Punta di Verdona or Pointe de la Seyvaz

This small Summit is located amidst Becca Conge (2.954m) Mount Faroma (3.073m) between the Comba Dèche in the Valley of St. Barthélemy and Valpelline. Amongst these two valleys is located the Hill St Barthélemy (2.639m), the famous and very popular passage in the past. By the inhabitants is called and known also as Pointe de la Seyva or de la Seyvaz because overlooking the homonymous alp, intermediate in Comba Dèche reachable from Trois Villes Hamlet in the Upper Hill of Quart than from that of Lignan in the Valley of Saint Barthélemy. Arranged on the West/East axis with respect to the hill also has a third short ridge that descends to the North-northwest over the Col du Coteau du Fond (2.681m) and Gran Coutà (2.864m) on the watershed between the Vallons Verdona (West) Vessona both in perpendicular to the Oyace Common (1.377m) in Valpelline. This partition ends, after the Pointe de Vameà (2.685m), with the Becca di Nona (2.898m), small but imposing and impressive, which overlooks the locality. The latter ridge also divided into two parts the North Slope shattered with a revolt in the Northwest over the Tsa de Verdonaz and Alp Brollier (2.317m, 2.268m) and the other to the North-northeast on Plan Barmé or Barmet and Alpe of the Ardamùn or Arp Damon (2.379m, 2.207m). Instead, the entire slope South is situated between the St. Barthélemy Hill and Faroma Pass (2.721m) divided with the Northwest Crest of Altitude 2.936/7 meters just West of Faroma. The same is presented as a large rock face furrowed by several ravines and couloirs more or less parallel, the most prominent of which are the gully going up diagonally from right to left, and separating the two distinct Summit (2.875m West, East 2.862/8) with a steep and parallel South-southeast Edge that faces towards South over Valchourda Alp (2.380/92m). Some rocky areas are yet to be explored, but wherever the rock is very broken often covered by grassy or detrital layers, wherefore much caution, while the gullies are to be avoided because it much exposed to frequent falling rocks. In return, beautiful diametrically opposed views towards Graians towards the South above the Dora Baltea and Pennine to the North.

 

 

 

 

Questa piccola Sommità é collocata tra la Becca Conge (2.954 m) ed il Monte Faroma (3.073 m) tra la Comba Dèche nella Valle di St. Barthélemy e la Valpelline. Tra queste due vallate é collocato il Colle di St. Barthélemy (2.639 m), famoso e molto frequentato in passato. In loco viene chiamata anche Pointe de la Seyva oppure Seyvaz, poiché sovrasta l'omonima alpe, intermedia nella Comba Dèche raggiungibile sia dalla Frazione di Trois Villes nell'Alta Collina del Comune di Quart che da quella di Lignan in Valle di Saint Barthélemy. Disposta sull'asse Ovest/Est rispetto al colle, presenta inoltre una terza breve cresta che scende a Nord-nordovest sopra il Col du Coteau de Fond (2.681 m) e la Gran Coutà (2.864 m) sullo spartiacque tra i Valloni di Verdona (ad Occidente) e Vessona (ad Oriente) entrambi perpendicolari al Comune di Oyace (1.377 m) in Valpelline. Questo divisorio termina, dopo la Punta di Vameà , con la Becca di Nona (2.898 m) che, piccola ma imponente e suggestiva, sovrasta questa località. Quest'ultima cresta inoltre divide in due parti il frantumato Versante Settentrionale con una rivolta a Nordovest sopra la Tsa de Verdonaz e l'Alpe di Brollier (2.317 m, 2.268 m) e l'altra a Nord-nordest sopra Plan Barmé o Barmet e l'Alpe di l'Ardamùn o Arp Damon (2.379 m, 2.207 m). Invece l'intero Versante Meridionale si distende tra il Colle di St. Barthélemy ed il Colle Faroma (2.721 m) divisorio con la Cresta Nordovest della Quota 2.936/7 metri appena ad Ovest del Monte Faroma. Il medesimo si presenta come una larga faccia rocciosa solcata da diversi anfratti e canaloni più o meno paralleli, il più in vista dei quali lo solca salendo in diagonale da destra a sinistra e separando le due distinte Sommità (2.875 m la Ovest, 2.862/8 la Est) con un ripido e parallelo spigolo rivolto a Sud-sudest sopra l'Alpe di Valchourda (2.380/92 m). Alcuni settori rocciosi sono ancora da esplorarsi, ma dovunque la roccia risulta piuttosto rotta e spesso ricoperta da strati erbosi o detritici, per la qual cosa richiede molta prudenza, mentre i canaloni son da evitarsi poiché sovente esposti a cadute di pietre. Compensano belle vedute diametralmente opposte verso le Alpi Graie a Sud sopra il corso della Dora Baltea ed a Settentrione sulle Pennine.

First Ascents

• First on the summit: unknown.
• In winter: unknown.
• Southwest Ridge (Normal Route): unknown.
• North-northwest Crest: Osvaldo Cardellina, lone; August 31th, 1999, in ascent from Col Coteau du Fond.
• North-northeast Slope: probably Gino Buscaini; summer 1970, in ascent through the Comba Vessona.
• East Ridge: Osvaldo Cardellina, lone; August 31th, 1999, in descent to Col Faroma and Valchourda Alp.
• South-Southeast Edge: Osvaldo Cardellina and Giuseppe Lamazzi; May 01th, 1997, with descent through Southwest Crest to St. Barthélemy Hill.
• Southern Face: unknown.

Getting There

BY CAR:

• From TORINO, MILANO, etc: Motorway A5. Exit at IVREA or Quincinetto (PIEDMONT).
• From IVREA Town: in West to Pont Saint Martin, Donnas, Bard, Verrès, St. Vincent, Châtillon, Nus, Quart, St. Christophe, Aosta and Roisan Municipalities.
• From Courmayeur Resort: in East to Morgex, La Salle, Saint Pierre, Sarre, Aosta, Roisan and Saint Chistophe Municipalities.
• From Aosta Town towards Quart and Nus Municipalities 1) - By Quart-Villair to Epilaz, Argnod Villages or from SS.26 nearby La Plantaz (540m), with Regional and Municipal Roads, towards Chétoz, Vignil, Fornail, Ville sur Nus-Planeville, Buignod, Porsan Villages to Trois Villes-Avisod Village (1.398m). From this towards La Seyvaz, Valchourda Alps (2.206m), in Comba Dèche. 2)-: From Quart to Fonteil with previous route; this through dirt road, towards La Seyvaz (2.184m), Valchourda Alps (2.392m), in Comba Dèche. From Nus-La Plantaz in State Road to Ville sur Nus-Planeville (1.113m); from this, towards Buignod, Avion (1.312m) Villages. Also from Porsan through Trois Villes (1.398m), Avion, fork (1.250m) to Effraz Village (1.487m), with Municipal Roads. From this to Ronc (1.737m), Machaussy Alps, in Effraz Comba.
• From Aosta towards Valpelline Valley 3) - From Aosta City with SS.26 towards the alternative before Gignod Municipality; from this through the Regional Road in Northeast towards Valpelline Commune (580m) and always through Regional Road, towards Oyace Commune (1.316-1.377m). From these to Southern Vallons: a) - by Valpelline towards Verdzignola and b) - by Oyace towards Verdona Vallon.
• From FRANCE: through the Mont Blanc Tunnel to Entrèves-crossroads to Vény/Ferret Valleys - Mountain Guides of Courmayeur - La Saxe Rock Gym - Courmayeur. By Little Saint Bernard Pass, closed since November until half May to La Thuile Valley - Pré Saint Didier - Courmayeur. It is not necessary to take Motorway A5: you can drive on SS.26, in the direction of AOSTA - IVREA - TURIN.

BY PLANE:

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

Approach & Route

Approach from Fonteil (Trois Villes-Quart)