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Punta Telcio (2833m), trail 7B

Stafal to Punta Telcio

Punta Telcio with characteristic avalanche guards

Punta Telcio with characteristic avalanche guards

Trail 7B starts from Stafal and arrives at Punta Telcio (2833m). It is 8361m long and the total positive elevation gain is 1139m.
The approximate time for the ascent is 3h27. The trail is classified as EE difficulty.

Punta Telcio is the mountain that is impossible not to have seen, because every time you look from Gressoney-Saint-Jean towards Monte Rosa, Punta Telcio is right there, in front to the right: it is the one with the obvious rows of avalanche barriers. From the valley floor, in the presence of the giants towering behind, it looks like an insignificant hillock. It is actually a very respectable mountain, in a location that offers excellent views of Rosa (of course), Lys Springs, and Stafal.

Trail 7B first passes Blue Lake/Bloabesee (2687m ) and then Green Lake/Griensee (2631m) . Blue Lake is a popular destination for families and Sunday hikers because it can be reached from the arrival of the Gabiet gondola in little time and effort. Almost no one continues on to Punta Telcio, so the trail from this point on is not as busy, and in some places the trail is not immediately obvious so you have to be able to “read” the terrain and identify waymarked marks to proceed to your destination (hence the EE difficulty assigned to the trail).

More information on level of difficulty, ascent times, maps and GPX tracks
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Open image in lightbox: Punta Telcio and its avalanche barrages as seen from Saint Jean Open image in lightbox: Punta Telcio and its avalanche barrages as seen from Saint Jean
The departure of 7A/7B from Stafal Open image in lightbox: The departure of 7A/7B from Stafal Open image in lightbox: The departure of 7A/7B from Stafal
The Chapel of San Grato Open image in lightbox: The Chapel of San Grato Open image in lightbox: The Chapel of San Grato
The detour on the initial dirt road Open image in lightbox: The detour on the initial dirt road Open image in lightbox: The detour on the initial dirt road
You go up the meadow until you reach the road visible above Open image in lightbox: You go up the meadow until you reach the road visible above Open image in lightbox: You go up the meadow until you reach the road visible above
The dirt road/ski slope Open image in lightbox: The dirt road/ski slope Open image in lightbox: The dirt road/ski slope
Turn left at the fork Open image in lightbox: Turn left at the fork Open image in lightbox: Turn left at the fork
The lodge with directions to trail 7B Open image in lightbox: The lodge with directions to trail 7B Open image in lightbox: The lodge with directions to trail 7B
Abandoning the trees, the trail climbs halfway up the hillside Open image in lightbox: Abandoning the trees, the trail climbs halfway up the hillside Open image in lightbox: Abandoning the trees, the trail climbs halfway up the hillside
The lodges of Welfsch Gaveno, 2453m Open image in lightbox: The lodges of Welfsch Gaveno, 2453m Open image in lightbox: The lodges of Welfsch Gaveno, 2453m
The lodges of Welfsch Gaveno, 2453m Open image in lightbox: The lodges of Welfsch Gaveno, 2453m Open image in lightbox: The lodges of Welfsch Gaveno, 2453m
The intersection with trail 6A Open image in lightbox: The intersection with trail 6A Open image in lightbox: The intersection with trail 6A
Open image in lightbox: Alpine Pulsatille near the bridge over the Endrebach stream Open image in lightbox: Alpine Pulsatille near the bridge over the Endrebach stream
Open image in lightbox: Pulsatilla Alpina near the bridge over the Endrebach stream Open image in lightbox: Pulsatilla Alpina near the bridge over the Endrebach stream
Waterfall on the Endrebach stream Open image in lightbox: Waterfall on the Endrebach stream Open image in lightbox: Waterfall on the Endrebach stream
Open image in lightbox: Trail 6A/6B/7B near the dam Open image in lightbox: Trail 6A/6B/7B near the dam
Open image in lightbox: The dam as seen from the top of trail 7B, the trail comes to it from the right Open image in lightbox: The dam as seen from the top of trail 7B, the trail comes to it from the right
Open image in lightbox: The junction between trail 6A and 7B Open image in lightbox: The junction between trail 6A and 7B
Open image in lightbox: Descending from Blue Lake Open image in lightbox: Descending from Blue Lake
Open image in lightbox: The last section of 7B before Blue Lake as seen from Blue Lake Open image in lightbox: The last section of 7B before Blue Lake as seen from Blue Lake
Open image in lightbox: A first rooster is found near the anonymous pond Open image in lightbox: A first rooster is found near the anonymous pond
Open image in lightbox: Anonymous pond, not to be confused with Blue Lake Open image in lightbox: Anonymous pond, not to be confused with Blue Lake
Open image in lightbox: The Blue Lake Open image in lightbox: The Blue Lake
Open image in lightbox: Blue Lake and Pyramid Vincent (from drone) Open image in lightbox: Blue Lake and Pyramid Vincent (from drone)
Open image in lightbox: Lake Gabiet (from drone to Blue Lake) Open image in lightbox: Lake Gabiet (from drone to Blue Lake)
Open image in lightbox: Stolemberg, Salt Pass, Rothore, Punta Straling (from drone) Open image in lightbox: Stolemberg, Salt Pass, Rothore, Punta Straling (from drone)
Open image in lightbox: Green Lake, as seen from the Blue Lake elevation Open image in lightbox: Green Lake, as seen from the Blue Lake elevation
Open image in lightbox: The ridge with Punta Telcio: to the right, the col which is reached from the traverse Open image in lightbox: The ridge with Punta Telcio: to the right, the col which is reached from the traverse
Open image in lightbox: Alta Luce and Salza pass as seen from the pass for Punta Telcio Open image in lightbox: Alta Luce and Salza pass as seen from the pass for Punta Telcio
Open image in lightbox: The cairn of Punta Telcio and his cockerel Open image in lightbox: The cairn of Punta Telcio and his cockerel
Open image in lightbox: The cockerel of Punta Telcio Open image in lightbox: The cockerel of Punta Telcio
Open image in lightbox: Punta Telcio, in the background Alta Luce Open image in lightbox: Punta Telcio, in the background Alta Luce
Open image in lightbox: From Punta Telcio zoom in on Lake Gabiet and Seehòre/Punta Gabiet Open image in lightbox: From Punta Telcio zoom in on Lake Gabiet and Seehòre/Punta Gabiet
Open image in lightbox: Stafal view from Punta Telcio Open image in lightbox: Stafal view from Punta Telcio
Open image in lightbox: Overview from Punta Telcio northward Open image in lightbox: Overview from Punta Telcio northward
Open image in lightbox: The headwaters of the Lys from Punta Telcio Open image in lightbox: The headwaters of the Lys from Punta Telcio
Open image in lightbox: From Punta Telcio looking at the stony traverse along which you arrive Open image in lightbox: From Punta Telcio looking at the stony traverse along which you arrive
Open image in lightbox: Overview from Punta Telcio southward Open image in lightbox: Overview from Punta Telcio southward

1. Start and finish

Trail 7B starts from Stafal, the elevation is 1824m.
See on Google Maps.

Latitudine e longitudine (WGS84 - EPSG 4326): 45.8598466868, 7.81251405414

The arrival location is Punta Telcio. The altitude is 2833.
See on Google Maps.

Latitudine e longitudine (WGS84 - EPSG 4326): 45.8704659427, 7.82369064106

2. The route

Trail 7B starts from Stafal, just before the grocery store, see photo from Google Street View:

The departure of 7B from Stafal

The departure of 7B from Stafal

Shortly after the start, a sign indicates a detour for the trail to the right: walk a short distance on level ground until you reach the wonderful chapel of San Grato, built in 1643, a virtually unknown jewel, hidden by a house that stands right in front.

The Chapel of San Grato

The Chapel of San Grato

You reach the paved road and cross it, following the yellow marker post that invites you to climb along a dirt road. After a few dozen meters you can see signs on the left inviting you to climb to the right.

The detour on the initial dirt road

The detour on the initial dirt road

It climbs up a steep meadow with several turns until it reaches a wide dirt road, which in winter is part of the return ski slope to Staffal.

You go up the meadow until you reach the road visible above

You go up the meadow until you reach the road visible above

Continue along the dirt road for about two hundred meters: at a fork follow signs for trail 7A and 7B uphill true left.

Turn left at the fork

Turn left at the fork

The signs for Trail 7A are left out: after about center meters, an uninhabited hut is reached, with signs for Trail 7B clearly visible next to it.

The lodge with directions to trail 7B

The lodge with directions to trail 7B

From here it starts to get serious. The trail climbs to the left of the hut, initially along the ridge (passing by other ruins), then moving to the center of the small valley on the left, until it passes the area of trees.

Abandoning the trees, the trail climbs halfway up the hillside

Abandoning the trees, the trail climbs halfway up the hillside

Once the trees are over (about 2140m), the trail continues at a gentler slope, skirting a rocky front on the left. One passes two rocky steps and, circling around the shoulder of the relief, finally comes to see the esplanade where the beautiful huts of Welfsch Gaveno (2643m) stand.

The lodges of Welfsch Gaveno, 2453m

The lodges of Welfsch Gaveno, 2453m

You reach the huts by following the trail, which at times is not very clear, passing them always continuing almost level, until you cross trail 6A coming from the right.

The intersection with trail 6A

The intersection with trail 6A

After passing a small and picturesque waterfall…

Waterfall on the Endrebach stream

Waterfall on the Endrebach stream

…The trail continues for a flat section until it reaches at 2511m a small dam that bars a small artificial lake.

The dam as seen from the top of trail 7B, the trail comes to it from the right

The dam as seen from the top of trail 7B, the trail comes to it from the right

At the dam, the trail forks: 6B continues straight to the Orestes Hutte, we abandon it and continue on 6A/7B to the left. A little further on is another fork in the road: trail 6A, which we are following, goes straight ahead, toward the Mantova refuge. We again take the road to the left, along 7B, now no longer shared with other trails.

The junction between trail 6A and 7B

The junction between trail 6A and 7B

As soon as you take the left fork you will find a first unnamed pond (no, this is not Blue Lake): until 2020 on a boulder was a small wooden rooster, the homologue of the one we will find on the cairn at the top of Punta Telcio.

A first rooster is found near the anonymous pond

A first rooster is found near the anonymous pond

You contour around the pond on the left and follow the trail, which soon leads up a steep gully to Blue Lake (2687m) . On clear days the Vincent Pyramid is reflected there.

The Blue Lake

The Blue Lake

At this point, trail 7B, to reach Punta Telcio (which is about a kilometer as the crow flies west), would dictate momentarily lowering in elevation toward Green Lake (2634m) and then resuming climbing.

Green Lake, as seen from the Blue Lake elevation

Green Lake, as seen from the Blue Lake elevation

Instead, when I go to Punta Telcio, I always prefer to continue along Blue Lake, pointing west and climbing, never losing altitude. There are faint traces of an unnamed trail that you can follow until, at an elevation of about 2740 meters, you rejoin trail 7B coming in from the left. At this point Punta Telcio is finally visible in the distance.

The ridge with Punta Telcio: to the right, the col which is reached from the traverse

The ridge with Punta Telcio: to the right, the col which is reached from the traverse

The trail at this point turns to the northeast, traversing a long stony traverse (annoying because it is quite uneven), until it reaches the final ridge on a small pass at 2769 meters where you can finally cast an eye across, along the Salza pass, beyond which Alta Luce stands out.

Alta Luce from the pass for Punta Telcio

Alta Luce from the pass for Punta Telcio

Once the pass is reached, Punta Telcio and the cockerel on the summit cairn are quickly reached by climbing the simple grassy ridge, staying to the left (to the right the mountain drops steeply).

Overview from Punta Telcio northward

Overview from Punta Telcio northward

From the summit you can’t see (thankfully) the avalanche barriers; on the other hand, you’re really spoiled for choice: the 4000-meter peaks of Monte Rosa, the sources of the Lys, Testa Grigia, the Rothorn, Punta di Netscio, Punta Ciampono, Mont Nery, Stafal: on clear days everything is perfectly visible, thanks to the very central location of this, unfortunately, rather underrated peak.

Overview from Punta Telcio southward

Overview from Punta Telcio southward

In this 3D image the highlights of the last section of the route:

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1

Trail 7B ascends from here

2

The Blue Lake (2687m)

3

Trail 7B descends from Blue Lake to Green Lake (2634m) and then turns toward Punta Telcio. You can also continue from Blue Lake directly to Punta Telcio, without going down to Green Lake first

4

If you followed trail 7B down to Green Lake, the trail continues in this direction

5

Instead of following trail 7B and descending to Green Lake, you can continue from Blue Lake directly in the direction of Punta Telcio by following the unnamed trail marks

6

At about this point the 7B trail coming from Green Lake meets up again.

7

Here trail 7B traverses a stony, slightly downhill traverse that leads to the collar on the final ridge

8

Trail 7B, after traversing the traverse, reaches this knoll and then climbs the ridge to the left, toward the summit of Punta Telcio

9

Punta Telcio (2833m)

10

This straight line is due to a problem with my GPS

3. The GPX track

This is the map of the trail, according to the SCT Trail Cadastre of the Aosta Valley.

Download the trail in GPX format

4. A recent hike

12/09/2021

I started from Stafal along the 7/7C trail, went up the Salza valley, reached the Salza pass and from there theAlta Luce. Then I descended with trail 6A to the junction with 7B, climbed to Blue Lake and from there to Punta Telcio. I then descended back to Blue Lake, returned to Gabiet and from Gabiet returned to Stafal by descending trail 7A. A nice gallop, graced by a wonderful time: starting very early, I managed to arrive on Alta Luce before several clouds thickened over Rosa, thus managing to take some good photos.

Note that shortly after taking 7C, at the beginning of the Salza valley I encountered a group of hunters stationed like cougars pointing at a distant chamois. I was lent the binoculars to see it, but I absolutely could not distinguish it, camouflaged as it was in the slope. I walked away hoping never to hear the gunshot, which fortunately never came.

Halfway up the Salza valley I passed a large group of ibex. No other animals spotted during the day.

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2022 - Gressoney Hikes - info@gressoneyhikes.com - privacy policy - sitemap
Link to: Adler’s Nest refuge (2365m), trail 7A Link to: Adler’s Nest refuge (2365m), trail 7A Adler’s Nest refuge (2365m), trail 7AAdler's Nest refuge Link to: Alta Luce/Hochliecht (3184m), trail 7C Link to: Alta Luce/Hochliecht (3184m), trail 7C Alta Luce/Hochliecht (3184m), trail 7C
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