Coda mountain hut and the Sella and Carisey passes: a circular route starting from Coumarial

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This circular route, starting from Plan de Coumarial, above the village of Fontainemore, offers the chance to explore the varied mid- and high-mountain landscapes of the Mont Mars Nature Reserve and the lakes of Gaudin, Montagnet and Carisey. The section along the ridge between the Sella and Carisey passes, which marks the border between the Aosta Valley and Piedmont, is well worth a detour. This very well-signposted route follows, in turn, path no. 3A, the Via Alta no. 1 and then path no. 3. The ascent to the Sella Pass has been well maintained and presents no particular difficulty for a walker accustomed to mountain walking.

Details

n°104486717
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.45 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 2,812 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 2,822 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 7,388 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 4,741 ft
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Description of the walk

Park in the Plan Coumarial car park, which is a leisure area equipped with children’s play facilities and picnic areas. It is also the starting point for numerous walks in the Mont-Mars Nature Reserve. Setting off early ensures you’ll get a space in the car park.

(S/E) Head south-west and leave the car park via the signposted path nos. 3 and 3A, which starts right next to the toilet block. The signposting is very consistent and the entire first section of the circular path follows this double-signposted path.

(1) Cross a forest track and continue uphill along the signposted path. At a T-junction, turn left and you’ll soon reach another junction.

(2) Continue uphill to the right, following the forest track for about 300 metres.

(3) Then turn right and leave the forest track (take care to spot this turn-off). Cross a stream and continue climbing through the forest. Leave the forest and climb up a series of tight hairpin bends.

(4) Just before the wooden bridge, turn left onto path no. 3A towards Colle Sella and the Coda Mountain Hut.

(5) At a T-junction, turn right. Climb, alternating between sections where the path cuts across the slope and sections with hairpin bends. Reach a junction on the shore of Lago di Goudin.

(6) Turn right onto Via alta no. 1 towards Colle Sella and the Coda Mountain Hut. After some steep hairpin bends, you’ll reach the pass.

(7) Continue to the right (south) towards the Coda Mountain Hut. Go round the left side of Punta della Sella and ignore a path that descends to the left. This will take you to the mountain hut.

(8) Continue south-west along a ridge path towards the Col de Carisey. Ignore the side trails and descend to the pass.

(9) Then turn right and descend west-south-west.

(10) At a fork in the road, turn right (west). Soon head north. Pass a small building on the left (Carise Damon) and then one on the right (Carise Desot). Continue descending for a long way and, after a stretch through the woods, you’ll come back to a junction you passed earlier.

(4) Turn left and continue down the path you took on the way there.

(3) Follow the forest track to the left for about 300 metres.

(2) Carry on straight ahead (north-north-west) along the forest track. Then ignore the paths branching off to the left. At a junction, carry on straight ahead and you will soon reach a second junction.

(11) Then turn left. At the Fork in the road, leave the main track and turn right onto a path. Further down, cross the main track and continue along the path. Join the main track again and follow it to the left to quickly return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 4,751 ft - Plan Coumarial car park
  2. 1 : mi 0.34 - alt. 4,951 ft - Crossing the forest track
  3. 2 : mi 0.61 - alt. 5,217 ft - Junction of the Northern Circular Loop
  4. 3 : mi 0.79 - alt. 5,299 ft - Junction
  5. 4 : mi 1.43 - alt. 5,794 ft - Wooden bridge – Junction of the southern circular loop
  6. 5 : mi 1.62 - alt. 6,033 ft - T-junction
  7. 6 : mi 2.37 - alt. 6,870 ft - Junction - Lago di Goudin
  8. 7 : mi 2.71 - alt. 7,333 ft - Colle Sella (2240 m)
  9. 8 : mi 2.94 - alt. 7,388 ft - Rifugio Delfo e Agostino Coda
  10. 9 : mi 3.51 - alt. 6,926 ft - Col Carisey (2124 m)
  11. 10 : mi 3.69 - alt. 6,677 ft - Fork
  12. 11 : mi 6.28 - alt. 4,888 ft - Crossroads
  13. S/E : mi 6.45 - alt. 4,751 ft - Plan Coumarial car park

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