Mont Taille, from the Fenillettaz car park

Introduction

A hike with an almost double the height difference to reach the highest peak due to the numerous ups and downs to be tackled in dry rock and terrain conditions. Suitable for those who do not suffer from vertigo because the ridge section is continuously exposed on one side and on the other, and for those who have experience in routes where you have to guess the traces of passages. The solitude, the view and the fun passages over the rocks guarantee a certainly interesting excursion.

Description

From the clearing, walk along the farm track and, continuing for a few bends, a path branches off to the left, marked by poles indicating the direction for the Colle di Ranzola. We then leave the farmstead to ascend comfortably along the path, which soon reaches the wide Colle (2171 m) where there is a small chapel and along a drystone wall there is a statue of the Madonna and a plaque commemorating the passage of the Russian writer Tolstoy. Continuing in the direction of the dry stone wall (south), we begin to climb up the path that leads to the Punta della Regina (2387m); the track makes several steep turns over somewhat treacherous terrain due to the presence of gravel. When you reach the summit you can see, still heading south, the track that descends towards the Col de Garda from where you have in front of you the entire ridge that you will have to cover and, passing just below it on the Gressoney side, you descend a few tens of metres in height to find at a hairpin bend in the path a less evident track that, instead of descending, continues halfway up the slope among low vegetation and then climbs towards a col with an evident rocky outcrop. Here the beginnings of the difficulties are signposted. Still along the ridge, after having climbed over a small hump, you descend to a wider creek where there is a tall stone cairn and, after a few metres, the short section of rocky outcrop that leads to the summit begins. The short descent, which requires a great deal of attention, leads to another small col that ends at the beginning of the rocky ridge, marked by an obvious yellow marker, which with a few exposed passages leads to the summit of Mont Taille. Descend carefully, skirting the right flank, passing on small grassy ledges alternating with rocky ones overhanging the lake of Frudière Inferiore and, having reached a small grassy ridge (yellow marker), continue towards a small fork on the right, beyond which, climb up a steep and very exposed slope to a broader shoulder where you head towards a small rocky chimney (yellow marker) that leads to an antecedent of Mont Rena. From here, in order to reach the summit of Mont Rena, we must leave the track of the path that continues straight ahead and go down the right-hand side (very exposed) looking for the best passage between various ledges to arrive at a small depression of grass and rocks from where we can see the main summit in front of us. To reach it, keep to the right (there is an overhang in front of you) and walk until you reach the best point to climb the final small rocks: in this section there are no difficulties but only a few short passages over rocks. In a short time, you reach the panoramic little summit cairn, from where you have a stupendous view of the nearby Dame de Challand and further away of the Rosa, Combin, Bianco and Gran Paradiso groups. To descend, head south along the left-hand side of the ridge that reaches a wide shoulder below, on which you can see the traces of the path, abandoned earlier to climb Mont Rena, walking along a steep grassy ridge and crossing a group of small rocks. The path now goes around the slopes of Mont Taf to the left and reaches a wide shoulder from which, after having crossed a small plateau, it descends to the right (stone cairn), crossing a vast landslide zone of large boulders guided by numerous and evident yellow bolts that lead to a large sloping slab that can already be seen from above. From this col, we turn right and, passing through a section protected by a handrail and a metal rope, begin the descent, very steep at first and then gradually gentler, towards the Frudière pass where there is a high stone cairn. Now, once the difficulties are over, you reach the shores of the upper Frudière lake, which you circumvent on the right and then descend to the lower lake, which you also circumvent on the right and reach the crossroads marked by a marker on a stone indicating that you should continue to the left, leaving the old path closed to the right due to the danger of landslides. Climb up into the wood halfway up the slope and then descend again to the stream, which you cross on a small bridge, and then the last ascent to the crest between Pointe de Garda and Punta della Regina, from where you descend to the Fênetre mountain pasture and from here rejoin the outward itinerary.