceed on a moderate incline flanked by fine dry stone walls. A wooden railing makes this part of the route even more attractive, especially when the beautiful chapel of Navillod dedicated to St John the Baptist appears. 

0h20' Leave the path and follow the small communal road that passes through the scattered dwellings of the village of Navillod and, a little further on, the village of Gombaz, where you briefly take the path again that joins the small access road to the village of Nozon. Enter the village by taking the small road on the left that leads between the houses before turning right onto an alley that soon leads to the chapel dedicated to the Visitation. After the chapel, turn left onto the little road that leaves the village and climbs up the pastures with some nice views of the Matterhorn. Turn left before meeting a fork in the road: keep to the right to climb up a short stretch of path that joins the dirt track again. Proceed to the left and, after a short but steep climb, exit the forest in view of the village of Mazod. The little road flattens out slightly, becomes tarmac and, after passing a votive shrine, you reach Mazod and the regional road.

1h00' Following the signposts, rejoin the path at the bend in the regional road and walk along it for a short distance until it joins the tarmac road that crosses the village of Valleil. Follow the road to the right until you come out of the village, where you meet the chapel dedicated to Notre Dame des Neiges. The little road becomes a path and soon reaches Champeille and the regional road again. Cross the road and turn right, walking along it for a few dozen metres before rejoining the path, which, after a bend to the left, returns to the regional road. By now, you are nearing the end of the climb. Cross the regional road and take a small road that in a few metres leads to the Torgnon town hall and the monumental parish church dedicated to St Martin (patron saint of Torgnon). Refill your water bottles at the fountain opposite the church, then resume the ascent, turning right and following a footpath that reaches the regional road again. Follow it for another hundred metres or so before reaching Piazza Frutaz and the centre of Mognod, the main village of Torgnon 1h30' .

The return journey follows the same route as the outward journey 1h00' .