San Grato Chapel

A delightful hike above the village that leads to the start of the spectacular San Grato valley.
The route enjoys the morning sun, which is particularly pleasant on cold days.
In the lower section, the walk follows the main road completely, while the final part climbs fairly steep meadows up to the San Grato Chapel. The descent is taken entirely along the rural road.
Depending on your ability and the snow conditions, in the upper section you can choose which of the two routes to take for the ascent and/or descent.

From the Pont-Saint-Martin motorway exit, turn right towards Torino. At the second roundabout, turn left towards Gressoney.
After a few hundred metres, take the right-hand road up the Lys Valley, passing through the villages of Lillianes and Fontainemore.
Continue until you reach the village of Issime, which you cross to find, on the left, the road that climbs up to San Grato.
Follow this road up to the Grotta Chapel, beyond which the road is no longer cleared of snow. At the end of the route, there is a car park.

From the car park, follow the usually snow-covered road, which quickly climbs the steep mountainside.
After a series of hairpin bends, the road veers left and reaches the ridge leading up to San Grato.
Leave the road and ascend to the right along the steep path, passing several buildings until you emerge from the wooded area with a view of San Grato Church.
At this point, the route becomes less steep and, without a fixed path, leads to the church, from where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the central Lys Valley and Mont Mars.
If the snow conditions are poor or you do not feel confident, it is advisable to follow the rural road, which with wide switchbacks will return you to the point where you left it.