Testa Grigia (3315m), trail 10C

from Gressoney-La-Trinité to Testa Grigia

The summit, in the background the Matterhorn

Trail 10C starts in Gressoney-La-Trinité and arrives at Testa Grigia (3315m). It is 5854m long and the total positive elevation gain is 1689m.
The approximate time for the ascent is 5h02. The trail is classified as being of EEA difficulty.

The Testa Grigia (or Grauhaup or Grengo), is the quintessential mountain for all hikers in the area who dare not go beyond the glacier level. It is the highest peak of the two mountain ranges on either side of the Lys, reached directly from a trail with no extreme technical difficulties-a true dream.

The elevation gain to reach it is considerable, but it is still a popular peak, partly because those who reach it from Val D’Ayas can save about a thousand meters of elevation gain on the ascent by getting as far as Ostafa by cable car.

From the summit the view is of course majestic, over the entire Rosa massif, all the main mountain groups of the Lys valley and the Aosta Valley. It seems that on the clearest days you can even make out Lake Maggiore (a fortune that has not yet occurred to me).

10C is one of two trails that can be taken to reach the summit. Of the two, it is the one that is slightly shorter but steeper and, because of this, the least frequented. The other is Trail 6, which starts from Gressoney-Saint-Jean: less steep (and therefore longer), and definitely busier also because from the Pinter Pass onward people are added from Val D’Ayas.

The 10C climbs along the entire eastern slope of Testa Grigia, starting from the center of Gressoney-La-Trinité: initially in common with the trail 10 for the Piccolo Rothorn, separating from it just before reaching the hut of Hockene Stei and reaches the place where the bivouac built in 1965 named after Virgilio Cozzi (president of the Vigevano CAI, died in 1964) and destroyed years later by an avalanche. Now there is only a clearing with two benches, which survived the avalanche. From here we pass definitively over rocky terrain, ascending a rugged transverse valley that leads up to the collar between the Bivouac Lateltin and the ridge leading to the summit. From here on it is in common with trail 6.

The inauguration of the bivouac Lateltin

Article

The bivouac Lateltin

The bivouac Lateltin, which is located just below Punta Pinter (antecima of Testa Grigia), has a singular history: in 1950 carpenter Ulrico Lateltin from Gressoney-Saint-Jean, together with his father Floriano, began its construction, starting by transporting material to the area where it was to be built.

The project was interrupted due to difficulties in construction and the scarcity of means, but in 1983 that material was found by his nephew Augusto Linty, who had the idea to restart the construction of the bivouac (later inaugurated on August 4, 1984). It is currently owned by the CAI of Gressoney-La-Trinité. Opposite photo shows an August 1, 1984 La Stampa article announcing its imminent opening. In the bivouac (16 beds) you can stay overnight, provided you find a place (impossible to reserve): the cost is 3€ which can be paid afterwards by bank transfer. For more information contact the Gressoney CAI (+39 331 7893125, caigressoney@gmail.com).

Two final words about the technical difficulties: the trail is classified as EEA, which means there are equipped sections. There are three such stretches: the first is a trattto with a steel cable, which one must climb just before reaching the plateau where the remains of the Cozzi Bivouac stand. The other two are collected in the final section of the route, from the collar north of the bivouac Lateltin: a rocky step that one climbs by force of arms clinging to two iron chains, and a rocky gully that leads directly to the summit equipped with two steel cables, frankly not essential for progression (but very useful). Strongly recommended to wear gloves in sections with steel cables to avoid injury from some broken wires (usually always present) that are very sharp.

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

Photo Gallery

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Crossroad with the direction not to follow

Junction where you have to follow for "Ferrata"

You go up to the right of the avalanche barriers

The first step to overcome after the cable

The second step after the cable, beyond which is the former Cozzi Bivouac

The edge beyond which the gully opens to the ridge

Ascend in the direction of the gully beyond the visible upper edge

At the collar north of the Pinter sprouts the Rosa

From the bivouac clearing looking toward Saint Jean

From the bivouac clearing looking toward the Pinter Lakes.

The path leading to the top of Testa Grigia

The ledge to the east, below the last section

The last section equipped with steel cables

From the summit looking toward Mount Pinter

Overview looking northeast from the summit

Looking northward, the plateau at the base of Rothorn and Piccolo Rothorn

Zoom in on Mount Sarezza from the summit

Zoom in on the Matterhorn from the summit

1. Start and finish

Trail 10C starts from Gressoney-La-Trinité, the elevation is 1665m.
See on Google Maps.

Latitudine e longitudine (WGS84 - EPSG 4326): 45.827032875, 7.82230143107

The arrival location is Testa Grigia. The altitude is 3315m.
See on Google Maps.

Latitudine e longitudine (WGS84 - EPSG 4326): 45.8308176433, 7.78660850883

From Google Maps: the yellow marker post in front of the white chapel

The trail starts a short distance away, in front of the small white chapel: look for the usual yellow waymark.

From Google maps: the bridge and the parking lot

When you reach La-Trinité, turn left at the bridge over the Lys, which is almost at the end of the children’s playground. You can already park, the start is very close.

2. The route

As soon as we leave civilization, the trail starts cheerfully steep to remind us that the Gressoney valley is for real walkers…
Some forks will be encountered in the initial part of the route. Immediately after the start we meet a first fork with waymarks: to the right we go to“Dem Bino Alpelte” (WE trail), we go up to the left.

Junction with the detour not to follow

After that you meet a second fork indicated by two signs placed on the ground: left… it says neinte, instead you have to take a right towards the“Ferrata” (which you will never see).

Crossroads at which one must follow the direction

Junction at which you must follow the direction “Ferrata”

Then you meet a third waymarked fork, at about 1870m, with the very short trail 11 to Bodma: continue along 10 to the right.

Junction of trail 11 and trail 10 and 10C

You reach a cliff face, turn right and climb steadily northward until you exit the forest (at about 2100m), and pass the infamous valley step at about 2200m. From here the slope of the trail softens slightly, and there is nothing left to do but enjoy it. At 2238m, after passing a couple of streams that cut across the trail, you will come to a wooden sign indicating the point where trail 10C breaks off from 10, continuing left toward the summit of Testa Grigia. We obviously take the left turn.

The crossroads between 10 and 10C

The trail climbs the wide slope above, always staying to the right of a series of powerful avalanche barriers.

The trail climbs to the right of the barriers

Past this first slope, the trail turns left/west. At about 2517m, a rock passage facilitated by a steel cable is encountered. It is not very short, but the place is not particularly exposed, so all you need is steady hands and you get through it without any particular worries.

The passage on steel cable from below

In this video the cable-equipped point, taken from the starting area.

Past this cable passage, the trail continues to climb ever westward. One still passes a couple of mostly grassy steps.

The first step “after the cable”

The trail is always very sharp and clearly visible.

The second step “after the cable”

Above the rock step visible in the previous photo appears a new plateau, at about 2690m, where is the clearing on which stood the bivouac Virgilio Cozzi, built in 1965 and named after the president of the Vigevano CAI who died in 1964. The bivouac was destroyed by an avalanche about 20 years later. The benches survived.

The clearing where the bivouac Cozzi stood

Here are two vintage photos of the Cozzi Bivouac.

The Cozzi Bivouac in two vintage photos

Behind the bivouac Cozzi a new wooden sign indicates the direction to follow: the trail enters the final part, which will be on completely rocky terrain. You cross over an area furrowed by the beds of two streams, past a couple of low rocky ledges, and leave the grass to finally switch to rock.

The transition from grass to rock after the bivouac Cozzi

The trail climbs the scree that can be seen in the previous photo to reach the gully whose edge can be glimpsed at the top. This gully ascends to the right, until we reach near the pass on the ridge that will rejoin trail 6, which comes to you from the western side of the mountain.

The edge of the gully leading toward the final ridge

The trail is fairly well marked up to this point….

The mouth of the gully leading toward the ridge

…but you will encounter a couple of sections on rather large rocks, where between vignettes it will not be so obvious to see where the trail passes. Be careful not to go astray: if you do not see the next vignette for a long time, go back to the previous one and sharpen your eyesight (as usual, it is highly recommended to carry a GPX track and use it often to check your position).

A section on rather large rocks

The climb continues. In the next photo, you can see how the final section is completely rocky (but much less crumbly than the similar trail on Trail 6).

You arrive at the end of the gully to ascend, at 3100m, to the collar on the final ridge, the junction point with trail 6, which, from here to the summit, is in common with 10c.

The collar where the Pink comes back up.

South of this collar (i.e., to the left, as soon as you arrive on the collar from 10C) the trail heads to the Pinter bivouac, which is less than a five-minute walk away (and is certainly worth a visit, perhaps on the way back, because you can enjoy an exceptional view of Gressoney-Saint-Jean there). Looking northwest, however, the ridge leading toward the summit of Testa Grigia appears clear.

The path leading to the top of Testa Grigia

The trail continues to be excellently marked. You climb up a first rocky step, which you can either easily climb over on the right (the markers seem to indicate that is the only direction) or contour walk to the left, following existing tracks. You continue without any particular problems until the only point where you have to hoist yourself up by force of arms: it is the very short passage shown in the photo below; there is a rope and chains that make the passage approachable (the descent is less easy).

The point equipped with chains

Past this point, a second topical passage awaits us: a practically horizontal trending ledge that passes to the east of the mountain’s final ridge. On the right side of the ledge the slope is quite precipitous, but not particularly vertiginous: just stick to the wall on the left and, possibly, don’t trip…

The ledge to the east, below the last section

In this photo the ledge is framed looking south along the switchback.

The ledge to the east, framed along the switchback

Having finished the ledge, the trail turns left, climbing vertically toward the now-visible summit along a rocky gully where progression is facilitated by two steel cables (strongly recommended to use gloves to avoid injury from some slippery wires).

The last section equipped with steel cables

Having passed the gully, we finally reached the summit of Testa Grigia (3311m).

The summit, in the background the Matterhorn

The view is unparalleled. Matterhorn, Rosa, Bianco, Gran Paradiso, with binoculars or a good telephoto lens you can see all the refuges on Rosa (Mantova, Quintino Sella, Gnifetti, Margherita, Guide di Ayas…).

Overview towards the Ayas valley

Toward the north appears the plateau at the foot of Rothorn and Piccolo Rothorn

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