Tsamosentse, from Buisson

Access

From the Châtillon-St.Vincent motorway exit, follow the signs for Cervinia until you reach the departure station of the Buisson Chamois cable car after just over 13 km.
Turn right onto the communal road for Nuarsaz, then continue for 1.2 km, passing the village and the perimeter fence of the Cervino campsite until you reach the start of the straight stretch where you will see a farmhouse leaning against a boulder on the right. Park your car on the side of the road at the beginning of the straight stretch, near a patch of trees separating the two meadows that flank the road.

Introduction

A pleasant, short walk to discover one of the curiosities of Valtournenche. Mirko Cianci and Francesco Prinetti have dedicated an entire book to these graffiti made by shepherds over the last two centuries, in which they have analysed in great detail all the signs traced on the rock.

Description

Leaving the car behind, we ascend in the direction of the forest for a few dozen metres, following a thin track between the clump of trees and the meadow until we find the path. Skirting the pastureland, head northward with a few ups and downs. Walk in the shade of the trees in the direction of the rural house built against a boulder until you come to a barma, the agricultural shelter made by digging a storage room underneath a boulder that acts as a roof to which one or more drystone walls are added to close off the room from the weather. To the right is a track that climbs to the bottom of a hollow, heading towards a slightly overhanging rock face, speckled with black and white concretions, which is soon reached. A few steps to the left is the small step just over a metre high on which the graffiti are traced. The colour of the concretions on the rock face next to the graffiti is due to manganese oxides if black in colour or titanium-based minerals if white. The graffiti are traced on a very soft rock, be careful not to damage them unintentionally by walking on them.