Costiera dell'Aroletta
Aosta Valley, Italy, Europe

Costiera dell'Aroletta

Page Type Page Type: Area/Range
Location Lat/Lon: 45.88560°N / 7.38736°E
Activities Activities: Mountaineering, Trad Climbing, Sport Climbing
Additional Information Elevation: 9941 ft / 3030 m
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Overview

Costiera dell'Aroletta (literally: Ridge of the small arolla pine) is a serrated ridge that branches off the main ridge connecting Mont Gelè to Punta di Faceballa. The ridge goes roughly from south-southeast to north-northwest and includes the following summits: From Aroletta Superiore, the ridge turns west and connects to the main ridge at Becca de Faudery. Though the summits of Costiera dell’Aroletta are not very high, they attract mountaineers with renowned rock routes on solid granitoid rock.
 
 
VIERGE DELL'AROLETTA Beautiful, large pyramid that rises to the south of Colle dell'Aroletta. Abbot Joseph Henry considered it the best looking summit in the entire Aroletta Group. Concerning its elevation, three measurements exist: 2.903m (I.G.M.), 2.960m (C.A.I./T.C.I.) and 2.994m (R.A.V.A.). The last one is probably the most reliable.  
East wall of Vierge de l Aroletta <i>(2960m)</i>
First Ascents:
  • N Arête (standard route): Abbots Victor Anselmet and Joseph Henry, (Sep 05th, 1919).
  • N Arête (standard route): Second ascent, Ten. Gonelli, Pier Francesco Quaini, Rina Pettinati, and Théodule Forclaz, (Oct 09th, 1921).
  • E-NE Face: Piero Rosset and Enrico Donadoni, (Aug 1953).
  • E-NE Face (Variant): Angelo Bozzetti, Lucio Monaco e C. Summer, (1960).
  • E Arête: Carlo Carena, Ennio Cristiano, Natale Fornelli, Antonio Balmamion, and Paolo Battazzini, (Sep 04th, 1966).
  • E Arête (Variant): Ugo Manera and Piero Giglio, (Dec 18th, 1966).
  • E Pillar and E Arête (Variant): Renato Quendoz and Osvaldo Cardellina, (Aug 06th, 1967).
TRIDENT DELL'AROLETTA Trident dell'Aroletta is a splendid group of slender spires of almost equal height. It rises to the north of Col du Grand Barmé (2.720m) and consists of three summits. From south to north: Punta Jean Charrey, Punta Cino Norat, and Punta Dino Charrey.  
Trident de l Aroletta
First Ascents:
  • S Arête (Integral? in descent): Dino e Jean Charrey, (Aug 18th, 1929).
  • S Arête (in ascent one summit): Alfredo Deffeyes e Basilio Olietti, (Jul 30th, 1929).
  • First Winter ascent: Eugenio Faggion, Edoardo Robino, and Romano Picchiottino, (Jan 06th, 1963).
  • Integral Ridge: Roberto Amari, Silvana Barisone, Massimo Mila, Ignazio Pallavicino, and Fulvio Ratto, (Jul 16th, 1961).
  • Punta Dino Charrey, W Face: Giovanni Pezzoli and Piero Rosset, (Oct 09th, 1955).
  • Punta Jean Charrey, E Edge: Angelo Bozzetti and Piero Rosset, (Jun 12th, 1960).
  • Second ascent: Piero Rosset and Amilcare Urietti, (Jun 19th, 1960).
  • First descent of the N Ridge: Giovanni and Lucio Monaco, (Jun 07th, 1964).

Getting There

The starting point for most routes of Costiera dell'Aroletta is Rifugio Crête Sèche. The initial part of your approach depends on where you are coming from:
 

BY CAR:

  • From Torino, Milano, etc: Motorway A5. Exit at Aosta Est.
  • From Switzerland: through the Grand Saint Bernard Tunnel or the namesake pass.
  • From France: through the Mont Blanc Tunnel or Petit Saint Bernard Pass. It is not necessary to take Motorway A5: you can drive on SS.26, in the direction of Aosta.

BY PLANE:

  • Aeroporto "Corrado Gex" Saint Christophe (Aosta).

Route Rifugio Crête Sèche

From the Aosta est exit of the motorway, take SS.27 toward the Gran San Bernardo Tunnel. After about 10 km, turn right in the direction of the Village of Valpelline (964m). Once past Valpelline, ignore the road that forks to the left and leads to Ollomont (1.335m) and continue to Oyace (1.377m). Reach the small Village of Dzovenno (1.575m) and turn left for Ruz (1.697m), where you park your car. Take the farm road that leads to Alpeggio Baou de Bouque (2.129m), and, shortly after, to Alpeggio di Berrier (2.192m). (From the parking lot, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.) Angle up along the trail that from here takes you in another hour to Rifugio Crête Sèche (2.410m).

Huts and Fixed Bivouacs

  • Rifugio Crête Sèche
  • Bivacco Franco Spataro (2.619m), about 0h'30 from Rifugio Crête Sèche, sleeps 9. Water can be found near the fixed bivouac.

Campings

Remember that free camping is forbidden (except for emergency reasons, over 2.500m, from darkness until dawn).

Mountain Condition

  • Meteo: you can find all the needed informations at the official site of the Valle d'Aosta Region:
  • Valle d'Aosta Meteo

 

Trident de l Aroletta and la Vierge de l Aroletta

Webcam

  • WEBCAM on Aosta Valley:
  • Webcam

Books and Maps

BOOKS:

  • "Guida dei Monti d'Italia-Alpi Pennine" (Vol. I°) di Gino Buscaini - Club Alpino Italiano/Turing Club Italiano, Luglio 1971 (in Italian).
  • "Rifugi e bivacchi in Valle d'Aosta" di Cosimo Zappelli aggiornata da Pietro Giglio. Musumeci Editore, Luglio 2002 (in Italian).
  • "Diari Alpinistici" di Osvaldo Cardellina e Indice Generale accompagnato da Schedario Relazioni Ascensioni 1964-2019 (inediti).
  • "Arrampicare a Crête Sèche" pamphlet available at Rifugio Crête Sèche and on line (in Italian).

MAPS:

  • Carta Svizzera Valpelline 1:25.000.
  • Carta l'Escursionista "Valpelline, St. Barthélemy" (carta n° 5) 1:25.000.
  • I.G.C. Istituto Geografico Centrale "La Valpelline-Ollomont-St. Barthélemy" (carta n° 115) 1:30.000.
  • Kompass "Breuil-Cervinia Zermatt Sentieri e Rifugi Aosta–Champoluc–Châtillon-Gressoney–St. Vincent–Valpelline–Valtournenche". Carta turistica 1-50.000.

Important Information

Costiera dell’Aroletta
Freyty Pass
Costiera dell’Aroletta
Costiera dell’Aroletta
La Costiera dell Aroletta vista dai pressi del rifugio Crête Sèche

Useful numbers

  • Protezione Civile Valdostana località Aeroporto n° 7/A Saint Christophe (Ao) Tel. 0165-238222.
  • Bollettino Valanghe Tel. 0165-776300.
  • Bollettino Meteo Tel. 0165-44113.
  • Unità Operativa di Soccorso Sanitario Tel. 118.

Acknowledgements

Many thanks are due to my friend Fabio ( Brenta) for the translation of the text.



Images

View Costiera dell'Aroletta Image Gallery - 32 Images

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