Via Ferrata Bethaz Bovard

Introduction:

The Ferrata Bethaz Bovard is a beautiful itinerary, long and demanding even though it does not present single passages of high difficulty. It is a via ferrata with 4 sections, the last of which is in a ridge area.

Starting location:

The starting point of the itinerary is Valgrisenche. It is reached along the SR25. You park in the village. Directions for Google Maps available here.

Approach:

We pass along the inhabited center in the direction of the obvious dam. Pass the church going up the meadows towards a warehouse originally a military building. On the left side of this building you can see the first rocky steps with the metal equipment and the sign of the beginning of the ferrata (10 'from the parking lot).

Via Ferrata:

The Bethaz Bovard Ferrata consists of 4 sections with escape routes at the end of each section.

1. Go up the first very easy metal steps and then take a vertical wall with many brackets. Turn to the right on a short traverse and then go up to the left helped by some brackets in the direction of a marked protrusion that passes by going round it to the left and then resuming with a vertical stretch. We continue on a small terrace with our feet on the brackets then going up a vertical wall that leads us to the top of a flat stretch before facing a vertical wall with 3 overhanging meters that tend to push out in the change of the carabiner. The metallic equipment ends momentarily, we continue on a well marked path up to a stretch of easy lying rocks to which follows a traverse to the left. At the end of the traverse we attach a leaning wall that leads under a wall with a more marked overhang at the end of which ends the first stretch of the Bethaz Bovard Ferrata.
2. Go up a path to the start of the second section of the ferrata. After an easy inclined wall, a long vertical slab is attached with brackets for the feet. Continue on a succession of rocks, inclined walls and small vertical ledges without ever having considerable difficulty levels. Continue on a path between the bilberry trees. Start another stretch of ferrata with a slightly overhanging wall followed by a traverse to the left and a wall of about 7 meters and ending the second stretch of the ferrata. Follow the path to the right, slightly downhill to the north. Continue on this thin path and reach the third stretch.
3. We face a non-steep wall to the left up to meet an impressive and exposed vertical wall above us on which we will proceed on a series of brackets for some tens of meters. Then we face some rocks and another vertical wall that is less long than the previous one. This vertical section ends and a horizontal traverse on the right is first followed by a slight descent to the end of the third and penultimate stretch.
4. Follow the path to the right and then towards the last obvious vertical wall. It starts with a leaning wall and then a vertical wall in a dihedral. We face some vertical and supported walls and slowly we take ourselves to an aided ridge path. This stretch is definitely aerial and exposed but not technically difficult. Continue through ridge strands, stones to be scraped, gorges to be climbed and small dihedrals and chimneys along the fine ridge. Then we reach the top of the last vertical wall and then at the end of the route (4h from the start -4h 15 'from the parking lot).

Descent:

There are a couple of descent options. The easiest is to continue slightly uphill along trail 18 to the Rifugio degli Angeli and follow the uphill slope to the hill from which you descend (path 16) to Arp Vieille and then follow the military mule track (trail 17) which shows in the village (2h 30 'from the end of the ferrata - about 7h total).

Alternatively you cross a stony (slippery) and trying to orient yourself in the absence of signs intercepts the path 18 with which we will return to the car. In circa 2 hours we will reach the village of La Bethaz. Reached the village we follow the paved road towards right until we reach the parking place in circa 2 Km.

Notes:

The Bethaz Bovard Ferrata is a challenging itinerary, without exaggerated technical difficulties but exposed, tiring and long. So it should not be underestimated even in the light of the altitude in where it develops.

Pay attention to the connection sections and at the end of the trip on the return path where the path signs are scarce or absent. Along the ridge, at some point, the equipment will end. Follow in sight in the direction of the receiver. The equipment will start again.

Along the climb we find the exit routes: one about 1930 m reaching the 17 path, one at about 2200 again towads the path 17 and one at 2350 towards the 18 path.

Opportunities:

A little less than an hour's drive in the valley parallel to the southeast is the Via Ferrata Casimiro. Among the other ferratas in the western part of the Aosta Valley we also report the Via Ferrata Marguerettaz, the Aided path to the Dalmazzi Hut, the Ferrata at the Gran Paradiso and the Ferrata to the Borelli Shelter.