Trekking and excursions in Aymavilles

When referring to excursions, normally we think of trails at higher elevations, but for fans of trekking a landscape like that of Aymavilles also has excellent itineraries to offer, not to mention the opportunity to stroll along the valley bed enjoying the alternation of glades, woods and crops. Here are some itineraries for excursions:

1. Montbel (747m) - Turlin (1466m).
   This itinerary is nothing more than the old path that the farmers of Aymavilles used to reach the alpine pastures. Now the road allows cars to reach Turlin passing from Ozein, the path has lost nearly all its utility, but still remains a beautiful stroll through the forest, with a beautiful panoramic view over the center of the valley.After having reached the Montbel region by car, in the community of Aymavilles, enter itinerary No. 1 above the village, on the forest side, that, crossing the forest, leads to the hamlet of Turlin Dessous. Passing the hamlet, it comes out to find an cross-estate road that continues on the right to the turn for Turlin Dessus. Travel time 2 hours.
2. Chabloz (700m) - Turlin - Pro di Cornes - Tramuail del Romperein - Pointe de la Pierre (2653m).
   Leaving from the hamlet of Chabloz, above the Castle of Aymavilles, you enter the convenient and easy to use mule-track that for a short period travels alongside the outlet of the irrigation canal and then enters the pine forest. Easily traveled, it arrives at the Chapel of Turlin Desot. It then continues above the town limits of Turlin and you enter a path of the forest that heads toward the West. After leaving the pastures of the Romperein Alps, it returns toward the south up to point of the great grassy sugar loaf of the Punta della Pierre. Travel time 4 hours. Continuing on a easy to use and panoramic route along the crest in a southwest direction, you arrive at the hill of the Drink to find itinerary No. 2.
3. Champsolin (700m) - Ozein - Alpe La Pierre - Col du Drinc (2555m).
   From the hamlet of Champsolin on the S.R. for Cogne, on the left you enter the mule-track that passes from Mayen to reach Ozein. Enter itinerary No. 8 that, following the asphalt road and cutting some turns, comes to the hamlet of Chanté. From here, continuing into the forest, you reach the Ruy region. Above the Alpine pastures, you enter the gravel road that exits and leaves it after a few hundred meters turning onto the path on the left of the Alps of the Pierre. Continuing along the same itinerary, you reach the crest corresponding to a hill and entering path No. 1 on the left, Pointe de la Pierre is reached where the path continues for the Cogne or descends into the basin of Pila.
4. Ru d'Arberioz crossing (950 mt).
   Easy walk, about 3 km. along the trail which follows the irrigation channel track. Travel time 1 hour.
5. Pondel (890m) - Cerignan - Ozein (1350m).
   From the village Pondel of Aymavilles you enter a path that penetrates the dense forests on the orographic right of the valley and joins the S.R. for Cogne. Follow the road for a few hundred meters and on the left you enter a well-traveled route that leads to the village of Serignan from which it continues toward Ozein.
6. Maresa Shack (600m) - Issogne - Camagne - Pondel.
   On the road from Aymavilles toward Villeneuve, after the bridge on the Grand'Eyvia, on the left you enter a path that leads to the farmsteads of Issogne. It continues on a level to penetrate the mouth of the valley of Cogne where the path leads to the base of a rocky wall, from which a tunnel of approximately 60 meters was excavated, allowing crossing the waterfall coming from the channel. Beyond the tunnel, the path soon leads to the town limits of the Pondel.
7. Maresa Shack (600m) - Champleval - Grand Poignon (1568m).
   On entering the previous path you do not turn toward the farmsteads of Issogne but follow the main path that passing from the upper and lower villages of Champleval, reaches Mont Poignon and afterward Grand Poignon.
8. Pondel (893m) - Grand Poignon (1567m).
   On reaching the Hamlet of Pont d'Ael, crossing before the small village, the Grand Eyvia river on the Roman aqueduct bridge and enter the path on the left, n.2B, which leads toward the valley of Cogne. Many turns allow easy access over the rough forest slope overlooking the hamlet of the Pondel and reaching the Alps of Petit Poignon. Shortly after this region, the path enters a cross-estate road (also indicated in No. 1) that continues on the right until reaching the Grand Poignon.
9. Vieyes - Chantel - Col de Becca Planaz.
   From the village of Vieyes, you enter the path for the Campsite Gontier. On beyond the glade of Plan Pessey, a fork toward the right separates from the main path. After a easy to use rise in a dense forest of White Fir and Red Fir, you exit in a glade near the sentry box of the PNGP of Chantel. The path continues toward the hill of Becca Planaz and descends toward Valsavarenche. Travel time 3 hours. From the sentry box of the park, there is another path that returns toward the Campsite M.Gontier to the Grand Nomenon Alps (see itinerary 10).
10. Vieyes - Sylvenoire - Plan Pessey Alpe Nomenon - Chantel - Cols de Belleface -Trayo.
    Leaving from Vieyes or Sylvenoire to reach Plan Pessey and continue toward the Grand Nomenon Alps and the Campsite M.Gontier. Near the Alps of the Nomenon there exist various opportunities for connection with the Valsavarenche (Hill of Belleface) and with Epinel and Cogne (Hill of the Trajo) and with the sentry box of the park of the Chantel.
11. Ozein - Pessey - Turlin.
    Easy walks from Ozein heading toward east or south-west. Travel time 1 hour.
12. Loc La Nouva (1300m - S.R. to Cogne) - Alpe Sisoret - Alpe Petit Nomenon - Bivouac Gontier (2323m).
    After having reached hamlet Vieyes, located on the road of Cogne a 10 km from Aymavilles, continuing on the same road for 3 km; for the last turn before arriving at the dam, called "La Presa," on the river Grand Eyvia in the region of La Nouva, entering trail n. 27C on the right, that exits after the avalanche tunnel and leads to the Sisoret alpine pasture (m. 1803). Reaching the houses, continue on the right on the same route until reaching trail No. 27B coming from Pianesse. The route continues across and through the bois de Ronc until reaching the Alps Petit Nomenon. Arriving at the houses, enter trail No. 5 on the left that leads to the Grand Nomenon and to the campsite Gontier.
13. Crètes vineyards route
    A stroll discovering the Crètes vineyards, back the Aymavilles castle. Travel time 1 hour.
14. Vieyes (1158m) / Sylvenoire (1331m) - Bivouac Mario Gontier (2323m).
    From Vieyes, following the trail in the forest that leads toward the houses of Plan Pessy and continues on the level to the fork for the Leutta Alpine pasture. At this point you must, however, continue in the forest following the edge of the river, then passing near some abandoned farmhouses to then cross the river leading toward the houses of Nomenon. Crossing the river on a wooden walkway and continuing to rise following the edge of the river, you arrive at the alpine pasture Grand Nomenon where the campsite rises. Sleeping spaces: 12. Opening: keys from Elio Gontier tel. +39 0165/902259 travel time 3 hours. As an alternative you may depart, shortening the itinerary by approximately 1 hour through the higher hamlet of Sylvenoire.