Gastaldi Bivouac, by Ondre Eselbode

Access

Leaving the motorway at Pont-Saint-Martin, after 100 m turn right, go through a traffic light and continue for about 600 m to the crossroads for Gressoney. Enter Pont-Saint-Martin and after 1.2 km turn right onto the regional road for the Gressoney valley. After 34.3 km you reach Gressoney-La-Trinité: continue in the direction of Stafal and after a few hundred metres, at the height of a bridge over the Lys stream, you reach a large car park that runs alongside the regional road.

Introduction

The Carlo Gastaldi bivouac is located in the basin of the Netscho lakes at an altitude of 2610 m. The characteristic barrel-shaped sheet metal construction is dedicated to Colonel Carlo Gastaldi and is clearly visible thanks to its characteristic red and white colouring. Inside there are four beds, bunk beds, a cooker and crockery. From the bivouac you can enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of Testa Grigia (3314 m) and the Netscho and Ciampono peaks behind it.

Description

Leaving the car in the large car park, cross the regional road and walk along a small tarmac road recognisable by a signpost indicating to follow the path (3). After a few dozen metres, you reach a hotel: after this, you leave the asphalted road and, turning right, go over a stepped section and continue along a wide path that enters, with a series of hairpin bends, into a larch forest. After 0h10', a typical Walser building can be glimpsed on the left and, after a few minutes, you pass under some large rocks and then head into the Netscho valley. After passing a ruined house, the path continues until it reaches some avalanche barriers: looking to our left we can see the Gabiet dam, while on the right the Testa Grigia (3314m) peeps out from time to time among the larches.
After passing the avalanche barriers, this section of the trail is quite steep, the path turns right passing a rocky crag in the forest and then turns left again, climbing up the pastures until we reach Alpe Spilmannsberg (2098m, 1h20'): here we can stop for a short break and enjoy the splendid panoramic view from Testa Grigia to Piramide Vincent, the whole of the Rosa group in one breath!
We continue our march up the orographic left of the Netscho valley, passing a band of alders and a couple of torrents that in some places have caused landslides in the path; with two wide turns, first heading towards the Gressoney valley and then turning again in the direction of the bivouac crossing a scree slope, finally approaching the Netch Flue mountain pasture (2290m, 1h35'). After crossing a small stream, the path climbs the slope to the foot of a rocky slab that precedes the wide Netscho basin: the latter is overcome by an easy ledge that precedes a section of path equipped with steel ropes (1h50'): this section is not excessively difficult but can become treacherous with humidity, ice or snow.
At the top of the ropes, the splendid Netscho basin opens up, at first overcoming a slightly uphill section and then heading to the right, climbing up a small moraine ridge. In a few tens of minutes you reach the Carlo Gastaldi bivouac (2610m, 2h30') with its obvious red and white colouring.
Beneath the bivouac there are a few small lakes with an intense green colouring.
The descent is along the same route as the ascent (about 1h15').

If you undertake this hike in the autumn, you may encounter icy sections of the trail: we recommend that you take due care, especially when walking near watercourses.