Pain de Sucre, from Baou

Access

Leave the motorway at the Aosta Est barrier, turn right and take the [E27] dual carriageway to follow for 8.4 kilometres. Arrive in Signayes and continue straight on the main road, passing the villages of Gignod, Etroubles and Saint-Oyen, until you reach, after 24.5 kilometres, the junction for the Colle del Gran San Bernardo. Turn right and drive up the road for another 12.6 kilometres until you reach the Baou alpine pasture and its free car park 🅿️. The car park is reserved for customers of the refreshment point and is usually very crowded: it is advisable to arrive early to avoid difficulties in finding parking at the pass.

[0h43'] - [37.10km]
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The starting point of the itinerary is not accessible by public transport.

The information provided has been carefully checked as of the date the itinerary was taken. However, you are strongly advised to check any changes that may have occurred since then, especially regarding the access route to the starting point. Before embarking on your journey, it is advisable to consult up-to-date navigation tools for accurate and up-to-date directions. We recommend the use of satellite navigation apps, such as Google Maps or Apple Maps, to ensure the most accurate and safe routing.

Introduction

Short and fun climb to combine with the more scenic Mont Fourchon. An elegant mountain when viewed from the main road up to the Great St Bernard Pass, unfairly judged to be 'a pile of stones' by those who climb up to Fourchon. 

Description

Short and fun climb to combine with the more panoramic Mont Fourchon. An elegant mountain when seen from the state road up to the Gran San Bernardo, unfairly judged to be 'a pile of stones' by those who climb to Fourchon. From the car park, you reach Alpe Baou (2364m). After the alpine pasture, follow the path up to Col Fenetre, on the right you can admire the climbers' evolutions on a wall equipped as a climbing wall. The path crosses a stream and reaches the wide valley that climbs to the pass. The path then bends sharply to the left and leads, without any obligatory path, between gullies and detrital slopes, to the depression between the Pain de Sucre and Mont Fourchon, upon reaching which one can admire the Gran Golliaz and the Aiguille de Leisasse. From here, the summit of Fourchon is reached in a few minutes. For the Pain, head left and descend to a col just below the summit. A track climbs among the scree up the NW slope and allows you to reach the ridge at a large cairn. Follow it with a pleasant walk between boulders to the summit.