homeCol de Courtil
Col de Courtil Height Climbing height - length
1514m 1165m - 12.6 km (Hône)
Difficulty Beauty
4 (5) 3 (5)
How to get there This is a famously hard climb in Aosta starting in Hône (349m). The valley up to Champorcher looks inviting and the road is wide and good and not very steep at first. At the turn-off at Pontboset, the hardships starts. When you arrive at Courtil a narrow private road continues up and now it is very steep but always below 20% if it is of any comfort to know. The pass is a little below where you come up on a track down, but it is not worthwhile going there. Views are not the best at the top despite all odds and the great views below. (A bit hard to determine the exact height here, but 1511m is close enough.)
Other comments There are great views from Biel on the way up/down to Courtil down over the Bard fort down the valley. The asphalt road above Champorcher unfortunately ends at 1820m height as it would have been a great crossing to be able to go over Col Pontonnet (2897m) or Fenêtre de Champorcher (2826m) to Lillaz and Champlong. Possibly you could manage to use the gravel road up to Refuge de Dondena (2185m), but I do not know. It should be several hours of walking with a road bike to get over here.
[IT-AO-1511]
Map