Aided path of the Vofrede

Introduction:

The Aided path of Vofrede (or as called by some the Ferrata dello Sperone) is not a difficult itinerary but with breathtaking views that goes up the Cignana valley surrounded by beautiful alpine lakes. We will reach Mont Rous with a ring return in a very satisfying tour.

Starting location:

The starting point is along the road that leads to Breuil-Cervinia that goes up the valley from Chatillon. in the province of Aosta. Go past the village of Valtounenche, continue past the Perreres hydroelectric power station until you see an area where you work the sand on the left. Along a straight you will notice a dirt road that descends in that direction. Before crossing the bridge, park at the side of the road. If the entrance to the dirt road is not possible due to work (2017), continue for a few meters on the main road with the possibility of parking on the right in an open space slightly extending the trip. Directions for Google Maps available here.

Approach:

From the parking lot, cross the bridge over the Marmore stream, turning right towards the small lake for sport fishing (closed since 2016). The wide path that goes up the valley of the Creton torrent is taken near the sign of no entry. Continue up to a small pole with the trail markers of the various paths. We will keep track 9 with yellow signs. You will come to a stretch where the path bends to the left and we will cross a stream and go up a steep stretch on live rock. Continuing along an easy path, you reach a crossroads where on the left you proceed towards the Vofrede glacier. We will keep the right going straight along the moraine, climbing again for a few bends until we reach the start of the Vofrede Aided path (2h from the parking lot).

Via Ferrata:

The first section of the ferrata si svolge su alcune brevi pareti a cui segue un horizontal traverse, exposed but with plenty of space for the feet. Aggiriamo un non marcato spigolo e iniziamo a risalire alcune facili roccette. Momentaneamente terminano le attrezzature metalliche e si segue la traccia fino a raggiungere una parete verticale in cui è possibile arrampicare agevolmente assicurati dal cavo. Si prosegue lungo l'itinerario raggiungendo alcuni balzi di roccia non ripidi in cui è agevole la salita giungendo così a un balcone sul sottostante ghiacciaio del Vofrede. Dal terrazzino si affronta una non difficile parete verticale di alcuni metri che ci conduce su un secondo balcone panoramico oltre il quale prosegue il tratto verticale. Si prosegue lungo il non difficile sentiero attrezzato fino ad attraversare una spaccatura nella roccia oramai in prossimità del termine della ferrata. Si percorrono le ultime decine di metri e nel pianoro sotto il Castelletto Whymper termina il Sentiero Attrezzato del Vofrede con magnifica visuale sul vicino Cervino (1h 30' dall'attacco - 3h 30' totali).

From the end of the ferrata, continue westwards (left) along the stony ground towards the Colle di Vofrede (3130m highest point of the hike - 4h total) following the yellow signs and the cairns.

Descent:

From the Colle di Vofrede descend towards the west towards the Gran Lago seguendo la traccia labile del sentiero e poi lungo gli sfasciumi fino a giungere al bacino sul suo lato orientale. Si percorre il muro di contenimento in direzione valle fino a raggiungere un piccolo rudere dal tetto sfondato.  Da questa piccola costruzione si prende il sentiero che poco dopo si connette a un sentiero più ampio che risale la parete dove è situato il Rifugio Perucca Vuillermozis located. From the hut, follow path 6 - Alta via 3 in the direction of the Manenti shelter along the various bends. This small shelter is at the edge of Lake Balanselmo. Continue along a long stretch along the hillside reaching the Alpe di Chevalley. Continue for a stretch on a dirt road until you reach a saddle from which we will take the path 107. Keep the left towards the La Riondè hut continuing towards the now visible sand pit and then to the parking lot (3h 30 'from the end of the path aided - 7h 30 'total).

Notes:

At the end of the Aided path of the Vofrede and arrived at the Hill, it is less than half of the trip, so it is important to assess the length of the trip. In particular, the return, although not difficult, is in a remote area and the path is not very well signposted for this could make sense to use a GPS track in particular in the event of cloudiness or fog with orientation difficulties.

Opportunities:

If you want to lengthen the hike, a chance to reach Monte Rous (3242 m) once you reach Colle del Vofrede (30 'after the end of the aided path). From Colle del Vofrede go up towards Punta Cian following the yellow signs. You will notice on the right a path that goes up the ridge of Mont Rous. Follow the track that will momentarily be lost in the stony ground and then reappear above until it reaches the summit (30 'for the climb -50' a / r).

Along the same valley it is possible to take the challenging route Via Ferrata del Gorbeillon. The alternatives are to go all the way down to Chatillon and from there continue towards Aosta for the Ferrata Emilius or the Aided path Panorama or in the direction of Turin for the Via Ferrata Covarey.