Praz-Oursie (Champdepraz) – Rifugio Barbustel (Champdepraz)
You walk most of the way through forests, streams and alpine lakes.
After Praz-Oursie, the traverse has some slightly exposed sections. This is a route that is done when sleeping at Vallée Blanche in Praz-Oursie. It continues with a long traverse at high altitude and a visit to Barma de Rove, with its millstone remains, and then descends to reach the official stage before Lake Servaz.
Most usefull data
| Difficulty | E |
|---|---|
| Uphill slope | 620 m |
| Total length | 7.300 m |
| Total time | 2h 50m |
| Assiduity | medium |
| Recommended period | Jul - Aug |
Map
Other technical data
| Start point | Praz-Oursie (Champdepraz) |
|---|---|
| Start elevation | 1.794 m |
| Arrival point | Barbustel Refuge (Champdepraz) |
| Arrival elevation | 2.200 m |
| Max elevation | 2.200 m |
| Exposure | alcuni |
| Downhill slope | 200 m |
|---|---|
| Uphill time | 2h 20m |
| Downhill time | 0h 30m |
| Trail sign | 6B, 5C, |
Start point description
Praz-Oursie cannot be reached by car. The car must be left in Covarey.
Trail description
From the back of the building continue on the level until you enter the forest. The path continues with some ups and downs that offer beautiful views of the valley and you reach the Borna de Rove where there is the quarry from where soapstone millstones were extracted.
Back on the trail, continue until you cross the path that goes up to the frozen lake, go down to the left for a stretch and then find another path to the right that leads to the main trail that goes up to the Barbustel refuge. Go up into the woods and, after a flatter area and passing a monumental pine tree, you reach Lake Servaz (often invaded by a showy bloom of water buttercups).
You skirt the lake on the right and then climb steeply up to a knoll. From this point you descend slightly until you cross the stream coming from Lake Bianco. The trail crosses on level ground, passes near a renovated hut and climbs up among mounded rocks on which there are several erratic boulders (boulders left by the glacier during melting) to then reach a lookout point with signs created by the park and shortly the Barbustel hut the destination of today.
After a short stop, from the refuge it is advisable to descend to the small bridge, located between Lake Bianco and Lake Nero, and climb up the other side admiring Lake Bianco with Monte Rosa in the background and just beyond it Lake Cornuto and another monumental pine tree.
