Garda Pass (2314m), trail 1C

from Weismatten to Colle della Garda

The cairn at Pra Bianco Pass

Trail 1C starts from Weismatten and arrives at the Garda Pass (2314m). It is 1808m long and the total positive elevation gain is 283m.
The approximate time for the ascent is 0h47. The trail is rated of difficulty E.

Trail 1C is an interesting alternative to get to the Gombetta Lake basin without going through Trail 3A to Punta della Regina. From the Pra Bianco/Wissomatto hut, you cross a flowery plateau until you reach a scree above which, with very little effort, you reach the small Pra Bianco Pass (2331m), a balcony from which the entire ascent path of the Trail 3A from Lake Gombetta to Punta della Regina. From the pass, it is 300 meters downhill to the Garda Pass (2280m), point at which we rejoin the 3A trail .

Just a few meters before reaching the Col you intercept the challenging 1B trail that leads to the Taf Collet (passing through the Rena, Taille and Taf mountains). When you reach the Garda Pass, you can continue to Punta della Regina along Trail 3A, or to the Ranzola Pass along Trail 3B, or simply return to Weismatten by following Trail 3A in the direction of Gombetta Lake.

More information on level of difficulty, ascent times, maps and GPX tracks

Photo Gallery

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At the end of the plateau we approach the stony ground

The path gets closer and closer to the stony ground

The stamp indicating the entrance to the stony ground

Looking toward Pra Bianco from the stony ground

The path from Pra Bianco Pass down to the Garda Pass

Departure and arrival

Trail 1C starts from Weismatten, the elevation is 2041m.
See on Google Maps.

Latitudine e longitudine (WGS84 - EPSG 4326): 45.7483138513, 7.82499961266

The arrival location is Colle di Garda. The altitude is 2314m.
See on Google Maps.

Latitudine e longitudine (WGS84 - EPSG 4326): 45.7459375688, 7.80675572038

The route

In front of the Carlo Mollino hut is the post indicating directions for trails 3A (to the Punta della Regina) and 1A (to Frudière Pass).

The pole in front of the Mollino shelter

Trail 1C is at first in common with trail 3A: you take it, therefore, proceeding to the right. The trail is wide at first, and always excellently marked: it climbs gently up several ups and downs within a not-too-dense forest of larch and stone pine.

The beginning of the trail

It continues to climb along the wide path…

The path is almost a highway

…until reaching, at about 2161m, the hut of Pra BiancoWissomattò, 2161m.

Pra BiancoWissomattò, 2161m

Take the trail that can be seen to the right of the building-this is the point where 1C abandons 3A, which continues to the Belvedere.

Trail 1C passes by Pra Bianco

The 1C accesses the beautiful and wide grassy plateau behind the hut: you have to cross it in the direction of the passage in the ridge that can be seen at the bottom on the right, above a scree slope.

The wide plateau behind Pra Bianco

After finishing the plateau, the path climbs slightly, again passing among rocks and flowering bushes that seem artfully arranged by a skilled garden decorator.

The trail is definitely picturesque

The trail approaches the scree, entering it at a clearly visible vignette.

The stamp indicating the entrance to the stony ground

In fact, the trail does not stay in the scree for long: after a couple of turns it heads straight up, leaving the scree and climbing in the direction of the obvious Pra Bianco Pass (2331m), which is reached without the slightest technical difficulty.

The view towards Punta della Regina

In front of us stands very clear Punta della Regina, and the 3A trail that climbs it, after skirting Lake Gombetta below.

A video from June 26, 2022 with the view from Pra Bianco Pass.

Instead, Garda Pass is at the deepest point of the V formed by the ridge that separates us from Punta della Regina. It is toward that point that we descend for the last 300 meters of Trail 1C, which ends at the point where it meets Trail 3A.

The path from Pra Bianco Pass down to the Garda Pass

Continuation

From the Garda Pass there are 4 main destinations that can be reached, following the official Gressoney trails.

Continuing uphill along Trail 3A you can continue to nearby Punta della Regina, a popular vantage point described in the 3A trail sheet.
Still following Trail 3A, but in the opposite direction, you can return to the Weismatten chairlift station.
There can be joined to the equally nearby Ranzola Pass via Trail 3B. From the col you can return to the valley in about an hour by following Trail 3.
You can get to the Taf Collet by following the challenging trail 1B, which passes the top of mont Rena and in the vicinity of mounts Taille and Taf. Read the 1B trail sheet for more information on the difficulty of this trail.

3. The GPX track

This is the map of the trail, according to the SCT Trail Cadastre of the Aosta Valley.

Download the trail in GPX format