Piatta de Grevon, from Pila

Introduction

This beautiful circular excursion must necessarily be done before the ski slopes open, both because it is forbidden to go up them and above all to appreciate the ascent in the large alpine spaces of the Pila district: during the excursion, in fact, the panoramas open up more and more as you gain altitude, becoming wide and spectacular, going from Mont Blanc to the Rosa group; the passage between the closed ski lifts and without the crowd of skiers makes the ascent even more 'anomalous'. If the ridge between the bivouac and the Piatta de Grevon is in good condition, to be assessed on site, it does not present excessive difficulties except for the attention to be paid to the overhanging side on the Valley side of Cogne, while in the presence of wind frames or fresh snow it certainly becomes more challenging; for the descent from the Piatta de Grevon below the Punta di Monpers, the loads on the slopes above the chute must be carefully assessed and, in the event of avalanche danger, it is best to return to the arrival of the chairlift and descend along the track.

Description

From the car park, go up the iron ladder leading to the starting point of the Leissè chairlift, the point from which the hike begins, skirting the ski slope to the right. You arrive at the height of the La Nouva chairlift and go past a refreshment point on the right, taking a narrow track that cuts through a short stretch of woodland and then climbs a fairly long and steep section that leads to the arrival point of the Grimond chairlift. Once past it, head towards a series of protections next to the small cannons for artificial snow, where you climb the steep slope that, further up, leads you to follow the poles of the lifts that from the right continue towards the crest of the mountain: looking up, in fact, you can see, still a little distant, the point where the Arno bivouac is located. Now the slope becomes a little steeper and, with a few zig-zags, you reach the arrival point of the chairlift, from which you turn right and follow the short final stretch that leads to a metal cross and the adjacent Arno bivouac (2672 m). From the hut, continue to the left along a ridge that at first loses height for a few dozen metres and then climbs decisively towards a point from which, remaining on the left side, with a few short ups and downs you reach a metal cross. From here, walk a few more metres, reaching the arrival point of the chairlift (2717 m), which you leave on the left, to continue alongside a plastic tunnel for transferring skiers; at the end of this, depending on the conditions, go directly up the short ridge or move to the right and climb up the slope, arriving at the small summit cairn of the Piatta de Grevon (2766 m). From this point, the descent can be made either by returning to the nearby chairlift and then following the track, or by continuing for a short distance and descending freely on the slopes below the peak of Monpers, from which, with a few steep stretches and with some slightly delicate traverses, you can pass by the start of the last chairlift and from this point rejoin the initial part of the ascent itinerary.