High Route 1 — Stage 8: Rifugio Grand Tournalin → Valtournenche

Stage eight is the longest descent in the central sequence of Alta Via 1: from Rifugio Grand Tournalin at 2535 metres the trail drops over a thousand metres to the valley floor of Valtournenche, the main village of the valley that hosts the Breuil-Cervinia ski resort above. The first descent section is steep on mixed terrain, with the Matterhorn accompanying almost every step. As altitude decreases the landscape shifts markedly: alpine scree and high pastures give way to larch and Norway spruce forest, rushing streams and roadside stone chapels. The trail reaches the plateau of Cheneil — a small highland with a spectacular balcony view over the entire valley — before the final descent to Valtournenche (1520 m). The village offers all necessary services: supermarkets, pharmacy, restaurants and hotels. The difficulty is rated E since the elevation change is almost entirely downhill with no technical sections. Trekking poles are strongly recommended, particularly on the initial steep stretch, to protect the knees. From Valtournenche a cable car ascends to Cervinia and the Swiss border at Plateau Rosà.

Along the route: from Rifugio Grand Tournalin (2535 m), the path passes Cheneil (2000 m) — Panoramic plateau over Matterhorn and valley floor, to Valtournenche (1520 m). Along the way you reach the Grand Tournalin refuge, a useful base. The skyline is dominated by Cervino (4478 m), Grand Tournalin (3379 m), Dent d'Hérens (4177 m).