Pian de Veràz superiore
Introduction
Plans Veraz (lower and upper) are, especially the first, among the most pleasant and popular places in the Ayas valley. Veràz (or Verra) is a real icon in Ayas and represents one of the most photographed and designed landscapes in the entire Aosta valley. The lower plan, very large is truly enchanting: locked up between the high walls of the Rocca di Verra, Monte Rosso and the Bettolina, closed to the north by the moraine dam, where lies the very beautiful Lago Blu staind in front and against the background of the great glaciers of the same name and of a row of "4000", from the Breithorn to Castor. The upper, more distant and silent, crossed by Evançon that winds like a silver ribbon, is the base for the ascent of the Col of Bettolina and the way too for reaching the Refuges Mezzalama and Guide d'Ayas.
Already in the late 60s of the last century a road was built which leaded from Saint Jacques to the upper plan. This road, of course, has distort the environment of Veràz plans, but, overall, as fortunately the transit of cars is not permitted, it has managed to retain its original beauty, even if at the lower plan could have been avoided the erction of two modern buildings which represent more than a little disturbing.
The remaking of the signs of walks that pass through Veraz plans had, as a result, a significant change in the paths. Once the one leading to the Refuge Mezzalama was the nr. 6 (the Ayas Guides Refuge had not been built yet!) which, beginning from the lower plan dated from the moraine and then splitted into two: the moraine ridge for mountain climbers, the trail of fund for hiking (this one reached the upper plan then rising higher and higher up the moraine). Blue Lake was a walk in its own right (Nr. 61), while today is touched by the path / road leading up to Mezzalama. The Nr. 62 was leading to the superiorr Pass of Bettolina, on the road to the Quintino Sella Refuge at Felik, while the nr.63 was reserved for the path leading to Resy. Today, apart from the construction of new roads, path nr. 8 is the one that passes through the Upper Plan and then continues to the Bettolina.
Descrizione
The excursion starts from the little square where the church of Saint Jacques d'Ayas stands. Here you park your car. (in summer you are obliged to leave the car in Frachey, nearly two km. befor and reach Saint Jacques with public bus service). Continue then on the steep paved road that crosses the village and reach the fraction of Blanchard becoming there a mule track. Always with great slope you enter the forest next to the torrent that rushes roaring pointing in the direction of Fiery (m. 1878). This very little group of houses is made famous by the old historic hotel Bellevue where, in the '10s of the twentieth century some italian poets spent time here: Guido Gozzano, Edmondo De Amicis and, still later, the writer Giuseppe Giacosa,Matilde Serao and Salvator Gotta ... Without turning towards the village, continue on the route nr. 7 and climb into the forest with a very steep and large trail up to a stretch where the road straightens horizontally, leaving on the left one first branch to the Vardaz alpage and then to the little Tzeroe valley. Continue northward crossing several streams until the beginning of the lower plain. The view over the glaciers and peaks of the Mount Rose is really nice.
Keep left on a carriageway and continue up to about half of the plan, where a pole indicates the start of route nr. 8 for the Bettolina. Leave on the right two houses and immediately reach a wooden bridge to cross the raging torrent Evançon. The climb continues more pronounced in the woods, with many hairpin carried out rapidly with which you earn another 200 meters in altitude. Where the vegetation thins out, with a view of increasingly grandiose glaciers, moraines and mountain peaks, you reach the height from which a short track continues on open ground, including rocks and grass, having horizontally to the right the precipitous ridge of Monte Rosso ( m.3021). This brings us in sight of the beautiful upper plan where the river flows placidly. At its north end it forms a beautiful waterfall, beyond which another plateau with two huts mark the end point. It is nice to leave the path just before, following a track on a slight downhill and get to the beautiful waterfall of Evançon. On the left the carriageway, though few meters away, is absolutely unachievable because here the river is impassable.
Author
- Check all the hiking reports of Giovanni Consigli
- Check the page of Giovanni Consigli
Bibliography
- Marco Soggetto: Le vette della Val d'Ayas L'Escursionista Editore, 2009
Cartography
- 8 - Alte valli d'Ayas e del Lys, Monte Rosa 1:25.000, L'Escursionista Editore, 2011
Galleria fotografica
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