Lake Blu of Veràz

Scheda

Via: 

variant from Résy

Segnavia: 

13, 13B, GSW, 8B, 7, 8

Data del rilievo: 

27/08/2009

Foto di copertina: 

The Lake Blu

Tipologia Percorso: 

Circolare

Difficoltà: 

T

Periodo Consigliato: 

May to October

Tempo Complessivo: 

4h20'

Dislivello: 

245 m

Introduction

This walk takes place on the river left side of the Val d'Ayas. Could be called the "Way of Walser villages" because goes through picturesque typical residential groupings of the Walser culture and ends in one of the classics and very well known to people places in the Valley: the beautiful and picturesque Blue Lake, at the foot of the large moraine of what was once the Great Glacier of Veràz.
The excursion reels through a territory that was once the delight of hikers: vast forests, grasslands, small pastures, pristine valleys. Today the reality is very different. The writer remembers having traveled this route for the first time in 1967 and today would be difficult to recognize what he saw then. The horrible wounds that were inflicted in the name of the most sinister mountain touristic exploitation in favor of "winter sports" are there, obvious, and unfortunately now indelible. Even today, besides the forest roads, ski lifts, buildings of all types, poles and excavation of land to plot the slopes, a new "train" (officially a funicular) has been added, which, departing from Frachey, leads to Alpe Ciarcerioz that once was one stop of this excursion, and that in the beautiful book "Ayas", text combined with stunning photographs by Gianfranco Bini, was described for the hikers with this pattern: "Breakfast at Crest, aperitif in Resy, lunch at Saint Jacques "...
In this description I have deliberately chosen to limit the testimony of the havoc made through a couple of pictures only, leaving to others the painful task of making further comments about what was and today is not existing any longer...

Bec de Nannaz

Scheda

Via: 

North ridge

Foto di copertina: 

La Falconetta con la cresta Nord vista dalla Becca Trecarè

Descrizione

To reach the Col Nannaz it is also available an alternative itinerary.
The "normal" one is starting of from Saint-Jacques and follow the trail marked with the number 4A, which goes into the valley of Nannaz crossing at some points the road leading up to the Grand Tournalin refuge. Just past the village church, with a fountain, then turn left (signs) to cross the Evançon immediately right and taking the trail that rises through meadows, passes a farm and then forwards in the woods, heading towards the entrance of the valley and reaches in about twenty minutes a sloping open space crossed by a torrent and where a mountain pasture is built(altitude m. 1871). Immediately after, taking the left, enter the wood where the path is becoming steeper. It crosses twice the road, you make some steep turns near the torrent that falls from the upper plateau where the lower Nannaz pastures are, and it goes to flow in a shelf cut by the meadow path diagonally left with a steady climb up to cross the Channel Cortoz (dry during summer of 2010). Leaving the deviation of route 5, which proceeds along the same channel, there rises a little up to the shelf where there is lower Alpe Nannaz (altitude 2034 m.).
Again on the road, follow it to the left (on the right it goes to the upper Alp of Nannaz), pass close to two huts and a large boulder and then, near a curve, (signals) go again right, towards the inside of the Valley, and you'll find yourself back on track. Follows a gentle slope or flat stretch between the last trees with rhododendrons and blueberry plants. Hence the Becca di Nannaz rises in front, and daring high with its long north ridge to the right and a band of whitish rocks below the summit.
Proceed until you cross the creek and head off to a great bump in the middle of the valley above which there are lowerpastures of Alpe Tournalin (altitude 2234). Without reaching it (the trail climbs steeply with curves) from left to right again, gain the road once again (it arrives from the opposite versant of the valloon). The road must be followed for a short distance and a few turns and then you leave it at a new trail that climbs to the right.
This time, the road continues along the valley being floor first, then with a very wide itinerary regains the upper Tournalin pastures. The path, however, remains on the left side of the river basin over several humps and rocky grasslands and then, always to the right, forwards in a valley that, after a short ascent up to the step on which there are some lapels. At the top of the step is in view of the Grand Lodge Tournalin (m.2535). It is reached by a last climb steeper pastures and rocks up to the building which is very modern and cozy. This is where the dirt road and you should take a break.
To get to the Hill of Nannaz it looks back to the road about 250 meters up to a clear path that branches off to the right and starts to climb between the rocks and grass. It has everything in front of the amphitheater of the Valley of Nannaz terminal (the hill is hidden by a large sloping rock). The trail, well marked, with a constant curvature goes from right to left towards the narrow corridor leading to the hill and gaining the upper slopes after having faced a rocky prominence on the staircase path. Immediately beyond this step is more alive and continues uphill for a few openings up to rejoin the path n. 3 coming from the Hill Vascotchaz (see link to the version above). From here, a few meters left to right, a small body of water, you reach the hill Nannaz (d. 2773).
From the hill (looking towards Valtournenche) immediately left turns and faces the crest early enough and not very comfortable highlighted path on which rise steep. In front there are two rocky spurs, and, further back, you see the end of the peak Castle. The first spur trail on the slope is around Ayas, following a short climb to the ridge edge that easily goes up to a rock band rather than crumbly. Without the forced route climb, taking advantage of good footholds themselves taking care of the small scale and choosing the most solid. It continues without further problems at the crest and behind the scene begins to widen the Matterhorn and the Dent Blanche and encountering herds of wild goats that have here an ideal habitat.
The second outcrop is roesent as a large cone resting on the base, left, on a strip of whitish rocks. The trace of sentgiero, most evident here, this time leaning around the side Valtournenche. so we find ourselves in an area of ​​debris end, a kind of stony valley bordered by a small gendarme on the left and right by a very weird rocky pinnacle which rises behind the line at the summit. Leave the pinnacle to the right and the tip end of the rocks that are wrapped at the base by a wide band of pale, almost whitish. You can find it again following the tracks, then go back with a couple of turns to stand at the top level of the band on his extreme left. On the right an obvious ledge wide enough driving along the top edge of the band: with caution and follow it to its end you have to get around a rock edge to yellowish obliged to lean on and use your hands to keep the same roughness of the rock ' balance. Beyond this step, which is the most difficult of the road, pointing to comeback another rocky valley near the summit ridge above that achieved with ease. Turn right and horizontally, on the path, just very low on the ridge, slope Ayas, you go to a few meters to the summit is surmounted by a cross made of metal.
The return is along the same route in reverse.

Autore

• Consulta tutte le relazioni di escursionismo di Giovanni Consigli
• Consulta la pagina di Giovanni Consigli

Bibliografia

• Marco Soggetto: Le vette della Val d'Ayas L'Escursionista Editore, 2008

Cartografia

• 8 - Monte Rosa Alte valli d'Ayas e del Lys, 1:25.000, L'Escursionista Editore, 2009

Galleria fotografica

Perrin lake

Scheda

Segnavia: 

13, 14

Data del rilievo: 

18/08/2011

Foto di copertina: 

Lago Perrin ©2008 Giovanni Consigli

Tipologia Percorso: 

Circolare

Difficoltà: 

E

Periodo Consigliato: 

giugno, luglio, agosto, settembre, ottobre

Tempo Complessivo: 

5h30'

Dislivello: 

1105 m

Introduzione

This interesting circle trip reaches one of the most beautiful alpine lakes and allow to visit two alpine valleys (The Cuneaz and Mascognaz ones) as well as the two same name villages with their typical Walser houses.

Perrin lake

Scheda Lago