Salza Pass (2882m), trail 6B

from Adler’s Nest to Salza Pass via Orestes Hut

The Salza Hill

Trail 6B starts from the Adler’s Nest and goes to the Salza Pass (2882m) via the Orestes Hutte. It is 4327m long and the total positive elevation gain is 539m.
The approximate time for the climb is 1h57. The trail is rated of difficulty E.

Arturo and Oreste Squinobal

Salza Col can also be reached from Stafal, following trail 7C.

From the Salza Pass you can continue to Alta Luce (via trail 7c), or to the Città Di Mantova refuge (via trail 6A).

Trail 6B passes through the beautiful refuge Orestes Hütte, dedicated to the memory of Oreste Squinobal who, with his brother Arturo, formed a pair that constitutes the spearhead of Gressonese mountaineering accomplishing memorable feats in European and Himalayan mountains. I recommend that everyone read the Maria Teresa Cometto’s beautiful book, “Two Highlanders.”.

The shelter, in which it is possible to stay overnight, was built directly by the Squinobal family, and only vegan food is eaten there: read the appropriate in-depth page of the dedicated website to learn details about how environmentally sustainable the shelter is.

The trail does not present the slightest technical difficulty. Note that the Salza Pass can also be reached from the Gabiet by directly following trail 6A, which, however, does not pass through the Orestes Hut.

More information on level of difficulty, ascent times, maps and GPX tracks

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From Adler's nest, looking toward the Del Ponte Hotel.

The bridge over the Endrebach stream from the top of trail 6A/6B

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

The plateau next to the dam, above is a glimpse of the Orestes Hut

The small bridge over the water reservoir behind the Orestes Hut rigugio

Walloon towards Indren Glacier, top right Stolemberg

The junction where trail 6B coming from the Orestes Hut rejoins trail 6A for a stretch

On the way up to the Salza Pass, the Orestes Hut is behind the mound in the center left

Traverse up along the left flank, you can see the roof of the Orestes Hut

The marshy plateau, in summer filled with eriophores

At this junction, trail 6B continues straight in the direction of the Salza pass, 6A continues to the right in the direction of the Mantua refuge

Climbing up to the Salza Pass, the last climb.

From the Salza Pass toward the valley we have just traveled, over there is Stafal

1. Start and finish

Trail 6B officially starts from Adler’s Nest Shelter, the elevation is 2341m.
See on Google Maps.

Latitudine e longitudine (WGS84 - EPSG 4326): 45.8572184107, 7.84677011066

The arrival location is the Salza Hill . The altitude is 2880m.
See on Google Maps.

Latitudine e longitudine (WGS84 - EPSG 4326): 45.8787236898, 7.83818106107

2. The route

After parking in Stafal, take the Stafal-Gabiet gondola lift, which goes up to the right to Lake Gabiet(here for information on schedule and fares).

At Lake Gabiet, go up the dirt road for a very short distance until you reach Adler’s Nest (formerly Refuge du Lys): follow the signs for Trail 6A or 6B, two trails that are shared for a long stretch.

The marker at Adler’s Nest

Go up a few dozen meters along a marked dirt path until you reach below Albergo Del Ponte, where you take a left across the ski slope. Continue along a wide dirt road until you reach a nice little stone bridge that crosses the Endrebach stream .

The bridge over the Endrebach stream from the top of trail 6A/6B

Shortly after the bridge, the 6A/6B trail we are on is joined from the left by trail 7B, which climbs from Stafal. From here on, the trail is shared between 6A, 6B and 7B .

The trail passes a small rocky rise, and reaches a small dam at 2511m.

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

Before arriving near the dam there is a junction: on the left continue trails 6A (direct to Colle Salza and then to the Città di Mantova refuge) and 7B (direct to Blue Lake and Punta Telcio). To the right, however, continue along Trail 6B. Beyond the dam the path widens into a dirt road, crossing a plateau above which the Orestes Hut can be seen.

The plateau next to the dam, above is a glimpse of the Orestes Hut

The photo above shows the relief along which the trail climbs. Past this step you finally reach the “Oreste’s hut” (2600m).

The Orestes Hütte

The trail continues by turning behind the hut to the right, passing over a small bridge that skirts a second water reservoir. After going around a wide curve to the left, the trail finally rejoins 6A at a new fork with trail markers.

The junction where trail 6B rejoins trail 6A for a stretch

Continue uphill, skirting a wide esplanade on the left, furrowed by the thousands of rivulets flowing down from the Indren glacier, above which towers the Stolemberg (3190m).

Walloon towards Indren Glacier, top right Stolemberg

The path ascends, passes along the left side of the slope…

It goes up traverse along the left flank

… past a small marshy plateau that often in the summer is home to a veritable multitude of eriophorus…

Eriophores on the banks of the marsh.

…and comes to a further junction with trail markers, at which trail 6A splits off and continues to the right, in the direction of the Città di Mantova refuge. Instead, 6B proceeds straight ahead, toward the Salza pass: in the photo below, the pass is up there where you can see the sky.

At this junction, trail 6B continues straight in the direction of Salza Hill, trail 6A continues to the right in the direction of Mantua refuge

This is the last climb, along a very stony slope furrowed by several rivulets of water, which softens at the end and leads to Colle Salza(2882m).

The Salza Hill

Below is a 3d aerial view, in which the highlights of the last part of the route are highlighted.

3. The GPX track

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

Download the trail in GPX format

4. A recent hike

24/08/2020

I do not pass by the Orestes Hut very often, because I normally go to the Salza Pass directly via 6A.

That day I passed by this refuge on my way back from Alta Luce.

Paths traveled:

I climbed from Gabiet directly up to Colle Salza via trail 6A (although actually the last piece, from the last 6A/6B junction to Colle Salza, is technically trail 6B since at the junction 6A, which does not reach Colle Salza, veers to the right to the Mantova refuge)
From the Salza Pass to Alta Luce, I rode the 7C trail (click here for more information)
on the return from the Salza Pass I went back to Gabiet following trail 6B (and thus passing this time through the refuge)

It was a rather cloudy day (so much so that at High Light I could hardly see the glacier below), a day that then got even worse in the afternoon. I could not enter the shelter because, during Covid period, the entrance was reserved only for those who had made reservations.

I realize, looking at the path below that after junction 6A/6B, going to the hut, I did not follow the path perfectly. I must have pointed directly toward the refuge, cutting along the wide meadow.