From the Mario Bezzi refuge to the Chenal car park via the Col du Rocher Blanc

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The final day of the Tour de l’Archeboc features a long, beautiful climb to the Col du Rocher Blanc, followed by a descent on the French side back to our starting point at Chenal. Views of the Italian and then French glaciers throughout today’s route.

This walk is part of a multi-day hike: Tour de l'Archeboc

Details

n°107399513
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.92 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 2,031 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 3,937 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 9,285 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 5,571 ft
  • ⚐ Country: Italy
  • ⚐
    Area: Alps
  • ⚐ City: Valgrisenche 
  • ⚑
    Start: N 45.540898° / E 7.018012°
  • ⚑
    End: N 45.546274° / E 6.913335°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3532ET, 3532ETR
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Photos

Alpage des Balmes
View of the Col du Rocher Blanc on the French side
The Grapillon valley and the Col du Rocher Blanc right at the far end
View of the Glairetta mountain hut and glacier

Description of the walk

(S) Leave the refuge heading south towards the stream. Take the footbridge over the stream and climb up the other side.

(1) At a fork in the road, turn right (leaving the path on the left that climbs towards Lago Vuert). Follow route 12D and begin a steady climb up the mountainside, heading north-north-west then north-west.

(2) At another junction, follow route 12D to the left towards the Col du Rocher Blanc. Climb up a small valley, west-north-west, through increasingly rocky terrain. You will reach the pass, which marks the border between Italy and France.

(3) Descend on the other side, due west. After a brisk descent, you’ll reach the Balmes mountain pasture.

(4) Then turn left (south-west) onto a track that descends gently to Lac du Clou.

(5) At the fork in the road, keep to the left and continue the descent along the track.

(6) Carry on along the track, ignoring a path that branches off to the right (towards Le Monal).

(7) When the track takes a hairpin bend to the right, take the path leading straight ahead. Further on, join another path and follow it to the right as far as the hamlet of Le Fenil.

(8) Return to the track and follow it to the left. At a hairpin bend to the right, carry on straight ahead. Further on (elevation 1768), take the hairpin bend to the right. Pass a few chalets on the right and continue along a small road to quickly reach the Chenal car park (E).

Waypoints

  1. S : mi 0 - alt. 7,477 ft - Rifugio Mario Bezzi
  2. 1 : mi 0.24 - alt. 7,493 ft - Fork in the road
  3. 2 : mi 1.82 - alt. 8,593 ft - Junction – Valley entrance
  4. 3 : mi 2.54 - alt. 9,285 ft - Col du Rocher Blanc ou col de Vaudet (2835m)
  5. 4 : mi 4.4 - alt. 7,543 ft - Junction – Les Balmes
  6. 5 : mi 5.33 - alt. 7,277 ft - Fork in the road - Lac du Clou (2370 m) - Vallée de la Tarantaise
  7. 6 : mi 5.85 - alt. 7,005 ft - Junction
  8. 7 : mi 6.49 - alt. 6,444 ft - Start of the path
  9. 8 : mi 6.87 - alt. 6,161 ft - Junction with the track – Le Fenil
  10. E : mi 7.91 - alt. 5,571 ft - Chenal car park

Notes

Very few people on this walk until you reach the path leading to Lac Noir

A fairly steady climb and a brisk descent

Worth a visit

Lovely views towards the Italian side of the Mario Bezzi refuge and the glacier, then over the Grapillon valley.

On the descent, lovely views of the Balmes Glacier and Mont Pourri.

Other walks in the area

Walking Mario Bezzi – Benevolo

Visorando Member
Mario Bezzi - Benevolo
↔7.31 mi ↗+3,648 ft ↘-3,629 ft ◔6h 30 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Valgrisenche (Aosta Valley)
Hike up the magnificent glacial valley, which marks the end of the Val Grisenche, overlooking the imposing Glariettez Glacier. Access to the Val de Rhême via the Col de Bassac-Déré (3,082 m), then a descent through a high-mountain landscape to Lac de Golettaz, where the seracs are reflected in the water. The route then descends through the mountain pastures to the Refuge Benevolo (2,285 m).

Walking Lac du Vuert

Visorando Member
Lac du Vuert (Lago di Vuert)
↔8.52 mi ↗+2,831 ft ↘-2,815 ft ◔6h 25 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Valgrisenche (Aosta Valley)
A two part hike. First up the Doire de Valgrisenche, a steady slope offering a leafy, green landscape. From the refuge, the landscape becomes essentially mineral and the slope steeper all the way to Vuert's small perched lake. Stunning high mountain surroundings.

Walking Saint-Grat Lake and Refuge Adami

Visorando Member
Lac de Saint-Grat et Refuge Adami
↔7.09 mi ↗+2,635 ft ↘-2,635 ft ◔5h 35 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Valgrisenche (Aosta Valley)
Nestled at the foot of Tête du Ruitor and its glaciers, within a beautiful setting, Saint-Grat Lake is the highlight of any hike in its own right. Through the final twists and turns before the lake, the slope is smooth and the route straightforward. The next climb much steeper, leading to Refuge Adami gives you a stunning view point.

Walking Bénévolo – Chivasso

Visorando Member
Bénévolo - Chivasso
↔6.47 mi ↗+3,005 ft ↘-1,975 ft ◔5h 35 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Rhêmes-Notre-Dame (Aosta Valley)
The ascent takes you through very wild, virtually off-trail terrain up to the Nivoletta Alpine Pass (3,152 m), followed by a descent via the gullies overlooking the magnificent Leitz and Rosset Lakes in the Valsavarenche. You then make your way towards the Chivasso Refuge through splendid flower-filled mountain pastures, renowned for their delicious fontina cheese.

Walking From the Chalet de l’Épée mountain hut to the Mario Bezzi mountain hut

Visorando Member
Du Refuge Chalet de l'Épée au Refuge Mario Bezzi
↔6.01 mi ↗+2,044 ft ↘-2,313 ft ◔4h 35 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Valgrisenche (Aosta Valley)
The third stage of the Tour de l’Archeboc, between France and Italy. A day offering panoramic views of several French and Italian glaciers. Shorter in distance and elevation gain than the other days of the tour, but with a few slightly more technical sections (scree slopes).

Walking Refuge de l'Epée - Bruil

Visorando Member
Refuge de l'Epée - Bruil
↔3.83 mi ↗+1,621 ft ↘-3,763 ft ◔3h 10 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Valgrisenche (Aosta Valley)
Fourth stage between Valgisenche and Val de Rheme.

Walking From Thumel to mountain hut Benevolo and back, Gran Paradiso National Park

Visorando Member
↔5.54 mi ↗+1,670 ft ↘-1,657 ft ◔4h 00 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Rhêmes-Notre-Dame (Aosta Valley)
A beautiful walk to the lovely Benevolo mountain hut on the edge of the Gran Paradiso National Park. Along flowing mountain streams and grazing cows and lots of flowers, even Edelweiss!!! Park your car in Thumel and take a relaxed walk back and forth.

Walking From Thumel to Lago di Golettaz

Visorando Member
↔8.05 mi ↗+3,071 ft ↘-3,071 ft ◔6h 25 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Rhêmes-Notre-Dame (Aosta Valley)
This is a long and tiring hike ending at a fantastic lake with nothing but eternal snow and even a glacier surrounding it! I skipped the Rifugio Benevolo because I had already done it a few days earlier. This Rifugio is well worth the effort and can easily be integrated into this trek.

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