High Route 1 — Stage 13: Ollomont → Rifugio Champillon

Stage thirteen is the first of the final sequence steering the Alta Via 1 toward the Mont Blanc massif: from Ollomont the trail climbs over 1000 metres to Rifugio Champillon in the Conca di By, one of the most unspoiled landscapes in the entire Aosta Valley. The route departs from the hamlet of Rey, threads through a larch and Scots pine forest on quite steep sections, reaches the summer farms of Prumayes (1621 m) and continues on a well-marked path toward the Champillon meadows. The small chapel of Notre-Dame-des-Neiges at approximately 2300 m is the spiritual landmark of this stretch and deserves a quiet stop. Rifugio Champillon (2465 m), in the Conca di By at the foot of Col Champillon, is a distinctive hut: a sauna with Alpine views, a yurt on the lawn, and a young, informal atmosphere. Dormitory accommodation and wild camping in the surrounding meadow are both available depending on preference and season. The stage is short in kilometres but the unrelenting positive elevation — with almost no flat sections — demands trained legs and a steady rhythm.

Along the route: from Ollomont (1393 m), the path passes Notre-Dame-des-Neiges (2300 m) — Votive chapel at 2300 m, to Rifugio Champillon (2465 m). Along the way you reach the Champillon refuge, a useful base. The skyline is dominated by Mont Vélan (3734 m), Grand Combin (4314 m).