Ranzola pass (2171m), trail 3

from Biel to the Ranzola pass

The Ranzola pass and the chapel (October 2021)

The Ranzola pass and the chapel (October 2021)

Trail 3 starts from the hamlet of Biel (at the end of the road to Savoia Castle) and reaches Ranzola pass (2171m). It is 3538m long and the total positive elevation gain is 723m.
The approximate time for the ascent is 2h11. The trail is rated of difficulty E.

The Ranzola pass(Col de Ranzolaz in French, Arescoll in Titsch) is a pass that connects Gressoney-Saint-Jean with Brusson, and being almost perfectly aligned with the Col du Joux and the Valdobbia pass, it represented the ideal link for Valsesian emigrants who wanted to arrive in the Valle Grande d’Aosta and then pass into France.

The journey of Valsesian migrants

The journey of Valsesian migrants

In 1857 Leo Tolstoy also passed through here on his way to Switzerland via the Great St. Bernard Pass when he was 29 years old: a plaque commemorating his passage stands at the pass today.

Reaching it is very easy: Trail 3 is always well-defined and never has excessive slopes; the first half runs along a shady and beautiful larch forest, the second half comes out into the open and skirts the pastures of the Lower and Upper Ranzola Alps.

The ring around Punta Regina

The ring around Punta Regina

When you reach the pass, you have an excellent view to the west and Mont Blanc, but Monte Rosa is covered by Mont Ciosè (2647m), which skirts the pass to the north. If you want to see Rosa all you have to do is continue to the summit that skirts the pass to the south, namely Punta della Regina (2387m): you get there by following the steep but short trail 7A.

From the summit you can return to Ranzola pass via the same trail 7A, or you can descend the other side to the Gombetta Lake basin via trail 3A, and then return to Ranzola pass via a very short section of trail 3B, closing a loop route. The adjacent image mosra a detail of all the trails in the Punta Della Regina area.