Petit Nomenon, from Vieyes

Access

Leaving the motorway at the Aosta Ovest exit, turn right and take the for the Cogne valley. After passing through the village of Aymavilles, the road goes up the valley for about 10 kilometres until you reach the village of Vieyes: turn left into the village and park in the centre of the village; there is also a car park along the regional road in case there is no space in the one below.

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Introduction

Nice hike in the first part of the Grand Nomenon.

Description

0h00' Leaving the car, we walk between the houses, leaving the fountain 💧 on the left, and soon reach the regional road. You take an agricultural track that soon becomes a comfortable mule track. You begin to climb the cool Chantellet forest with a series of hairpin bends to mitigate the steep slope. After about 20 minutes, the ascent softens and, following a diagonal to the left, you reach the ruins of Plan Pessey (1361m, 0h30'): follow a track that branches off to the right, crossing the two ruins and taking you close to the Mayen de Plan Pessey until you come to a fork with a signpost for the bivouac.

0h30' Start climbing up the spruce forest (Abies picea) until you meet, on the right, the junction of path for the Chantel park ranger's hut; ignore it and continue until you reach a tin-roofed cottage. From here, the trail begins to climb more vigorously, keeping to the orographic left of the Grand Nomenon stream and, shortly after its tributary the Favret stream, until the point where it must be crossed at a stone ford (1569m). 

1h00' You now take the orographic right and start to climb the slope with an endless series of bends; you will reach a small aqueduct and then arrive near a wooden footbridge to cross the Grand Nomenon stream (1970m) 2h15': you cross it and come to a fork in the path. Continue to the right, ignoring the path that leads to Sisoret and the nearby pastures of Petit Nomenon.

The descent follows the same route as the ascent 1h35'