Tête du Grand Etret

This small hilltop is located at the end of the Valley of Seiva or Seyvaz and the end node of the Valsavarenche, where the Southern Buttress of Gran Paradiso, after forming the Becca Moncorvé, the Tresenta, the Ciarforon, Becca di Monciair and Denti del Broglio, goes to "bond" with which to buttress secondary Mer Pertchaz / Punta Fourà drops to the North until you reach the Cima de la Roley or Arollay at the beginning of the Plan of Nivolé. But the "welding" between these two ridges is via a ridge that pseudo straight from the Hill of Eastern Grand Etret (3.152m) reaches the Western (3.172m), after having climbed the little Summit of the same name (3.201m); this fairly large area is covered by the Glacier du Grand Etret, which opens like a fan from the 2.750 meters where a small side trail ends following the numbered coming from Pont Valsavarenche. Turns out to be more suitable for the excursion Ski-Mountaineering, where he met a good attendance, not for Climbing, even though his Eastern Colle is obligatory point of passage for ascents to nearby Teeth of Broglio (3.454m, 3.420 meters about, 3.390m), for other very rare. Its Slope South is rather rocky and falls towards Ceresole Reale into the Canavese (Piedmont), while the Eastern Pass overlooks the small Vallone del Roc with the Bivouac Giraudo; the two are connected by the Porta Hill (3.003m). The views, as well as on Valsavarenche and the Gran Paradiso Chain view from South, ranging in the Southwest at about three Levanne (3.593m, 3.619m, 3.555m), now the border of the Vanoise National Park in France.

 

 

 

First Ascents

• First on the Summit: Unknown.
• In winter: Unknown.
• First traverse (Valsavaranche/Ceresole Valley): J.H. Backhouse, D.V. Freshfield, C. Tucker, T.H. Carson with Mountain Guides Daniel Ballay and Michel Payot, (Jul 20th, 1867).

Getting There

BY CAR:

• From France: through the Mont Blanc Tunnel or the Col du Petit Saint Bernard: you can drive on SS.26, following directions for Aosta and, before arriving in Villeneuve, turn right towards Introd. Alternatively, you can take Motorway A5 (at Courmayeur or Morgex) and exit at Aosta Ovest.
• From all the other directions: get to the Aosta Ovest exit of Motorway A5. Then drive on SS.26 Aosta, in the direction of Courmayeur; just after Villeneuve turn left towards Introd.

BY PLANE:

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

Shortly after Introd, you arrive at a junction: turn left, entering Valsavarenche, and passing through many Villages (Degioz, Eaux Rousses, etc.) you can arrive at Pont (1.960m) where the road ends.Add Route text here.

Approach and Route

    From Pont of Valsavarenche (1.964m), parking nearby the "Camping Pont-Breuil", to follow on the right the path n° 2, that skirts to the West side the Torrent Savara and to travel the Seiva or Seyvaz small Valley homonymous alpine pasture (2.176m), known also for alpine Pasture of Grand Etret. Continue with the same, after leaving on the right (Southwest) the trail n° 2A towards La Seyvaz Pasture and Col Collet (2.832m) until it disappears at an altitude of 2.413 meters about into the moraine under the Glacier du Grand Etret. Through a small track, which ends in 2.750 meters altitude and through diagonal route West/East on the glacier (increasingly in retreat in the last thirty years) to go back the Pass Eastern of the Grand Etret (3.150m; 3h'30). From the same following the watershed towards West and through the easy Northeastern Crest in short time to reach the triangular Summit (EE/A/F+; 0h'20; 4h'00).

 

Da Pont di Valsavarenche (1.964 m), parcheggio presso il "Camping Pont-Breuil", seguire sulla destra il sentiero n° 2, che costeggia sul lato Ovest il Torrente Savara e percorrere tutto il Vallone di Seiva, oppure de la Seyvaz, passando dall'omonima alpe (2.176 m), conosciuta anche per Alpe di Grand Etret. Proseguire con lo stesso, dopo avere lasciato sulla destra (Sudovest) il sentiero n° 2A per l'Alpe La Seyvaz ed il Col Collet (2.832 m) fino a quando scompare a quota 2.413 metri nella morena sottostante il Glacier du Grand Etret. Tramite una piccola traccia, che termina in altitudine 2.750 metri circa, e in diagonale Ovest/Est per il ghiacciaio (sempre più in fase di evidente ritiro in quest'ultimo trentennio) risalire al Colle Orientale del Grand Etret (3.150 m; 3h'30). Dallo stesso seguendo lo spartiacque verso Occidente e tramite la facile Cresta Nordest in breve tempo si raggiunge la triangolare e piccola Vetta (EE/A/F+; 0h'20; 4h'00).

Difficulty

From F to F+.

 

Da F a F+.

Equipment

For Ski-Moutaineering.

 

Da Sci-Alpinismo.

Red Tape

Within the borders of the P.N.G.P. (Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso), at the moment dogs generally are not allowed, except on a couple of trails, and camping is forbidden (except for climbers from sunset till dawn). No fees are due.

Campings

• Wild camping in the Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso is strictly forbidden!!!

Mountain Condition

• You can get meteo information at the official site of the Regione Valle d'Aosta:
• Valle d'Aosta Meteo

Webcam

• WEBCAM on Aosta Valley:
• Webcam

Books and Maps

BOOKS:

• "Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso" di Stefano Ardito, Ed. Guide iter, Novembre 2001.
• "Guida delle Alpi Occidentali", di Giovanni Bobba e Luigi Vaccarone C.A.I. Sezione di Torino Volume II (parte II), 25 Maggio 1896.
• "Gran Paradiso", A. Gegenfurtner, G. Klotz, F. Müller, Ed. Bergverlag Rudolf Rother, Monaco 1980 (in tedesco).
• "Gran Paradiso", G. Klotz, Ed. Bergverlag GmbH Rother, Monaco 2005 (in tedesco).
• "Diari Alpinistici" di Osvaldo Cardellina e Indice Generale accompagnato da Schedario Relazioni Ascensioni 1964-2019 (inediti).
• "Guida della Regione Autonoma Valle d'Aosta" di Mario Aldrovandi,Ed. S.P.E. di Carlo Fanton, Torino 31 Dicembre 1964.
• "Guida dei Monti d'Italia-Gran Paradiso Parco Nazionale" E. Andreis, R. Chabod, M. C. Santis, Club Alpino Italiano/Touring Club Italiano, prima Ed. 1939; seconda Ed. 1963; terza Ed. 1980.