Grand Golliat
3,238 m
Italy, Switzerland
Also known as Grand Golliaz, გრან-გოლიაAlso known as
Grand Golliaz · გრან-გოლია
- Elevation
- 3,238 m
- Prominence
- 368 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: PD (Gulliver)
The Italian normal route from the Great St Bernard road: up to the Col de Saint-Rhémy (2,540 m), across the Comba di Tula and up a steep moraine to the cirque of the vanished Glacier des Bosses, then a 50 m rock band (I–II) and a steep, loose 100 m gully to the big summit cairn. PD-, about 1,200 m.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 6.2 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,232 m
- −91 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,238 m
- Time Up
- 5h 04m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 3h 32m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Park at the 'Colle Saint Rhemy' signpost at about 2,100 m (Praz de Farcoz) on the Italian side of the Great St Bernard road, just above the hairpin at 2,079 m. A dirt road zigzags steeply to an alp at about 2,200 m, and waymarked path no. 12 climbs in just under an hour to the Col de Saint-Rhémy (2,540 m). Follow the almost level path west into the Comba di Tula, crossing a few stream beds, towards the frontal moraine of the tiny Glacier des Bosses. At about 2,700 m leave the path to the Col de Saulié and climb the moraine, steep and tiring, to the cirque where the glacier has shrunk to a small lake and a few snowfields. After a short scree slope, climb the rock band that guards the upper cirque at its lowest point (around 3,000 m), left of a small waterfall: first a rocky gully, then ledges and slabs (I+–II, about 50 m), which can be wet or iced. Above, head north-west across scree and snow to a steep 100 m gully of broken rock and debris left of the summit, climb about three-quarters of it with care, then move slightly right to the big summit cairn. Descend the same way. Above 3,000 m the rock is loose; if another party is in the gully, wait for them to finish, as falling stones are hard to avoid.
Start
Parcheggio Praz de Farcoz2,100 m
- Buses from Aosta towards the Great St Bernard reach Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses; check whether summer services continue up the pass road past Praz de Farcoz.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parcheggio Praz de Farcoz → Grand Golliat | 6.2 | 1,232 | 91 | 5h 04m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Parcheggio Praz de Farcoz2,100 m
Signpost 'Colle Saint Rhemy' on the Great St Bernard road (SS27)
- Feature: Praz de Farcoz2,100 m
not on route line
- Col: Col de Saint-Rhémy2,552 m
- Summit: Grand Golliat3,238 m
Key Passages
- Col de Saint-Rhémy
- Steep moraine above the Comba di Tula
- 50 m rock band (I–II), often wet
- Steep, loose 100 m summit gully
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 65%Overview
A 3,238 m rock bastion on the Swiss–Italian frontier west of the Great St Bernard Pass, the only big summit between the Mont Blanc massif and the Vélan–Combin group. The normal route from the pass road is a PD- scramble on loose rock with a wide view.
The Grand Golliat (Grand Golliaz in Italian) and its twin the Petit Golliat form a long rock wall on the frontier between the Val Ferret (Valais) and the upper Great St Bernard valley (Aosta Valley). The name is said to come from 'goille', a spring. Gulliver calls it the first and only big summit on the frontier ridge between the Mont Blanc range and the Vélan–Combin group, and the summit gives a 360° view across the Franco-Swiss giants.
The rock is poor, so there is little climbing interest, and the north-face snow and ice lines are threatened by constant stonefall. The usual way up is from the Italian side: from the Great St Bernard road to the Col de Saint-Rhémy, across the Comba di Tula and up through the former cirque of the Glacier des Bosses, finishing with a short rock band and a steep, loose gully. It is rarely climbed, so expect solitude.
In spring the south-east side is a steep ski-mountaineering objective, needing settled spring snow.
Climbing Notes
The route is a long day of about 1,200 m from the pass road. You need to move confidently on steep moraine and scree, climb a short grade II rock band that is often wet or icy, and handle a steep, loose gully where stonefall is the main danger. A helmet is essential; early in the season, with snow in the gully, bring an ice axe and crampons.
Keep parties close together in the gully, or wait for others to clear it. Navigation above the Comba di Tula relies on occasional cairns, so carry a GPS track. The Rifugio Frassati above Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses offers an alternative start over the Col des Ceingles and makes a two-day trip possible. Best from July to September, once the snow has gone from the rock band.
History
The first ascent was made in 1879 by the topographer Cornaglia of the Italian Military Geographic Institute; the second known ascent followed on 12 August 1881 by Martino Baretti and Augusto Sibille. The NE side and NNW ridge were first climbed on 6 July 1898 by Jean Maître, Pierre Maurys and Alfred George Topham, after Abbé Joseph Henry had descended them alone in 1892.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Not advisable
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter conditions
- Feb
- Winter conditions
- Mar
- Steep ski mountaineering for experts, in stable spring snow
- Apr
- Spring ski mountaineering; avalanche risk
- May
- Pass road may still be closed; snow on the route
- Jun
- Pass road opens; snow in the gully and on the rock band
- Jul
- Best season
- Aug
- Best season; loose and dry upper gully
- Sep
- Good, verglas possible on the rock band
- Oct
- Early snow and ice; pass road closes for winter
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Getting There
Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses (Aosta Valley)
Turin Airport (TRN); Geneva Airport (GVA)
- By car: from Aosta on the SS27 towards the Great St Bernard; above Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses take the old pass road (not the tunnel approach) to the parking at Praz de Farcoz, about 2,100 m
- Alternative start: from Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses up to Arp du Jeu (Crevacol, about 2,000 m) and on foot to the Rifugio Frassati
- Public transport: buses run from Aosta towards the Great St Bernard; services up the pass road are seasonal and should be checked
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Weather