Mont Roux of St. Marcel

BY PLANE:

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

Plout Shrine since 1200, above St. Marcel,  by emilius

Routes

Route A)- (From Les Druges "Alte" through the Fontanafredda, Bren, Prapremier Pastures & Corquet Alp)

also even, after a little downhill, the pole with sign forbidding (Regional Law of 24th April 1985; attention, only three parking spaces), goes up by the path n° 14 immediately behind a small stone fountain, near a splendid squared wooden "rascard", towards a nearby and tiny Chapel dedicated to St. Bernard getting the dirt road that trough Fontana Fredda (1.823m) and Bren (1.961m) Pastures reach the ruined Alp of Prapremier (2.011m). From this last, just behind the house, (stakes), leave on the left side the path to the Tramouail de la Rossa or towards the Mont Corquet (2.531m) through the Col de Crotey following Westward (path not always easy to find) toward the ruins of very old Corquet Alp (2.124m). Herefrom continue to the West by a track-path not reported, not always evident, into the forest and scree reaching the small saddle 2.260 metres around at the base of short, easy Southern Crest(EE/F; 0h'50 by Corquet; 1h'45/2h'15 in all; rather varying in case by ski-mountaineering or snowshoes; in the first to increase of around the half the time of route, while in the second to double it and even more).

Via A)- (Dalle Druges "Alte" attraverso gli Alpeggi di Fontanafredda, Bren, Prapremier e l'Alpe Corquet)

Partendo da Les Druges "Alte" o dall'Area Picnic (1.600 metri circa) od ancora, dopo una discesina, dalla palina con cartello di divieto (Legge Regionale del 24 Aprile 1985; attenzione, disponibili solo tre posti auto), indirizzarsi col sentiero n° 14 appena dietro ad un caratteristico nonché piccolo squadrato "rascard" in legno (fontana in pietra subito a lato), in direzione d'una vicina Cappelletta dedicata a San Bernardo raggiungendo la poderale che, attraverso gli Alpeggi di Fontana Fredda (1.823 m) e Bren (1.961 m), raggiunge l'ultima diroccata di Prapremier (2.011 m; palina con cartello giallo appena sopra l'alpe). Appena dietro la stessa abbandonare sulla sinistra il bivio per il Tramouail de la Rossa o per il Mont Corquet (2.531 m) tramite il Col de Crotey (2.458 m) dirigendosi invece verso Ovest con sentiero non sempre evidente e non segnalato dentro la foresta e poi tra cespugli in mezzo a sconvolte pietraie verso l'Alpe Corquet (2.124 m), pressocchè diroccata. Da questa su sentierucolo puntare decisamente ad Occidente raggiungendo la Selletta 2.260 metri circa e da questa, volgendo a Settentrione, salire per mezzo della breve nonché facile Cresta Meridionale (EE/F; 0h'50; 2h'30/2h'45 in totale; tempo molto variabile nello sci d'alpinismo o in progressione con racchette da neve; nel primo caso aumentarlo di circa la metà, mentre nel secondo raddoppiarlo ed anche più).

Route B)- (From Les Druges "Alte" through the Servette Coppermines and Western Slope)

from Les Druges "Low" (1.567m) a last bend in the road asphalt leads to the "High", where shortly afterwards becomes paved farm road not more (signs in brown at the last house). From Les Druges "Alte" suddenly into the forest leads to the Picnic Area beyond which a short descent leads to the cartel prohibition for the cars just before the Pouria Pasture (1.586m; no more than three cars). Continuing uphill the private dirt road reaches, with soft ascent, a grassy esplanade at the edge of the forest with to the North an ancient ruined alp and in South the construction known as "Garages" below the ruins of the "Trèves Furnace", just before the fork in the torrent (still many yellow signs up at the furnace in left and down at Viplana Village in right (1.346m) with path n° 3). Continuing on the farm road to the West through a long diagonal leading to the location Vargney (1.676m) at some dumps of ore burned. Take Southbound the small path n° 16/18 addressed to the Coppermine of Servette and then to Lavanche Pasture (2.071m; suggestive way to transport the mineral with high stone walls and connecting with the Mines Praborna) and Crotey Dèsott Alp (2.348m), under Mont Roux (2.277m). Also starting from the small and last lay-by beyond the rocky-wooden dump of the above abandoned Coppermines Chuc-Servette, and after rounding the cape entering the real vallon. A short descent leads to the base of a small trickle of water (not drinking dirty because with the sour taste of soil and copper) with the foot a rocky escarpment that rushes to the Torrent de Saint Marcel. Keep going towards South flexing a little to the right (South-southwest) with beautiful views of the overlying dry stone walls and the stone buildings designed to house the miners. Pass a new short ascent with beautiful views of the Group of Rouèses and wild Vallon Arpisson. Another descent, after leaving to the left (East) deviation n° 16 for Servette, leading to the end of the same. After passing a small gate (signals of private property and border of the "Preserve of Grand Avert" by Marquis Turati of Turin ex Baron Giuseppe Antonio Beck Peckoz of Gressoney) and after a short descent bypassing Eteley Pasture (1.750m) and abandoning Northwest the crossroads with path n° n° 4G towards the Alp Choulet and Arpisson Vallon, remount passing through Mulàc Hunting House (1.937m; beautiful fountain with wooden steinbock) boarding on the right (Northwest) the ancient Manganesemine of Praz Bornaz also Prabor(g)na, reached from alternative 1.836 meters through deviation not numbered and abandoned for years now (1.882m; E/F; 2h'00/2h'30). This must be considered the Basic Itinerary from which branch all variants for Mines Servette and Praborna, they exclude the underlying Chuc Copperminne.

Specific and direct route: before making the descent to the waterfall, goes up, instead through the trail n° 16 above the dirt road, reaching the various upper mines amongst the renovating Miners Village. From these, however, you can also be reached through other paths of entry, continue with the path which now becomes exclusively n° 18. But abandon it when the same direction varies from Southeast to South in altitude of about 2.050/60 meters and, without forced trail inside the thick forest, following a small dried torrent by 2.059 to 2.202 meters (caution for presence of wild boars!) to reach the small saddle 2.260 meters around, from which join with the previous route through Fontanafredda, Bren, prapremier Pastures and by the Southern Crest from Alp Corquet (EE/F; 1h'30/2h'00 from the highest Coppermine of Servette; 2h'45/3h'15 in all).




Just before we must abandon the dirt road taking the path n° 16/18 towards Servette Coppermines, by Osw 2015

Via B)- (Da Les Druges "Alte" transitando dalle Miniere di rame di Servette e Versante Occidentale)