Ars or Arsy Vallon

This valley marks Southwest border of vallon collocated among Gignod, Etroubles, St-Oyen, now in Gr. St. Bernard. After having, starting from the homonym shelter, climbed the La Tsa (2.742m), descend to Passo Tardiva and the Crest or Coast Tardiva (2.410m, 2.418m) from which quickly reach in East the new Refuge Chaligne (1.936m), in the uppermost part of Torrent Val Buthier in Gignod Common or in opposite towards West Arsy adjacent vallon, just below Mont Fallère (3.061m), highest Summit of the whole area. An other approach, but certainly a lot less frequented, is that with the departure by Echevennoz, Fraction of Etroubles, then up almost along all the adjacent Valley of Ars or Arsy, at the foot of the wide Northern Slope always of Fallère. Or, and again, directly from Etroubles through a farm road toward Southeast that, passing several pastures, reaches Torrent d'Ars on the bottom of the valley at the Alpe E'teley (1.716m), for then follow the course of the same to Alpe Ars (1.975m), and the next Tsa of Ars (2.260m), little beyond which ends near an old abandoned pasture 2.369 meters with a pond immediately to the East below the Col d'Ars (2.534m), towards Flassin Comba. Last case, you can make some connections between the Vallon Arsy or valley still own of Artanavaz Torrent and adjacent Val Buthier above Gignod Common.  This side entrance is not specific to the valley itself, being located in Val Buthier above the Municipality of Gignod, but practical and certainly more used than the one directed by Echevennoz Hamlet or from the West starting from the Municipality of Etroubles. It also allows, compared to the other two, to gain more in altitude through the asphalted road from Condemine on S.S. the Great St. Bernard until the ban (1.523m) at the Alp Mendey (1.547/62m) just above Petit Buthier. From this point take start the two farm dirt roads leading

1) - to the West (concomitant with the path n° 3C) to the Alps Meriau Dèsott (1.632m) and Praz-Gallet (1.626m) to the junction of E'teley (1.689m) at the Torrent d 'Ars, now already in Arsy Vallon. Or

2) - to the South (concomitant with path n° 3) to Roncaille Alps, Rombason, Collet Chaligne until the above eponymous refuge (1.936m). Input variation: from the junction 1.854 meters before Alp and Refuge Chaligne, you can continue to the North-northwest with a branch of the private dirt road (concurrent at n° 3B/MTB) which leads to Alpe Collet (1.914m) to the Northern margin of the Costa Tardiva. Rounding it to the West along Ru (Brook) Collet you reach Alpe Ars (1.974m). From here beautiful Excursions to different locations, but the factor that differentiates these trips more results from the fact that while the one (Tardiva Pass and Coast) and the other (Mount de La Tsa) are directed almost exclusively to the Hiking, the middle to shelter is almost a requirement for the Ski-Mountaineering. Including all highlights the practice by Snowshoeing, always good aid for the presence of deep snow (renowned and well marked the popular path in the "Bois de Lance or Lanche" or Lance's Wood). Can do is arm yourself with good will always paying attention to the danger of snowslides and avalanches, which have already caused some fatal accidents. As a counterpart a splendid Nature still lush and well-preserved and beautiful views to the"Coumba Freida" (Valley or Basin Cold) until the Great St. Bernard Valley "flying" above nearby Valpelline. A series of valleys marked by the name Buthier like Buthier de Bosse better known as Rio Artanavaz or Buthier of Ollomont and that of the same Valpelline. They gather at the small Villages of Rhins and Moulin that downs to the unique Buthier that flows into the Dora Baltea near the City of Aosta. But the only valley that brings in a specific way this place name is only the small and "hidden" Val Buthier, which descends in silence towards the Northeast between the Pointe Chaligne and the valley floor ...

 

 

 

Dopo aver scavalcato La Tsa (2.742 m), si scende al Colle ed alla Cresta Tardiva (2.410 m, 2.418 m) dalla quale in breve tempo si raggiunge verso Oriente il Rifugio Chaligne (1.936 m), collocato nella parte più elevata del Torrent Val Buthier nel Comune di Gignod ed ad Ovest il Vallone d'Arsy. Un altro approccio, ma sicuramente molto meno frequentato, risulta quello con partenza dai due Echevennoz Dessous e Dessus, Frazione di Etroubles, risalendo poi quasi tutto il Vallone d'Arsy, posto ai piedi del largo Versante Settentrionale del Fallère. Oppure ed ancora direttamente con partenza da Etroubles tramite una strada poderale verso Sudest che, oltrepassando diversi alpeggi, raggiunge il Torrent d'Ars sul fondovallone presso l'Alpe E'teley (1.716 m), per poi seguire il corso del medesimo fino all'Alpe Ars (1.975 m) ed alla successiva Tsa d'Ars (2.260 m) poco oltre la quale termina nelle vicinanze di un'antica alpe 2.369 metri abbandonata con laghetto subito sotto al Col d'Ars (2.534 m), posizionato sullo spartiacque con la Combe de Flassin. Da ultimo si posson effettuare alcuni collegamenti tra l'Arsy o Vallone ancor proprio del Torrent Artanavaz e l'attigua Val Buthier ormai sul Comune di Gignod.

 

Iniziando da Condemine all'ingresso Orientale del medesimo, e continuando a Sudest progressivamente si raggiungono i Villaggetti di Grand e Petit Buthier. Questa entrata laterale non é specifica del vallone stesso, essendo collocata in Val Buthier sopra il Comune di Gignod, ma risulta pratica e sicuramente più utilizzata rispetto a quella diretta da Echevennoz o da quella Occidentale partendo dal Comune di Etroubles. Inoltre permette, rispetto alle altre due, di guadagnare in altitudine tramite la strada in asfalto da Condemine sulla S.S. del Gran San Bernardo fino al divieto (1.523 m) presso l'Alpe Mendey (1.547/62 m) subito appresso Petit Buthier. Da questo punto prendono avvio le due strade poderali conducenti

Getting There

BY CAR:

• From TORINO, MILANO, etc: Motorway A5. Exit at IVREA or Quincinetto (PIEDMONT) From IVREA: in West towards Pont St. Martin, Donnas, Bard, St. Vincent, Chatillon, Nus, Quart, St. Christophe, Aosta (in West) and Roisan, Gignod (North) Municipalities. From Courmayeur Resort: in East to Pré St. Didier, Morgex, La Salle, Saint Pierre, Villeneuve, Sarre, Aosta and in North towards Gignod Municipalities.
• From Aosta City towards Etroubles Municipality in Great St. Bernard Valley From Aosta North Town or by St. Christophe with Main Route towards Gignod Commune (988m) or Roisan (843m) with Great St. Bernard SR.27 to alternative nearby Condemine Hamlet (1.137m). Leaving left through Municipal Road to Grand Petit Buthier Villages (1.302m, 1.439m) in Chaligne Comba instead continue until Echevennoz Dessous Dessus Villages (1.233m, 1.264m) and Etroubles Commune (1264m). From this last, with private dirt farms roads in South and through Champ Rèclos, Yettes, Praz-Perrier, Eteley, Ars Pastures up to the Tsa d'Ars (2.263m), below Costa Mayan (2.836m), Mont Fallère (3.061m), Ars Pass (2.534m) neighboring of Forest Rangers Bivouac (2.632m) at Mont Labiez.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 SR.26, in the direction of AOSTA - IVREA - TURIN.

BY PLANE:

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

On foot or by Ski Some Hikes even with Snowshoing