Rocca Bernauda
3,225 m
Italy, France
Also known as Roche Bernaude, Rocca Bernauda / Roche BernaudeAlso known as
Roche Bernaude · Rocca Bernauda / Roche Bernaude
- Elevation
- 3,225 m
- Prominence
- 682 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 1
Road closedReported 21 Aug 2026
A landslide on French territory above Bardonecchia closed the Valle Stretta road to all traffic and suspended the Pian del Colle – Valle Stretta shuttle until further notice. No reopening date had been announced; check with the Comune di Bardonecchia before going.
lagendanews.com
Routes
1Sources differ: PD- (Camptocamp (Arête N – face NW)) · II+ (Gulliver.it photo caption for the crux step) · I/II (LaFiocaVenMola report, August 2026)
A long, rarely trodden day from the Grange di Valle Stretta (1,765 m): an unmarked scree gully to the Colle della Gran Somma (2,977 m), then a cairned, exposed ridge of broken rock with one short step of about II- past the 3,177 m fore-summit, Italy's westernmost point. About 1,460 m of ascent.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 10.1 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,557 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 3,225 m
- Time Up
- 6h 33m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 4h 32m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the car park at the Grange di Valle Stretta (Vallée Étroite, 1,765 m), walk up the valley road to the Ponte della Fonderia and follow the GR 5 towards the Colle della Valle Stretta and the Mont Thabor hut as far as the Piano di Tavernette. Leave the Thabor path, cross the streams from Lago Peyron on a small bridge at about 2,199 m and take the path up the right-hand side of the valley, then strike right across stony meadows to the mouth of the scree gully between the Gran Somma and Rocca Bernauda. The gully is easy-angled (about 25° at most) and mostly stable; cairns and faint traces lead to a shelf about 50 m below the Colle della Gran Somma (2,977 m). Up to the col the route is a demanding off-trail walk (Italian EE). From the col a cairned trace climbs the north ridge, first over broken ground on the Valle Stretta side to point 3,101 m, then on the Rho side with short climbing moves on rock covered in fine grit. Near the 3,177 m fore-summit an exposed step of about 1.5 m is the crux (II-); a short horizontal section of ridge, steep on both sides, follows. A plaque placed in 1993 marks the fore-summit as Italy's westernmost point. A broad dome of reddish rubble leads to the main summit, which lies a few hundred metres west on French territory. Camptocamp gives about 1½ hours from the col to the summit. Most parties descend the same way. A descent down the south-west flank (huge scree slopes, then delicate traverses between rock bands, few cairns) towards the Colle Baldassarre gully and the Lago Verde path is possible but intricate; Camptocamp calls a 20 m rope useful on the ridge and essential on that descent. The rock is broken throughout, every hold must be tested, and the summit register records only one or two visits a year. From the Refuge du Mont Thabor (French side) the col is about 2 hours via the Col de Fontaine Froide.
Start
Grange di Valle Stretta1,715 m
- Train to Bardonecchia (Turin–Modane line). In summer a shuttle bus has run from Pian del Colle to the Grange di Valle Stretta (EUR 5 return in 2025); otherwise walk from Pian del Colle (about 1½ hours, 310 m).
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grange di Valle Stretta → Rocca Bernauda | 10.1 | 1,557 | 47 | 6h 33m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Grange di Valle Stretta1,715 m
Car park by the Rifugio I Re Magi and Rifugio Terzo Alpini; road from Bardonecchia via Melezet and Pian del Colle
- Feature: Plaine de Tavernette2,200 m
Leave the GR 5 / Thabor path here
- Col: Colle della Gran Somma2,974 m
- Summit: Rocca Bernauda3,225 m
Key Passages
- Scree gully to the Colle della Gran Somma
- Exposed step of about II- below the 3,177 m fore-summit
- Narrow horizontal ridge beyond the fore-summit
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 65%Overview
A remote 3,225 m limestone and quartzite summit on the French–Italian border above Bardonecchia, whose fore-summit is Italy's westernmost point. The easiest way up is a long F+ outing: an off-trail scree gully, then an exposed, crumbly ridge with one short step of grade II.
Rocca Bernauda (Roche Bernaude in French) is the highest point of the small group between the Vallée Étroite (Valle Stretta), the Valle della Rho above Bardonecchia and the Mont Thabor massif. With no higher summit within about 12 km, it stands apart and the view takes in the Écrins, the Vanoise and the Cottian Alps. Since the Valle Stretta was ceded to France in 1947 the frontier runs over the 3,177 m fore-summit, where a plaque marks the westernmost point of Italy; the main summit lies a few hundred metres further west in France.
The mountain sees few visitors: the summit register averages one or two entries a year. There is no marked path above the Valle Stretta floor. The usual line climbs a long scree gully to the Colle della Gran Somma (2,977 m) and follows the north ridge, which is airy in places and made of broken, grit-covered rock. Technically it is easy (F+, one move of about II-), but the exposure, the loose terrain and the 1,460 m of ascent make it a serious day rather than a hike.
The Valle Stretta is a popular summer destination, with two staffed refuges at the road end and the GR 5 passing through on its way to the Col de la Vallée Étroite and the Mont Thabor. Once you leave the GR 5, you are unlikely to meet anyone.
Climbing Notes
You need the fitness for about 1,460 m of ascent on slow, trackless scree, a steady head on exposed broken ridges and confidence moving unroped on grade I–II rock. Route-finding above the Piano di Tavernette relies on cairns and faint traces, so carry a map or GPS track. A helmet is advisable; a short rope (20 m) is useful for less experienced partners, and Camptocamp considers it essential if you descend the south-west flank rather than reversing the ridge.
Most people do it as a long day from the Grange di Valle Stretta, staying the night before at the Rifugio I Re Magi or the Rifugio Terzo Alpini. From the French side, the Refuge du Mont Thabor gives a shorter summit day via the Col de Fontaine Froide. Snow can fill the Gran Somma gully until early July; in midsummer start early to avoid afternoon storms, and expect rockfall in the gullies if other parties are above. No published total time was found; Camptocamp gives about 1½ hours from the col to the summit.
History
The first recorded ascent was made solo by Giuseppe Corrà on 14 July 1882 from the north side; his first account confused the summit's name, which he corrected in 1889. The second ascent, on 29 June 1885 by Leopoldo Barale, Michelangelo Borgarelli, Edoardo Fierz and Augusto Sibille, went up the north-west side and down the south. The south-east ridge was first climbed on 20 September 1885 by Adolfo Gervasone, Cesare Fiorio and Carlo Ratti, and the north ridge was first descended on 6 August 1893 by Alfredo Fiorio with a local herdsman. The Valle Stretta became French under the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty, putting the summit on the new border; the Istituto Geografico Centrale placed a plaque on the fore-summit in 1993.
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; road above Pian del Colle not open to cars; ski tours to nearby cols only for experienced parties
- Feb
- Winter conditions, avalanche risk
- Mar
- Ski-mountaineering on the north-west and east flanks for experienced parties
- Apr
- Spring ski-mountaineering; avalanche risk
- May
- Transition; deep snow in the gullies
- Jun
- Refuges open mid-June; snow in the Gran Somma gully
- Jul
- Best season; road to the Grange closed 10:30–15:30 on summer weekends
- Aug
- Best season; check road status after the August 2026 landslide
- Sep
- Often stable; refuges close mid-September
- Oct
- Possible in a dry autumn; early snow makes the ridge treacherous
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Rifugio I Re Magi and Rifugio Terzo Alpini at the road end are open mid-June to mid-September and in winter; book directly or through the Compagnie des Refuges Clarée Thabor.
- Fees
- Parking at the Grange di Valle Stretta is paid in summer
- Summer shuttle bus Pian del Colle – Grange di Valle Stretta: EUR 5 return (2025)
- Rules
- The Valle Stretta road is closed to uphill motor traffic 10:30–15:30 on July weekends and daily in most of August; descending is always allowed
- The Valle Stretta lies in France (commune of Névache) but is reached by road only from Bardonecchia, Italy; the road beyond Pian del Colle is not open to cars in winter
- Getting There
Bardonecchia (Italy)
Turin Airport (TRN)
- Train to Bardonecchia on the Turin–Modane line
- By car from Bardonecchia via Melezet and Pian del Colle to the Grange di Valle Stretta; arrive before 10:30 on closure days or park at Pian del Colle
- Free town bus (Linea 3) Melezet – Pian del Colle in summer; summer shuttle from Pian del Colle to the Grange
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Remoteness
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
3- 1,768 m
Rifugio I Re MagiRefugeStaffed
Mid-June to mid-September; winter from late December to Easter
- 1,780 m
Rifugio Terzo AlpiniRefugeStaffed
Mid-June to mid-September and mid-February to mid-April
- 2,500 m
Refuge du Mont ThaborRefugeStaffed