ブールサンピエールの峠・トップ20

This climb is incredible: it doesn't have any difficult gradients, but it's long, incredibly long, endless. You reach a point where you almost hate it: you've been pedaling for well over an hour and the summit is still out of sight, you're running out of energy and the wind keeps whipping you in the face, you want to throw your bike away and say, "Enough! I'll stop here!"... but it's only a moment, because you're the one who chose to tackle it and you knew exactly what you were getting into; you set off again with more determination than before and attack those last few kilometers of road with all your remaining strength. And then you enter the tunnel, there you begin to realize you've made it, you exit, follow the road that bends slightly to the left, and, as if in a dream, the lake appears. You reach the top and think about how many people have traveled this road over the centuries: Salassi, Romans, monks, migrants, Napoleonic soldiers... you realize you're in a place steeped in history and stunning nature, and there you can't help but love this hill.

The pass between Switzerland and Italy connects Valais and the Aosta Valley (the smallest region in Italy with the black and red flag). "The Fenêtre de Durand is a 2,797-meter-high mountain pass in the Pennine Alps. The mule track connects the Swiss Rhône Valley via the Val de Bagnes with the Italian Aosta Valley. The gap between the 3,347-meter-high Mont Avril and the 3,518-meter-high Mont Gelé (Chanrion) is the only ice-free crossing over the main Alpine ridge east of the Grand Combin massif and west of the Monte Rosa massif. Immediately below the pass summit, on the Italian side, is the small Lac Fenêtre." Source: Wikipedia.

Great view of the Mont Blanc massif. You can drive to the refuge.

https://youtu.be/D352Ql5fMaY?feature=shared I also passed through here on the Tour du Combin. Crossing the lonely col is simply epic. The climb from Fionnay up to the reservoir through the many tunnels is an experience; the climb to the col is easy for a long time, but quite steep at the end. The descent across the lake into the valley is an absolutely fantastic trail, culminating in the Ru Neuf irrigation channel.

The austere buildings of the hospice of the Great Saint Bernard are located in a rocky pass through which an icy wind almost always blows, on the edge of a lake that is frozen on average 265 days a year and where winter lasts almost eight months. For nine centuries, canons regular of the order of St. Augustine, who settled here through the help of St. Bernard of Menthon, have maintained a tradition of helpfulness and hospitality. Travelers who want to relax for a while in that peaceful place are welcome all year round.

Still one of the emblematic and popular passes of the region. This particular pass is often covered in snow in early summer, so use caution and make sure you are diligent in your planning. However, this pass provides an excellent and challenging climb, forming part of a very natural loop when included with two other passes in the area. As you pass over the pass, you'll experience brilliant panoramic views and a secluded mountain ambiance.

https://youtu.be/WALUqb60dpI Very easy to climb from the Swiss side, going down the Italian side is very steep, you will have to push, also because high drainage channels go across the trail https://youtu.be/eu_RPR989TI

Segment from Rifugio Frassati (open only in summer) to Col de Malatrà.