Corno Vitello
Introduction
Charming itinerary, very long, complex, engaging, extremely varied: a perfect combination of lakes, stone fields, tops, ridges, wildlife of high mountains with the purpose of reaching a nice "three thousand" standing in a very isolated position and offering a wonderful landscape.
TheCorno Vitello is nearly blind from the Ayas valley: compared with its "brother" Corno Bussolaz which is some ten meters lower, is much more sheltered and positioned on the divide with Gressoney south of the unknown Passo di Mascognaz. Normally the way to climb the starts from Estoul and passes nearby the Refuge Arp. This road is marked with a perfede track marked with the number 5B . The itinerary described here turn this classical excursion into a splendid adventure to cope with attention and intense emotional feelings. The difficulty for missing signalling on a big part of the trip is compensated by the majestic landscapes and with the possibililty to get inb touch with the wild animals of the mountains. In this excursion I have counted ten lakes: the 3 of Pinter, the Perrin, the little ephemeral one at the base of Corno Vitello, the 2 of Valfredda, the Palasinaz (of the Battle, Green) and the Couloir.
In summary, despite of the high length and to required effort, this can be an intense emotional day during nearly nine hours of never banal walk. But the effort is very well distributed between up and down. So, also if the funicolars of Crest-Ostafa are used, a nearly whole day is requested, this consideration should suggest to leave with the first run of them in the morning.
The usage of the funicolars allow to save some rise. One has to add nearly 250 meters (for the ascent of Colle Palasinaz, if you want to come bach directly in Champoluc) to the 670 meters requested to climb the top of Corno Vitello. In any case the total of altitude to climb remains considerable. Also the descent in the solitary valley of Mascognaz results very interesting and amazing. Some mountain pastures (Pra Sec e Chavannes) have been recently restored.
Description
The first part of this excursion(already described in the report of the Grey Head) leads in approximately one hour to the three lakes of Pinter. By abandoning the track n. 12 which continues through the homonymous col, follow the evident trails at right driving to the basins where the lakes are located. Here the landscape on the Matterhorn and the western part of the Monte Rosa is really beautiful. Proceed to the last lake, the bigger and the nicer of the group and cross the effluent by walking back up a short slope of broken debries and along trails of path, paying attention to the several stoned "little men". The signalization with numbers and arrows is missing, but the itinerary is always quite evident and the path track much more visible. Go up briefly to another basin at the beginning of a little valley which leads to the already named Passo di Mascognaz continuing then horizontally on the ripid side with some up and down and crossing some venations one after the other. We are now at the top of some stone flows falling in the direction of the Cuneaz valley: the pathe continues South withouth any loss of altitude and soon reaches the grassy rise preceeding the finest Perrin Lake, another wonderful pond. Watch out for the sometimes slippery soil, especially while crossing the venations.
After a mandatory stop in front of this nice lake the walk has to be soon restarted in order to enter and climb up the large and long (nearly two kilometers!)canal which will lead us at the base of the Corno Vitello.
This rocky ravine extends from the north side of the lake and is surrounded by the looming walls of the Grand Peak and Mount Perrin.
From the Col Perrin, without descending to the lake, turn around the short side with an horizontal beam to reach the broad entrance of the canyon. Here begins the most difficult part of the itinerary, not so much fot the "technical" difficulty but especially for the research of the right road. There are traces of trail alternated with stony or grassy points, but a real track is missing. The ascent of the gully, then, must be done keeping constantly in the direction of the left bank and is made often closer to the wall above the Gran Cima. There is a large number of stone figures that facilitate the progression, still a constant attention is needed because they sometimes seem to get lost and also very often get confused with the color of the rocks of the canyon.
In about three-quarters of an hour's walk the top of the first part of the gully is reached, where you can discover the following part and the top of it with the wide seat which is at the base of the Corno Vitello. To proceed you need further support to the left in order to avoid some vertical jumps and earn the vast and broad summit basin. Here be careful to ste stoned "ometti" because the environment becomes more wild and rocky, and all traces disappear permanently. Sometimes the proceeding is arduous, typically "on stony ground" but overall secure. At an altitude of 2800 meters we are in the big top basin, and cross it, this time from left to right, heading towards the very large seat, which as stated, pulled to the plateau that serves as a basis of our goal. The view behind is spreading on the Ayas Valley, the Mont Blanc and the Grand Combin.Lake Perrin is shrinking down there, down the canyon, as long as you gain altitude ... the last part is done by holding on the high rocky cliffs that plunge past the bottom of the channel and cross diagonally the circus always on the final routes, including rocks ogle beautiful blooms gentianellas and silene. In about an hour and 20 minutes from the lake so we arrive at the top of the gully. And this is a magical moment: in a large circular horizon you put your feet at the beginning of a vast plateau that lies at the base of Corno Vitello.
Just in front, over a sandy flat area, a milky ephemeral lake is there, having behind high steep rocks. At the end of the crest of the Gran Cima and the Mont Perrin can look towards the Ayas Valley, to the Mont Blanc and Grand Combin and cast a last look at the faraway lake Perrin. We are here at 2850 meters altitude.The plateau on which we walk is truly singular. It shapes like a huge base slightly tilted in a north-south ridge that slopes down from the calf to the Lakes of Valfredda: it is stony with features more smooth and furrowed by numerous ribs. In short, is like an immense semicircular bowl and then drops more steeply on the high-walled valley of Mascognaz quite high (as can be seen from the Coll Palasinaz). At its entrance, as mentioned, a small valley occupied by an ephemeral lake that now we must surround on its right sidet and then we'll proceed uphill to overcome with a very arduous path the first rib (we are on a wide scree of large blocks that must be overcome one by one). At the top of the ribbing let's continue diagonally to the right, making sure to follow the many stoned "ometti" that dot the plateau. We walk now on a more flat and solid terrain, covered with debris and the end is around a bump on his right (on this hill I counted a dozen mountain goats, plus another five coming from the right, from the flatter plateau). As you progress direction North you get closer and closer to the Corno Vitello remaining parallel to the edge of the plateau. Here our goal is like a large triangle of broken rock with a steep slope just below the summit. After trespassing other ribs you can uphill a terrain which is extremely fragmentedwhere it is sometimes a little difficult to recognize the stoned "ometti". Intuitively, one tip at the base of the escarpment above, and when it seems that the stoned "ometti" disappear, we finally found the yellow sign with arrows and numbers marking the "normal" way from the Rifugio Arp. At this point, we have only to climb the last 150 meters of altitude on steep ground and smashed, with strenuous uphill hairpin bends and then a small channel that leads to the final thirty meters from the summit, where stands a small wooden cross in a large heap of stones. On the top you can finally stop to enjoy the wonderful view.
The descent takes place on path 5B going back along the escarpment and then down through the very end of the rocky base of the triangle of the Horn. Briefly climb to the "tooth" and the tiny saddle that precedes it and then continue along the ridge now broad and comfortable that lowers to the Valfredda Lakes. Continue up to them and leave the path of the effluent at the first lake on a turning unreported track, some uncertain that leads right into another steep descent to earn the road marked with the number 105 beyond Arp Refuge. (About 1 hour walk) We now have to face the ascent to the lakes and the Col Palasinaz for which you refer to the report of the Horn Bussolaz. This circuit is elementary and requires all on marked trail and another hour of travel.
At Colle Palasinaz can still be admired the just now got Corno Vitello together with a beautiful view of Monte Rosa. During the descent to Mascognaz (route 14) reappears the majestic Matterhorn. The descent, at first on narrow steep turns, then walking more vast expanse slopes of grass and stones continues to reach a small bridge over the raging torrent. On the other side you can opt to continue on the path to the coast that, with a short ascent, takes to the Alpage of Palud and then rejoins a bigger road in Pra Sec, or go down steeply to a stream along a natural pavemented road to recross the river and then goes wide on the left and more restful up to the pasture Pra Sec (very nice). Here we rejoin the road No 14 which continues down to the houses of Chavannes and then reaches the first trees not far from the village Walser of Mascognaz where there is a cool fountain (2 hours for the descent abundant). Another 30 minutes of steep trail in the woods and we're back at Champoluc Tourist Office's.
Author
- Check all the excursionism reports of Giovanni Consigli
- Check the pageof Giovanni Consigli
Bibliography
- Marco Soggetto: Le vette della Val d'Ayas L'Escursionista Editore, 2008
Cartography
- 8 - Monte Rosa Alte valli d'Ayas e del Lys, 1:25.000, L'Escursionista Editore, 2009
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