Col Battaglione Aosta, from the Morges car park

Access

Leave the motorway at the Aosta Ovest exit and, after 500m, leave the motorway junction turning right onto the regional road for the Cogne valley. After 450m at the roundabout take the second exit and enter the state road to be followed for 18.4 kilometres, passing through and skirting the villages of Saint-Pierre, Villeneuve, Arvier, Avise and Derby before reaching a roundabout. Take the first exit and take Via Corrado Gex following the signs for the centre of La Salle. After 350m turn left onto Via dei Romani and, shortly after at the fork, turn right onto Via Col Serena and follow the signs for Chaffieron. Go up the communal road, passing through the villages of Chaffieron, Chateau, Vilarisson, Remondey, Cheverel until you reach Morge Dessus: shortly after the last houses you will find several free car parks 🅿️ where you can leave your car.

[0h35'] - [28,2km]
How to get there with GMaps
How to get there with Apple Maps

These indications are based on direct verification carried out at the time of the survey of the route so the information should be verified before starting the hike. We recommend using a GPS navigator or map app on your smartphone to get up-to-date and detailed directions.

Introduction

The Comba de Chambave is bordered to the east and west by the Grande Rochère and the Aiguille de Chambave. The hill is dedicated to the legendary Aosta Battalion, which won a gold medal for military valour in the First World War.

Description

0h00' Take the little farm track that starts near the signposts and soon reaches the turnoff for the renovated houses of Belle Crête (1681m). 

0h02' Proceed for a short descent, meet the turnoff to the left for Morgex, trail : not to be neglected, and you will reach a small bridge that crosses the Planaval stream; from here, climb briefly until you reach the lovely renovated farmhouse of Piginière (1630m).

0h15' Continue up a short incline and then enter through the wood until you meet the junction with path coming from Planaval (1661m): continue to the left with a series of ups and downs in the cool spruce wood, slowly entering the valley of Chambave0h15' As you proceed towards the interior of the valley, you start to climb on a narrow path with some exposed stretches and with the pleasant crossing of some small waterfalls (be careful not to slip). Proceed along the orographic right of the gorge and, after coming out of the wood, you will reach the junction for the path that leads to the Colle Battaglione Aosta.

1h15' Take the faint path on the right that cuts across the steep grassy slope. The path veers to the left to cross a grassy ridge that anticipates the meagre pastureland of the Vallon de Chambave. Continue following sparse yellow markings, keeping to the centre of the valley on the visible stretches of path, aiming for a clearly visible grassy hump of morainic origin where, at its foot, is the alpine pasture of Grand Pian (2194m).
2h00' The path crosses the morainic hump and in the background the bottom of the valley appears, where the two final passes can be distinguished: on the left the neglected Col de Chambave and on the right the Colle Battaglione Aosta. The route proceeds over pastureland that slowly gives way to a more severe environment where the vegetation gives way to debris and stones. The slope becomes steeper and following a grassy ridge, take a few hairpin bends that allow you to gain height and head into the impluvium of the pass. Bend to the left and cross the impluvium of the torrent, which is often dry, before taking the last long hairpin bends that finally lead to the Colle Battaglione Aosta (2883m)  3h30' .

The descent follows the same route as on the way up 2h30' .