Praz Orsie, from the Blanchet car park

Access

From the motorway junction at Verrès enter the roundabout and take the third exit and take the Strada Statale in the direction of Aosta.After 450m at the roundabout take the first exit and continue on the statale for a further 1.3km. Turn left onto the strada regionale with signs for Valle di Champdepraz - Parco del Mont Avic. Go up the for about 10km before meeting the panel with the signs for the resort's main car park: turn left following the signs for Blanchet and Fusse and, after about 200m, park your car in the convenient free car park 🅿️.

[0h22'] - [11.5km]
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In the summer period, July/August, there is a shuttle service to Chevrère (Covarey).

These indications are based on direct verification carried out at the time of surveying the route so the information should be checked before setting off on the hike. We recommend using a GPS navigator or a map app on your smartphone to get up-to-date and detailed directions.

Introduction

Short walk in the Mont Avic Regional Park. The route winds its way along the southern slope of Mont Barbeston on an easy path that allows you to fully enjoy the naturalistic peculiarities of the protected area. The arrival and stop at Praz Orsie provides a privileged viewpoint over the Avic area.

Description

Leaving the car behind, we set off on a nice little paved road, signposted (5C) that runs alongside the characteristic little church in the village of Veulla; after a few hundred metres the little road becomes a dirt track and continues westwards, slightly sloping, heading towards the sharp silhouette of the Mont Avic. After crossing a small wooden bridge, we ascend a short stretch of road until we reach Crest (1365m, 0h10'): from here starts the path (7) that leads to Praz Orsie (1794m) and to Mont Barbeston (2483m).
We begin to ascend the path that immediately enters the characteristic wood of Pinus sylvestris; the first stretch is quite steep and allows us to gain altitude immediately. Once past the first stretch of woodland, we enter a small deforested depression that precedes the crossing of Ru Chevrère (1512m, 0h30'). The climb continues as we come to the clearing of an old charcoal pile (1,568m, 0h35'); after a short uphill stretch, the path veers to the left and becomes less steep, slowly opening up interesting views of the Chalamy valley below. The destination is approaching, you leave the forest crossing an ancient glacial balcony now covered by pastures and soon reach the junction for the Mont Barbeston (1780m, 0h55'): you ignore the path that branches off to the right and, continuing straight on, you reach Praz Orsie (1794m, 1h00') and its characteristic restored cottages.
Praz Orsie is worth a stop to enjoy the panorama over a large part of the Park territory, on the Mont Avic and the distant mountains of the lower Val d'Ayas: for this purpose, just above the village, there is a triangular orientation board that makes it easier to recognise the peaks.
For the descent, follow the path (7A) to the locality known as Magazzino, whose departure is indicated by a small pole. After a couple of turns, we turn right across a sloping meadow expanse. Enter the forest and after a series of twists and turns, you again reach the crossing of the Ru Chevrère on a small wooden bridge (1555m, 1h20'); continue the descent past a couple of large scree slopes to reach the hamlet of Magazzino (1461m, 0h35'). Now there is nothing left to do but return to the starting point by following the convenient little farm road which, on a slight descent, leads to the village of Vëulla and then to the starting point (1300m, 2h00').

Along the itinerary there are a number of information posts set up by the Park Authority to increase one's knowledge in terms of nature, history and some interesting curiosities.