Punta Regina

A beautiful ascent to Col Ranzola with a hike of Punta Regina.
The location is particularly panoramic: on one side, you have Monte Rosa, while to the west you can see much of the Aosta Valley.
The first part of the route runs entirely through a dense fir forest, which is especially pleasant even in summer.

From the Pont-Saint-Martin motorway exit, turn right towards Turin. At the second roundabout, turn left following the signs for Gressoney.
The road climbs for a few hundred meters before turning right into the Lys Valley, passing through the villages of Lillianes, Fontainemore, Issime, and Gaby.
Continue until you reach Valdobbia, where you turn left toward Castel Savoia.
Pass the car park and continue along the road, following it until you reach the area of the ski facilities, and leave your car in one of the widened sections along the road.

Take the trail that soon enters the forest.
The trail continues with switchbacks, ascending the steep mountainside until it meets the Walser trail coming from the left.
Turn right and, along a flat section, reach a large clearing. While the Walser trail continues straight, you turn left to climb toward the wide basin of Alpe Ranzola and, with a final slightly steeper section, reach the col.
At the col, there is a large wall built for military purposes to protect the passage.
Follow the wall to the left, passing near the plaque commemorating the famous writer Tolstoy’s passage.
The trail then becomes quite steep until reaching the broad summit of Punta Regina, where a break is highly recommended to enjoy the magnificent panorama.
From here, continue along the well-marked trail, descending the opposite slope to Garda Pass, then turn left toward the small lake (often dry at the end of the season). Just past the lake, take the junction that returns to Col Ranzola.
From this point, retrace the ascent route back to the car.