Bec Gavin, from the Castagnot car park

Access

Exit the motorway at the Verrès tollgate and take the in the direction of Turin. Pass the town of Verrès and, after about 1.5 kilometres, take the first exit on the right at the second roundabout, following the signs for Issogne. Cross the Dora Baltea and climb along the municipal road leading to the famous Issogne Castle. Continue for another 2.3 kilometres and, at a crossroads, keep to the right. Follow the narrow streets of the village until you leave the urban area behind. At a crossroads, turn left and take the municipal road that climbs towards the hamlet of Visey. Continue along the narrow, winding road that climbs the wooded slope above the village. After 9.5 kilometres from the motorway junction, at an altitude of 1,050m, you will come to a motor vehicle ban: just before, on the left, there is a small clearing where you can park your car.

The starting point of the itinerary cannot be reached by public transport, so you will need to use a private vehicle.

Distance and travel time

🕒Travel time: 23 minutes
📏 Distance: 9.5 kilometres

GPS navigation

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Important note

The directions provided were verified on the date the route was surveyed. Before departure, it is advisable to check for any changes to the route. For up-to-date and detailed directions, we recommend the use of Google Maps or Apple Maps.

Introduction

The ascent to Bec Gavin follows a secluded itinerary, immersed in the solitary landscapes of the Brenve valley, on the edge of the Mont Avic Natural Park. Along the ascent you pass through small mid-mountain villages, past chapels and fountains, and follow ancient farm roads that still tell of the rhythm of agro-pastoral life in days gone by.

The route alternates between stretches in the forest - dominated by larch and Scots pine - and bright, panoramic pastures, including that of the L'Aveuil Alp, which offers a first glimpse of the lower Aosta Valley. The last stretch, wilder and less marked, winds its way through junipers and scree until, with the help of a few cairns, it reaches the grassy summit of Bec Gavin, overlooking the Mont Avic basin and the long ridge that separates the Champdepraz valley from that of Champorcher.

A complete and rewarding excursion, in a little-visited corner that invites the slow and silent discovery of the mountain.

Description

0h00' 0.00km Proceed along the communal road that enters the Brenve valley, keeping to its orographic right. The asphalted road follows the winding wooded slope of the Bois de Castagnot, makes a couple of hairpin bends and crosses a few small streams, before skirting the hamlets of La Grangetta (1,187m). Continue until you cross the Boccueil stream and move to the orographic left, before meeting, on the right, the hamlets of Lavo (1,200m). The road increases in gradient and, after a few hairpin bends, you reach the village of Visey-Dessous (1,334m) and the pretty chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Snows (1,377m). A little further on, at a hairpin bend, you reach Cousse (1,420m), where you will come across a marker post.

1h15' 3.02km Turn left to reach the first hamlets of Visey-Dessus (1,428m), a fountain 💧 and the hamlet car park of Visey-Dessus, where there are explanatory panels about the Mont Avic Natural Park. From here, head towards the western end of the village, where a small agricultural road begins and a marker post can be found.

1h20' 3.18km       Turn right and take a small agricultural road near a marker post. The small road becomes a path and climbs briefly up the slope, which is covered by sparse woodland, until it crosses the dirt road again. Turn left and, after a short ascent past the construction of an aqueduct, you will reach L'Arpettaz (1,498m) and a new marker.

1h30' 3.49km Turn right, following the signs for Alpe di Panaz, and take the wide mule track that immediately enters a predominantly larch forest. A little further on, you come across a formidable specimen, undoubtedly a hundred years old, with features shaped by time. The path begins to gain height with a series of twists and turns, interspersed with long diagonal stretches on a moderate ascent. During the ascent, a number of small paths meet up with the main one, which should be ignored. The forest gives way to some clearings, from which there are interesting views of the lower valley and the ridge from Col Courtil to Col Terre Rousse, the natural watershed with the Champorcher valley. The trail again enters the wooded belt before flowing into the pleasant pastureland that precedes the mountain pasture. Leaving some ruins to the right, continue on the pastureland by following the markings on some boulders, initially heading north-east towards the Bec Gavin peak, then veering slightly to the left in the direction of the alpine pastureland. Go over a last slightly undulating stretch until reaching L'Aveuil (1,717m), from where there is a wide panorama of the lower valley. Continue to the end of the pastureland, pointing towards a marker post located at the edge of the forest, near a fork in the road.

2h00' 4.66km Neglect the path to Servaz on the left and continue straight on, entering the forest. In this section, the path is quite steep and quickly gains altitude. As you approach the ridge, the slope decreases until you reach the col, preceded by a small clearing with a cairn. A little further on, you will come across a panel signposting the entrance to the Mont Avic Park. Disregard the path to the left for Servaz and continue straight ahead, entering the forest. The path is quite steep in this section and quickly gains height. As we approach the ridge, the slope decreases until we reach the summit, anticipated by a small clearing with a cairn. A little further on there is a signpost that marks the entrance to Mont Avic Park.

2h30' 5.32km When you see the signpost, turn right and follow the faintly visible traces of a small track that makes its way through the junipers. Keep to the line of the ridge along an almost level stretch and, after a short depression, resume the ascent, veering slightly to the right. You come out of the forest and begin to glimpse small cairns well positioned on the scree. Follow them and, without too much difficulty, reach the flat summit, where a high cairn marks the summit of Bec Gavin (2,002m) 2h45' 5.79km .

The return follows the same route as the outward journey, retracing the path back to the starting point at the Castagnot car park 1h40' 5.79km .

Points of Interest

• Visey-Dessous
• Visey-Dessous Chapel
• L'Aveuil
• Bec Gavin
• Parco del Mont Avic
• Issogne

Collections

• hikes departing from the Castagnot car park - on the map
• hiking in Issogne - on the map
• hiking in the 2000s in the lower Aosta Valley - on the map
• hiking the 2000 peaks of the Aosta Valley - on the map