Leretta Points

Introduction

This excursion takes place within the Monte Mars Nature Reserve and climbs to a panoramic peak that offers a beautiful view of the mountains of the lower Valle d'Aosta starting from the Champorcher valley, passing through the Gran Paradiso and up to the Emilius, and of course the nearby Dames di Challand and Monte Mars. The ascent itinerary proposed here does not follow the usual and more frequented one, which climbs from the north after circumventing the mountain, but follows the ridge and the west ridge and descends along the gully that leads directly to the Creux hut; the technical difficulties, being a little higher, require a good assessment of the snow conditions especially on the exposed traverse to gain the ridge and for the descent of the steep gully.

Description

From the car park, take the road with the no-trespassing sign and start to climb comfortably up the beaten track, arriving, just above, at a fork where you ignore the road that goes straight on with the "Nature Trail" sign and turn right. Walk gently uphill and, after a wide bend, you will reach the Vercosa huts, where there is also a signpost (1615 m). Enter the small valley, climbing, without too much slope, on the comfortable ridge to the left. Pass under some mountain huts and, after a few hairpin bends, take a straight line that arrives at a fork (1795 m) at which you turn right and, climbing up a little, you immediately reach the Leretta pastureland; just beyond the huts, on the left, there is a fork signposted with the snowshoe symbol (1821 m), turn left to cross a sparse wood and reach the beginning of the ridge, at first wide, that leads to the summit. Now the slope increases noticeably and a few wide hairpin bends are made to climb up the wide ridge following a few rare red-painted posts; as you gain height, the ridge narrows and you arrive below a small point that goes round to the left and marks the start of the ridge proper. Proceed along a traverse to the left, gaining the edge of the ridge with a short, somewhat steep tear and, as it is not very narrow, walk along it with a sure step, taking you under the final part that suddenly steepens and, with a few steep hairpin bends, you gain the panoramic summit. The descent can be made along the ridge that descends northwards, following the ski mountaineers' ascent tracks, or you can aim for the wide gully that descends directly from the summit towards the north-east: the descent on this side is advisable in fresh snow, always keeping to the centre of the small valley. Once you have covered the wide initial section, you come to a narrowing of the little valley where you must pay a little attention to some short steep sections, which however offer an entertaining and alternative route to reach the Creux huts below (1788 m). When you reach them, keep to the left and you will soon reach the track that, with a slight ascent, leads to the crossroads below the Leretta huts already found on the outward journey and from here you will return to the car along the same route.