Colle Ranzola (2171m), trail 3B
from Weismatten to Colle Ranzola
Proceeding to the Colle Ranzola
Trail 3B starts from Weismatten and arrives at Colle Ranzola (2171m). It is 2833m long and the total positive elevation gain is 159m.
The approximate time for the ascent is 0h55. The trail is rated of difficulty E.
The trail starts from the arrival of the Weismatten chairlift (here for information on times and fares), which can also be reached via Trail 2. Trail 3B is in common with trail 3A to the Gombetta Lake basin. At that point there is a junction, where you leave 3A (which proceeds to the Garda Pass and then climbs to Punta della Regina) and continue north, circling around Punta della Regina, and up to the Ranzola Pass.
The journey of Valsesian migrants
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 Col de Valdobbia, it represented the ideal link for Valsesian emigrants who wanted to arrive in the Valle Grande d’Aosta and then cross into France.
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.
The ring around Punta Regina
The only very short section of Trail 3B not in common with Trail 3A is about a kilometer long, has negligible elevation gain, and is typically traveled by those who need to move between Gombetta and Colle Ranzola because they are making a loop route around Punta della Regina (ascending from the north and descending from the south, or vice versa). The adjacent image shows a detail of all the trails in the Punta della Regina area.
