Tête de Liconi, 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

Splendid excursion to the Testa di Liconi. The route overall is long, but the arrival at Bivacco Pascal and the summit (just a stone's throw away) provides important visual thrills. Not satisfied with the splendid ascent, we descended on the south slope to Dialley: all in all, a good hike ;)

Description

Leaving the car behind, take a small farm track that starts near the signposts and soon reaches the renovated houses of Belle Crête (1681m, 0h02'). From here, proceed for a short descent, meet the fork to the left for Morgex, trail : not to be missed, and reach a small bridge that crosses the Planaval stream; from here, climb briefly until reaching the lovely renovated farmhouse of Piginière (1630m, 0h10'). We continue up a short incline and then proceed through the forest until we come to the junction with path 20 coming from Planaval (1661m, 0h15'): we continue to the left with a series of ups and downs in the cool spruce forest, slowly entering the valley of Chambave. As you proceed towards the interior of the valley, you begin to climb on a narrow path with some exposed sections and the pleasant crossing of a few small waterfalls (be careful not to slip). Continue along the orographic right of the valley and, after leaving the forest, you will reach the junction for the path (20) that leads to the Colle Battaglione Aosta: ignore it and you will soon reach the ford on the Torrent de Chambave (1853m, 1h00'); cross the torrent (be careful in the middle of the day when there is a lot of water) and continue along the orographic left-hand side, following the profile of the relief halfway up. After a few minutes, you reach a large mountain pasture, Capanna Chambave, which offers the strange impression of a razed village. After the alpine pasture, we continue on an almost flat path across a grassy ridge until we reach the farm road that will accompany the hiker to the village of Licony (1878m, 1h30'). This village made up of alpine pastures has the peculiarity of having a small chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes built in a small cave. Shortly before the village, you will come across a signpost with directions to the bivouac, turn right and start to climb up the valley that leads to the lake. After following a straight agricultural track, cross the stream at a water intake and then continue on a grassy knoll that soon reaches the beginning of a partially grassy debris cone. Continue along the beautiful path that begins to make a long series of small turns to cross the step on which the lake rests. The climb ends and we reach the beautiful Licony Lake (2555m, 3h00') nestled between steep walls and gentle pastures.
From the lake, continue to the right, climbing gently up the green pastures halfway up the mountainside until reaching Arp de Licony (2662m, 3h20'), a classic alpine pasture with an elongated shape, and finally, after a cut halfway up the mountainside, reach Col de Licony (2674m, 3h40'): from the pass, the view of the Mont Blanc chain is truly incomparable.
From the pass, we set off again towards our final destination; after an initial stretch halfway up a grassy slope that soon gives way to the detrital environment of the high mountains. Go past a rocky strip following yellow bolts and cairns until you reach a small meltwater pond: go around it on the right (be sure to turn around to enjoy the view of the pond and the Grandes Jorasses). Finally, go up the last stretch to the collar that forms the border between La Salle and Morgex: turn right up the short ridge and finally arrive at Bivacco Pascal (2920m, 4h15').
The descent is along the same route as the ascent (2h30').

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