Grand Tournalin Refuge, from the Frachey car park

Introduction

A fairly popular excursion, especially with ski mountaineers, which, especially in the upper part, has a magnificent panorama of the 4,000 metres of the Val d'Ayas and Gressoney, while at the refuge the panorama is restricted to the Becca di Nana and the Becca Trécare.

Description

Leaving your car at the Saint-Jacques car park, you enter the hamlet and pass, immediately to the left, a small bridge crossing the Evançon stream. Immediately afterwards, there is a signpost indicating the start of the itinerary, which climbs immediately with a good gradient, passes a couple of mountain huts and reaches the small hamlet of Peio. From here, climb left into the larch woods to Drole, located on a beautiful panoramic terrace, and after crossing another strip of woodland, you reach the Croues alpine pasture (1870 m, 0h40'). You still enter the wood towards the left of the alpine pasture and, climbing steeply, come out on a road between the two mountain pastures; after following it for a few metres and crossing a bridge over the Nana stream, start climbing again on the right (there are usually tracks) to reach the alpe di Nana bassa (2030 m, 1h15'), which offers a fine panorama of the Monte Rosa group from Roccia Nera and Polluce to Punta Gnifetti (on a clear day, the outline of the Capanna Margherita is clearly visible) and Corno Nero.
One climbs up on the orographic left towards Becca di Nana halfway up the slope, passing a hollow where other constructions rise up and, after a few small promontories, one reaches Alpe di Nana alta and, about ten minutes later, Alpe Tournalin inferiore (2224 m, 2h00'). Continue halfway up the slope on the orographic left of the valley and, coming almost to its end, on the right you can see the upper Tournalin alpine pasture and, just above it, the hut, which can be reached from here in a few minutes.
The return is by the same route as the outward journey (2h00').

Wanting to avoid the initial steep section, but extend the time a little, you can climb up from the car park to the hamlet of Blanchard and, again on the left after crossing the Evançon stream, the dirt road begins, which then leads above the forest of the Croues alpine pasture.