Testa Grigia
3,315 m
Italy
Also known as Grauhaupt, tête GriseAlso known as
Grauhaupt · tête Grise
- Elevation
- 3,315 m
- Prominence
- 643 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
WorksReported 1 Jan 2025
A safety cable to clip into was installed on the exposed east-side ledge below the summit in 2025 (year only; exact date not published).
sentierigressoney.it
Routes
1Sources differ: PD- (II) (Camptocamp) · EE / EEA (Italian hiking scale, equipped sections) (VieNormali.it; sentierigressoney.it)
A long mountain walk with a short equipped finish: from the Crest gondola above Champoluc past the Walser hamlet of Cuneaz to Colle Pinter (2,777 m), then path 6 up the south ridge past the Lateltin bivouac to a chained rock step, an exposed ledge and a cabled gully below the flat summit. About 1,300 m and 4 h up from Crest; less from the Ostafa lift.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 6.8 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,367 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 3,315 m
- Time Up
- 5h 29m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 3h 42m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the top station of the Champoluc–Crest gondola (about 1,950 m) take the track left of the Ostafa lift and go right at the first fork to the Walser hamlet of Cuneaz (2,032 m). Follow paths 11a/13 (Alta Via) through pastures and a long traverse high above the valley to the Lavassey basin, cross the stream, climb a crumbly step and cross a plateau where path 12 from the Ostafa lift (2,426 m; about 1h15 to the col from there) joins. Pass the Pinter lakes on your right to Colle Pinter (2,777 m), where the path from Gressoney also arrives. From the col follow path 6 (yellow) in small zigzags up the Ayas side, using hands on a short step, then across slabs and boulders to the ridge at about 3,100 m, where the path from the Bivacco Lateltin (5 minutes south) joins. Follow the ridge over small rocks and a short gully to a rock step of a few metres equipped with chains. Above, the path runs along an airy, almost horizontal ledge on the east (Gressoney) side under an overhang; a cable to clip into was added in 2025. A final rocky gully with steel cables leads to the surprisingly flat summit with a Madonna statue and a bell. Descend the same way (about 3 h to Crest). The rock above Colle Pinter is mostly crumbly with slippery gravel; the route is popular, so wear a helmet against stones dislodged by others. Snow on the ledge early or late in the season makes it treacherous; carry an ice axe and crampons then. The Gressoney side offers a longer approach on path 6 from Tschemenoal near Gressoney-Saint-Jean via Alpenzu (about 1,900 m of ascent, about 5h40 up).
Start
Crest1,981 m
- Champoluc–Crest gondola; optionally Crest–Alpe Ostafa gondola (summer operation not verified for 2026)
- Buses run up the Val d'Ayas from Verrès to Champoluc (not verified); Champoluc–Crest gondola and Crest–Ostafa gondola in summer (operating dates not verified)
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crest → Testa Grigia | 6.8 | 1,367 | 33 | 5h 29m |
Waypoints
- Lift: Crest1,981 m
- Feature: Cuneaz2,048 m
- Feature: Le Lavassey2,313 m
- Col: Col Pinter2,789 m
- Summit: Testa Grigia3,315 m
Key Passages
- Chained rock step on the south ridge
- Exposed east-side ledge under an overhang (cable since 2025)
- Cabled summit gully
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
The highest point of the ridge between the Ayas and Gressoney valleys (3,315 m), a grey, crumbly rock pyramid facing Monte Rosa. A popular non-glacial 3,000 m summit: a long walk to Colle Pinter, then a short equipped finish with chains, an exposed ledge and cables.
Testa Grigia (German Grauhaupt) rises on the long ridge that divides the Val d'Ayas (Champoluc) from the Valle del Lys (Gressoney) in the Aosta Valley, and is its highest summit. It is not to be confused with the snowy Testa Grigia (3,479 m) on the Swiss border above Breuil-Cervinia and the Theodul Pass. From its flat top, marked by a Madonna statue and a bell, the view takes in the whole south side of Monte Rosa, the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc and the Gran Paradiso.
The normal route follows the south ridge from Colle Pinter, which can be reached from Champoluc (with help from the Crest and Ostafa gondolas) or on foot from Gressoney via the Walser hamlet of Alpenzu. Up to Colle Pinter it is a mountain walk past lakes and Walser hamlets; above it the terrain is all loose rock and gravel, and the last 200 m include a chained rock step, an airy ledge and a cabled gully. A head for heights matters more than climbing skill.
The CAI's Bivacco Ulrich Lateltin just below Monte Pinter, five minutes off the route at about 3,100 m, allows the ascent to be split or a sunrise start. The route is busy on fine summer weekends.
Climbing Notes
From Crest the ascent is about 1,300 m and 4 hours, with 3 hours down; the Ostafa gondola saves around 450 m. From Gressoney-Saint-Jean it is about 1,900 m and 5h40 up. You need stamina for a long day at 3,000 m, sure feet on loose scree and no fear of exposure on the ledge and chained step. A helmet and gloves are advised; a harness and via ferrata lanyard let you clip the ledge cable added in 2025.
The usual season is July to September. In June and October snow on the ledge and in the gully can be dangerous and the traverse to Colle Pinter may need an ice axe and crampons. Start early: afternoon thunderstorms are common, and the crumbly rock and crowds make stonefall a real risk on busy days. Sleeping at the Lateltin bivouac (first come, first served) is an option for a dawn summit.
History
The first known tourist ascent was on 7 August 1858 by Miss I. Pinney and J. G. Pinney with Louis Delapierre, Antoine Laurent and Benedetto Rignon, by the south ridge. Antoine Laurent made the first winter ascent on 10 January 1864. The north face and ridge were climbed on 28 July 1897 by Agostino Ferrari and Ettore Quirico with the guide Alessandro Welf. The Lateltin bivouac was begun in 1950 by the Gressoney carpenter Ulrico Lateltin and his father Floriano, completed by his nephew Augusto Linty and inaugurated on 4 August 1984.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Not advisable
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; ski touring from Champoluc for experienced parties
- Feb
- Winter; ski touring
- Mar
- Ski touring; avalanche risk
- Apr
- Spring ski touring
- May
- Snow on the ridge; lifts closed
- Jun
- Snow often lingers on the ledge and traverse
- Jul
- Main season; busy; afternoon thunderstorms
- Aug
- Main season; busy
- Sep
- Quieter; lifts may stop running
- Oct
- Early snow can cover the cables and ledge
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- The Bivacco Ulrich Lateltin (CAI Gressoney-La-Trinité) cannot be booked; places are first come, first served. Contact +39 351 8735270, caigressoney@gmail.com.
- Fees
- Gondola fares Champoluc–Crest and Crest–Ostafa
- Bivacco Lateltin: EUR 5 per night, paid afterwards by bank transfer
- Getting There
Champoluc (Ayas); Gressoney-Saint-Jean
Turin (TRN) or Milan Malpensa (MXP)
- By car: A5 motorway to Verrès, then up the Val d'Ayas to Champoluc; gondola to Crest (and optionally on to Alpe Ostafa)
- From Gressoney: park at Tschemenoal (Perletoa, 1,424 m) between Gressoney-Saint-Jean and Gressoney-La-Trinité and follow path 6 via Alpenzu
- Public transport and summer lift dates were not verified
Hazards
- Exposure
- Rockfall
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 3,113 m
Bivacco Ulrich LateltinBivouacUnstaffed
16 beds · Open all year, unstaffed