Mont (Tour) Grauson

Mountain/Rock

Mont (Tour) Grauson

Page Type: Mountain/Rock

Location: Aosta Valley, Italy, Europe

Lat/Lon: 45.64915°N / 7.39543°E

Activities: Mountaineering

Elevation: 10630 ft / 3240 m

Page By: Antonio Giani

Created/Edited: Jan 12, 2008 / Jun 25, 2008

Object ID: 372272

Hits: 818

Page Score: 89.78% - 20 Votes

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Table of Contents

Overview

Il Monte Grauson and Punta di Leppe

A trapezoidal shaped mountain, stretched out from East to West and growing up at the end of the Monte Emilius Group, when seen from near the Pastures of Ecloseur shows a series, ouwardly geometrically unceasing both to the east and to the west, of channels laid out radiating. The Northern side shows a cragged great wall dropping upon the old and almost extinct Glacier of Lussert.

Montagna di forma trapezoidale, allungata in senso est-ovest ed elevatesi quale propagine estrema del Gruppo del Monte Emilius, dai pressi dell'Alpeggio dell’Ecloseur denota una serie a prima vista geometricamente ininterrotta, sia a levante che a ponente, di canaloni di varie dimensioni, disposti a raggiera. Il versante nord ofre una muraglia dirupata cascante sull’antico e oramai quasi estinto ghiacciaio di Lussert.

Lussert Glacier

First ascents

First on the summit: George Yeld and Beniamino Pession, (July 18th, 1909).
In winter: Anselmo Falcoz, (Feb 05, 06, 07th, 1939).
E Wall Normal Route: Guide di Cogne, (?).
S Wall: George Yeld and Beniamino Pession, (Jul 18th, 1909), in descent.
S-W Wall: Elmo Glarey, Ezio Savin and Mario Charrance, (half years '70).
N-W Arête: Vincenzo Perruchon and Jacques Serres, (1972?), in ascent.
N-W Arête: Elmo Glarey and Ezio Savin, (1975?) in descent.
N Wall: Anselmo Falcoz, (Feb 06,07th, 1939).
N-E Arête: Osvaldo Cardellina and Giuseppe Lamazzi, (July 14th, 1985).

Getting There

BY CAR:

From Torino, Milano, etc: motorway A5. Exit in Aosta Ovest. Drive to the near Aymavilles. Follow in the direction of Valle di Cogne.
From Switzerland: through the Grand St. Bernard Tunnel or the homonym Pass). Drive to Aosta, then follow Courmayeur direction on SS.26. Just after Sarre, turn to the left, in the direction of Valle di Cogne.
From France: through Mont Blanc Tunnel or Petit St. Bernard Pass). It isn't necessary to enter in motorway A5, you can drive through SS.26 Aosta direction. Before arriving at the Village of Sarre, follow the sign and turn right towards Valle di Cogne.

(1534m).

(1787m),

BY PLANE:

Aeroporto Internazionale "Corrado Gex" Saint Christophe (Aosta) www.airvallee.com

Tour Grauson, la Punta Garin, la Punta des Laures e il Mont des Laures

Route

From Gimillan (1787m), go right starting from the car park of Gimillan: after few meters the indications for Lussert Lakes, St. Marcel Pass, etc. are found. The pathway is indicated by the yellow circle 9A and by yellow strips marked on stones along the route. The path begins going immediately uphill, then the slope decreases as we go beyond a little Chapel dedicated to the Virgin (1836m). Soon the path resumes to go up and splits in two, before it begins to penetrate into the Grauson Valley: it's possible to continue following the right one that goes down as far as the Ecloseur Bridge (1904m), but in such a case we must go up again; it's better to follow the left one that, in practice without losing height, arrives at the bridge under the Alpeggio Pila (2025m), cross it and, following the stepped pathway, overcome the rocky bastion beside a fine waterfall (at the left). At this point the path turns right markedly, entering, high on the torrent, into a small valley; by an alternation of steep and slight slopes, it reaches a panoramic cross, on the edge of a pleasant plateau (superb view of the far La Grivola!). The path goes through the meadows, slightly descendind: after the Alpi di Grauson Vecchie (2271m), crosses the torrent on the Pikaciù Bridge and by a steep trail beside the stream, reach the wide upper part of the Grauson Valley. At the junction before Alpeggio Pralognan (about 2400m), instead of going straight ahead along the pathway n°4 leading to the head of Vallone di Grauson, go left till to Alpeggio Grauson Nuove (2540m), where once there was the burned Tentori Bivouac.

From the site of old Bivouac Tentori along the path leading to Lower Lussert lake, from the grassy plain straight toward the base of the East wall that hosts in its middle a giant "Y" : the right branch leads to the NE ridge; the left one, shorter, to a small rocky ridge. Up, in the centre of the lower part of the "Y", at the fork follow the left branch up to the ridge, go along the edge rounding the less easy pieces, with a short climb (II, II+) overcome the last part and, scrambling on rocks and debris, you get the summit.

Dall’ex Bivacco Tentori si risale lungo il sentiero che conduce al lago di Lussert Inferiore, dal pianoro erboso dirigersi decisamente verso la base della parete Est che da qui presenta nel mezzo un’enorme “Y”: il braccio di destra porta verso la cresta nord-est; quello di sinistra più breve porta ad una piccola cresta rocciosa.
Salire al centro la parte bassa della “Y”, dal bivio seguire il ramo di sinistra sino alla crestina rocciosa, continuare sul filo aggirando qualche passo più delicato, da qui con breve arrampicata (II, II+) si supera l’ultimo tratto e per rocce e detriti si raggiunge la vetta.

l'Alpeggio di Grauson Nuovo (2540m)

Difficulties

Difficulties can be rated as PD-.
L’itinerario è da considerarsi PD-.

Equipment

High mountain gear, rope, iceaxe and crampons (useful when rocks are iced)
Da alta montagna, corda, piccozza e ramponi in caso di verglas.

Campings

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