High Route 1 — of the Giants

Donnas → Courmayeur (east → west)

130 km

8,500 m+

17 stages

12–14 days

There is a thread that stitches the Aosta Valley together from east to west, suspended between two and three thousand metres, always within sight of the great glaciers. It is the High Route 1, the 'Way of the Giants': a journey that starts from the vine-clad hills above Donnas and, stage after stage, leads to the foot of Mont Blanc, passing beneath Monte Rosa, the Matterhorn and the Grand Combin. It is not a race: it is a slow approach to the colossi of the Alps, one pass at a time.

High Route 1 runs along the orographic left side of the valley, the south-facing one that overlooks the border chain. It is a multi-stage route linking refuges and historic villages, designed to be walked over several days with overnight stays at altitude: each stage crosses a pass and drops into a new side-valley, in an alternation of demanding climbs and descents to the alpine pastures. The panorama changes constantly, but the great four-thousanders always remain in the background, like cardinal points.

It is a route of hiking difficulty (E/EE) but physically demanding for its overall length and daily height gains: it calls for fitness, familiarity with altitude and proper equipment. The ideal season runs from late June to mid-September, when the passes are clear of snow and the refuges open. It can be walked in full as a multi-day traverse, or you can pick single stages as day hikes, starting from valley floors reachable by car or public transport.

Below you'll find all the official stages in order, each with its own page: distance, height gain, difficulty, GPX track and map. Choose where to begin.

Difficulty: E / EESeason: July – Septemberlovevda.it guide

AV1 · 17 stages