Maccagno Pass (2493m), trail 12B

From junction 12/12C/12B at elevation 2364m to Maccagno Pass

Signposts at the Maccagno Pass

Trail 12B starts at the 2364m elevation cross roads of Trail 12/12B/12C and arrives at Maccagno Pass (2493m). It is 735m long and the total positive elevation gain is 129m.
The approximate time for the ascent is 0h23. The trail is rated of difficulty E.

The Maccagno Pass is one of the two access points to the Vogna Valley from Gressoney (the other is the Valdobbiola Pass, where the Sottile Hospice is located, which can be reached via Trail 11). It can be reached in a short time from the trivet of Trail 12, heading to Loo Pass, from which you can also reach Lazoney Pass via Trail 12C.

The 12B is a very short trail: it cuts across the Loo valley to the base of the wall on which the pass is located, and climbs up following the trail (which is not immediately visible at first in some places). Although the trail is rated E difficulty, there are short rocky sections towards the end on which one must proceed carefully.

Having arrived at the pass, you will undoubtedly be curious about what this “3km Napoleonic Bridge” that is announced by an inscription on the rock looks like: you can see it at this link. Above a boulder is the date 1767 engraved in the rock: this gives an idea of how old this route is.

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

Photo Gallery

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

The 12/12B/12C junction, in the background the Maccagno pass

The section with large boulders below the Maccagno Pass.

The steep meadows below the Maccagno Pass.

From the Maccagno pass looking towards the access path

From the Maccagno Pass looking towards the Rosa and the Vogna Valley.

Overview from the Maccagno pass toward the tip and pass of Lazoney

Date "1767" engraved on a rock at Maccagno Pass

1. Start and finish

Trail 12B starts from Bivio elevation 2364m, the elevation is 2634m.
See on Google Maps.

Latitudine e longitudine (WGS84 - EPSG 4326): 45.7383139632, 7.91792537464

The arrival location is Maccagno Pass. The altitude is 2493m.
See on Google Maps.

Latitudine e longitudine (WGS84 - EPSG 4326): 45.7431720134, 7.91957981071

2. The route

Only the route along Trail 12B, from the 12/12B/12C crossroads to Maccagno Pass, will be described in this sheet. To get to the crossroads, which allows you to either detour to Lazoney Pass along Trail 12C, continue to Loo Pass, or head to Maccagno Pass, follow the directions given for Trail 12 to Loo Pass.

At the large marker stone, looking north, we can distinctly see the Maccagno Pass: a slight depression of the ridge in front of us.

The 12/12B/12C junction, in the background the Maccagno pass

You follow the 12B trail that heads in that direction. The trail descends a few tens of meters until it crosses the Loo creek: there are several marmot burrows on the bank, and if you are lucky enough to spot a few and can get very quietly close, you can catch them hiding from intruders:

A marmot surprised along the trail

Past the Loo creek, the trail reaches the opposite wall directly, along which it begins to climb. Care must be taken in the initial stretch, because in some places the trail seems to disappear: keep your eyes open, trying to identify where the trail reappears. A wide band of rock has to be passed, where the path again becomes precisely marked…

The section with large boulders below the Maccagno Pass.

…past which the slope steepens: there are a couple of non-trivial, but not at all dangerous, sections where you have to rest your hands on the rock to advance.

A challenging section of the trail

In this photo, taken from the pass, you can see the entire trail and, down in the valley, the bed of the Loo creek, which the trail crosses just before reaching the attack of the wall.

From the Maccagno pass looking towards the access path

After a few more turns, the Maccagno Pass (2493m) is reached.

From the Maccagno Pass looking towards the Rosa and the Vogna Valley.

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

4. A recent hike

3/7/2021

Rather cloudy day, the sun hardly showed. The last time I had climbed was October 31, 2020, after a cloudburst that caused large landslides that disrupted the trail. I found everything perfectly restored, the trail intearably passable, and a new bridge over the Loo. At the Upper Loo lodges, work was still in progress on the construction of a safety embankment.

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

Download the trail in GPX format