Rifugio Benevolo, from Pellaud

Access

Leaving the motorway at the Saint-Pierre (Aosta West) exit, continue in the direction of Courmayeur. After passing Saint-Pierre you reach Villeneuve, where you meet the junction for Val di Rhêmes. Follow the Val di Rhêmes regional road, passing the municipalities of Introd, Rhêmes-Saint-Georges and Rhêmes-Notre-Dame: from the latter, continue for a few kilometres until reaching the village of Pellaud, where road cleaning normally ends in winter. There is ample parking along the road.

Introduction

Winter route to be travelled in low avalanche risk conditions.

Description

From Pellaud, continue along the little road that leads to Thumel, skirting the Doire de Rhêmes after a few minutes. After about 20 minutes' walk, you reach the summer car park that precedes Thumel (1868m, 0h20') and from here you climb a short distance until you reach the turnoff for the village of Thumel (1908m, 0h25') located a few hundred metres to the left: ignore the diversions and continue on to a modern alpine pasture. From here starts the path (13) that climbs under some rocks passing near a small oratory; in a few minutes' ascent you reach the Casotto dei Guardia Parco (there are explanatory panels in front of it). After casting a glance at the characteristic little church of Fos, we continue passing under some rocks until we come to a wide terrace; from here we continue on the level until we descend the bed of the Torrent de Barmaverein. Having crossed the torrent, we continue along the summer path that climbs halfway up the ridge until we reach the ruins of Barmaverain (2037m, 1h00'). After enjoying a splendid view of the Granta Parei, we head towards a short snowy slope that runs alongside the gorges formed by the Doire di Rhêmes; once past this, we once again find ourselves on an almost flat stretch that soon takes us to the intake works of the Thumel hydroelectric power station (2095m, 1h30').
The route continues slightly uphill as the hut slowly appears; cross the Doire de Rhêmes and continue on the orographic right halfway up the slope until reaching the plateau below the hut. By now the goal is near, after having followed a long straight track you enter a small valley and in a short time you reach the Benevolo Refuge (2285 m, 2h00').
From the refuge the view is splendid: from the distant Punta Basei and Punta Galisia, to the imposing mass of the Granta Parei in its exciting winter guise.
The return is along the same route as the outward journey (1h00').