Château (via Lago Cornuto) – La Veulla (Pontboset)
This is a very challenging trail, both because of its length and because of the paths that are not always visible crossing steep slopes and the long final descent.
Suitable only for experienced and well-trained hikers. Just after the start, with a small detour from the trail, you can admire from above the Goilli du Pourcet, a large puddle carved by the Ayasse stream. From Outre l'Eve we follow a historic mule track that enters the valley and then ascends a dense forest of fir trees. The crossing of the Manda valley, as far as the Horned Lake, is very scenic, while the return to the valley is very long.The cluster of villages that make up the agglomeration of Fournier and the two Crest villages makes us imagine rural life in the past, when each community was independent and had its own church, bakery, school, mill, and everything it needed for daily life. Arriving in the valley bottom, we can admire some of the bridges of Pontboset.
Most usefull data
| Difficulty | E+ |
|---|---|
| Uphill slope | 1.330 m |
| Total length | 21.500 m |
| Total time | 8h 40m |
| Assiduity | low |
| Recommended period | Jul - Aug |
Map
Other technical data
| Start point | Château (Champorcher) |
|---|---|
| Start elevation | 1.412 m |
| Arrival point | La Veulla (Pontboset) |
| Arrival elevation | 772 m |
| Max elevation | 2.418 m |
| Exposure | alcuni |
| Downhill slope | 1.965 m |
|---|---|
| Uphill time | 4h 50m |
| Downhill time | 3h 50m |
| Trail sign | AV2, 4A, 3, 3A, 2 |
Start point description
At the Pont-Saint-Martin highway exit, turn left in the direction of Aosta.
At the traffic circle, turn left in the direction of Aosta and continue until you reach Bard. After the town, turn left at the traffic circle in the direction of Champorcher. Drive through the town of Hône and enter the Champorcher Valley. Drive past Pontboset and continue to Champorcher.
Trail description
From Château, go back following the route of the previous day, cross the stream and then follow the rural road to the left. After a few hundred meters, go down to the left into a clearing with houses, until you reach a fork in the road.
At this point, you take the Orridi path to the left (with a small detour on the flat to the left you can admire the Goilli di Pourtsèt and the great work done by the waters). The path descends steeply until it skirts the stream and reaches the paved road, which you follow slightly uphill to Outre l'Ève.
Just before the chapel, to the right, the Alleigne Valley mule track begins, which you follow until you reach Plan Bouc (at one point, to the left of the trail, you can admire a monumental ash tree) where you descend to the left to cross the stream.
The trail continues through the forest until it reaches Col Boset with a final traverse to the left.From the pass, continue up the wide ridge to Mont Digny, which you pass, and then begin a long traverse to the left until you reach the valley floor trail (which you will follow downhill).
We continue until we reach Cornuto Lake, the end of today's long climb. After a well-deserved break, we descend along the path we just took until we reach the fork where we descend to the Mandaz alp. We cross to the right, following the flat path, to reach Lake Champas, which we skirt to the left to enter the woods and descend steeply until we cross the stream and reach the Boset alp. A nice mule track allows us to reach the various villages of Fournier, with its former 1888 school and chapel.
Continue to descend until you reach the asphalt road, which you follow to the left until you reach the hairpin bend where the canal path is located. You follow it completely flat (watch out for some somewhat exposed sections) and, with a last steep climb, you reach the houses of Crest Dessus.
After visiting the village, descend along the mule track to reach Crest Dessous, where it is also possible to have lunch in a characteristic restaurant. Now follow the beautiful mule track that, passing through the village of Creux, reaches the bottom of the valley, where you cross the bridges of the Vaseras and the Goillet, and then reach the village of La Veulla.
