Puy-de-Saint-Evence, from the Col Saint-Pantaléon

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, 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 regional road , following it for 8km to Antey-Saint-André where you turn left onto the regional road . Climb for just over 6km to reach the hamlet of Mognod and the centre of Torgnon. Turn left, following the signs for the regional road for Col Saint-Pantaléon. After 3.2km, you will reach a car park on the left-hand side of the road.

How to get there with GMaps

How to get there with Apple Maps

Introduction

Beautiful walk, simple and without excessive altitude difference: a good test for making your snowshoeing debut. If you are lucky enough to find a clear and sunny winter day, this hike will reward you with splendid panoramic views over Valtournenche and the central valley.

Description

0h00' Leaving the car park, we descend back down the regional road until we come to a signpost on the left inviting us to turn left: from here we put on our snowshoes and descend a short distance until we reach the Chapel of Saint-Pantaléon (1645m). This building dates back to 1845, but stands on the remains of an earlier oratory dedicated to the same saint. After the chapel, the route proceeds through a beautiful coniferous forest with interesting panoramic views of the Cervino, the Valtournenche, the Emilius group and the plateaus below. The route runs through a forest of firs and larches through which the sun plays with the chiaroscuro on the snow, we proceed along a wide path that follows a wooded watershed ridge between Valtournenche and the plateaus of Saint-Denis and Verrayes. Our walk proceeds gently, following the continuous ups and downs of the path. After about 20 minutes, we reach, in the middle of the forest, the deviation, on the left, for the Sez de Creuvö: we go up the forest for about a hundred metres and come across a particular hollow stone inside.
0h25' Back on the main path, the trail encounters some benches that, placed along the way, allow us to enjoy the beautiful panorama that opens up over the central valley. Finally, you reach the level where the characteristic chapel is built. The chapel was inaugurated in 1727 and renovated on 30 June 1996. It is dedicated to Saint-Evence, a veteran of the Theban Legion, who wandered through these mountains and built a hermitage here... but perhaps these are just legends... From the chapel, the panorama is very interesting: there is a very good view of the entire central middle and lower valley, in particular of Mont Tantané, Mont Zerbion, Mont Barbeston and the Dames de Challand (Becca Torché and Becca di Viou). All this can also be enjoyed while enjoying a picnic, as there are wooden tables and benches near the chapel intended for this purpose.

Useful equipment: normal winter hiking equipment (snowshoes, poles, artva, probe and shovel)