On foot · Aosta Valley, Italy · July 2026
Lago d'Arpy and the Colle della Croce
Day one of the Transalpine: above La Thuile, a loop through the larches to a little lake we imagined to be unknown, then a pass with Mont Blanc opposite.
- Date
- July 2026
- Lake
- Lago d'Arpy · 2,066 m
- Start
- Colle San Carlo
The route · indicative
The climb
A gem among the larches
From the Colle San Carlo, the path runs through a fragrant larch forest, between pink fireweed and, through the branches, the first glaciers of Mont Blanc. An unknown lake, we thought. Not at all: we are far from alone, and frankly, you can see why.
Lago d'Arpy appears all at once, water-green, ringed with larches and overlooked by pale rock ridges. A real gem, and we fall for it on the spot. We start by walking all the way round, from one flowery shore to the other.
The pass
Mont Blanc and the Grandes Jorasses
After the lake, a short climb to the Colle della Croce. From the top, the view plunges down to La Thuile, and opposite the whole massif lines up: Courmayeur, Mont Blanc, the Grandes Jorasses.
The descent passes back above the lake, a tiny green spot at the bottom of its cirque, then dives into the larches again. What better way to start a journey? We are in our element.
