Lake Lauson and Fort Gran Costa from Grand Puy

A narrow paved road leads to Grand Puy from Souchères Hautes, one of the districts of Pragelato. When you arrive in the hamlet, continue to^{the first} hairpin bend where there are a few parking spaces and a wooden sign indicating Grand Puy. This small hamlet overlooking the valley already offers a beautiful view of the Val Chisone.

(S/E) Go past the hairpin bend and head towards the centre of the village.

(1) Just before the church (white façade), turn right onto the steep road heading north until you reach the last houses and a large wooden basin with "Grand Puy" written on it. Next to it, a sign points towards "Lago Lauson". Follow the red and white markings. After 200 m, the path splits. Ignore the fork on the right and continue climbing straight ahead.

(2) On a small plateau, the track that branches off to the right is the return path. Continue slightly to the left, still heading towards Lago Lauson. The path is marked (markings on trees or wooden posts with red and white paint).

(3) Go around the lake on the right and continue on the trail that leads to the pass.

(4) To reach the fort, there are two options:
- either follow the ridge (painted markings) around the rocks,
- or, as suggested on the map, take the small path that starts on the grassy slope and returns to the ridge. This is more comfortable!

(5) Follow the ridge to the fort and enjoy the view!

(6) Follow the wide ridge that covers the fort to its other end.

(7) Begin the descent along a ridge line which, although it may look steep, is well marked and easy to descend. Stop at the flat section.

(8) In summer, you can take a path that starts on the north-facing slope. At the beginning of the season, as there was still snow, we descended on sight towards Alpe Rocce on the south-facing slope. The terrain is not difficult, it is "cow mountain". Keep Alpe Rocce in sight and descend zigzagging gently.

(9) Next to the disused building, look for a wooden sign with red and white markings, trail no. 372, and head towards Grand Puy. The trail heads southwest under the ruins.

(2) Return to the junction you took on the way up. Return to the village by following the same route in reverse.

(1) When you reach the church, you can descend Via Oulx to finish your visit to the village. When you reach the paved road, turn left to return to the car park (S/E).

The route provided is the one recorded on the ground. Due to snow, we sometimes had to deviate slightly from the "normal" route. This was particularly the case near the lake and between the pass and the fort.

The section between (8) and (9) is off-trail.

Recommended map: FRATERNALI No. 2 ALTA VALLE SUSA, ALTA VAL CHISONE (1:25,000)

If you like small, traditional villages rich in heritage (frescoes, sundials, churches, houses with slate roofs, etc.), I recommend Balboutet, Pourrières and Plan de Pragelato, among others.

There is also the Fenestrelle fort, which can only be visited on a guided tour.