Punta Tersiva

From the free car park at Gimillan (about 1,790 m) above Cogne, take path 8 from the fountain: it climbs the meadows behind the village, traverses into the Vallone del Grauson, drops to a bridge (about 1,905–1,925 m) and climbs past the Alpe Pila to the old Grauson alps (Grauson Inferiore, 2,271 m). Keep right at the fork (left goes to upper Grauson, Rifugio Grauson and the Tentori bivouac), pass the Alpe Pralognan (2,418 m) and follow the long, almost flat valley floor to the Ervillières alp (2,519 m), about 2h30. Leave path 8 and climb on faint tracks left of the buildings; after about 15 minutes cairns lead to a higher path that crosses pasture and a steep slope above a ravine with a waterfall to a debris plain at about 2,800 m below the remnant Tessonet glacier. Either cross the small glacier towards the col (crampons; boulders slide on the ice and the retreat has exposed a steep rock band), or, as most recent reports advise, keep left over moraine and scree under the Punta Tessonet to a stony shelf below the col. The last slope to the Colle della Tersiva (about 3,310 m) is steep, fine, loose scree and very tiring. From the col a broad ridge with several tracks leads in about 40 minutes to the summit, with a Madonna statue, cross and stone altar: about 3h30 from Ervillières and 6 hours from Gimillan. The ridge is exposed in places on friable ground and becomes a snow climb when heavily snow-covered. Descend the same way (about 4h30). The route can be split over two days by sleeping at Rifugio Grauson, about 2½–3 hours from Gimillan.