Teodulo Pass, from the Breuil-Cervinia car park
Edited by:
Massimo Martini
Updated at: 10/06/2026
Access
Road Navigation
Leave the motorway junction at Châtillon-Saint-Vincent, turn left and continue for 300m (0.3km) to the roundabout. Take the third exit onto Via Émile Chanoux and follow it for 600m (0.9km) through the historic centre of Châtillon. Turn slightly right onto Via Menabreaz and continue for 450m (1.35km) to the roundabout with the Matterhorn. Take the second exit and enter in the direction of Valtournenche. Continue on for 26.5km (28.2km), passing through the municipalities of Antey-Saint-André and Valtournenche, to Breuil-Cervinia. Just after the paravalanche tunnel, on the left is the entrance to the large car park.
Parking
On the left immediately after the paravalanche tunnel is the large free car park 🅿️ in Breuil-Cervinia, located before the town centre, near the bus terminal.
Access by public transport
The starting point is served by Arriva Valle d'Aosta 🚌 public transport. For up-to-date timetables consult aosta.arriva.it.
Distance and travel time
🕒 travel time: 40 minutes
📏 distance: 28.2km
GPS navigation
Information note
The information provided has been verified as of the date of the survey of the itinerary. Before departure, it is recommended to check possible changes in the route or road conditions. Please consult Google Maps or Apple Maps for the latest information.
.Introduction
A climb from the Breuil-Cervinia car park to the Colle del Teodulo (3,316m), the border pass between Valtournenche and the Swiss Valais, with access to the refuge of the same name a short distance beyond the pass. The pass is a wide inlet between the Corno del Teodulo (Theodulhorn) and the Testa Grigia, where the Plateau Rosa cable car station is located. The descent can be made as a variant on the signpost, with a more direct route towards Plan Maison.
The pass has been frequented since pre-Roman times: in the Middle Ages it was a trade corridor for the exchange of wine and livestock between the two sides, and was also travelled by horseback. The ascent develops through environments progressively poorer in vegetation: from the pastures of Plan Maison, where the route crosses ski lifts and ski slopes several times, to the morainic plateaus crossed by the TMR signpost, to the stony terrain of the final stretch. The south face of the Matterhorn accompanies the central part of the ascent; just before the hut, the route passes by the cables of a ski lift and reaches the 1911 iron cross, overlooking the Glacier de Saint-Théodule.
The recommended season is July-September, when the upper section is generally cleared of snow. The route requires a good workout due to the altitude difference of around 1,340 metres; the maximum altitude of over 3,300m also makes it suitable as an altitude training outing for trail runners. The possible presence of residual snowfields in the final stretch requires suitable footwear. Rifugio Teodulo makes it possible to organise the outing over two days.
.Description
0h00' 0.00km From the central car park, go towards the bus terminal and pass the roundabout. Continue along the left pavement of Via Guido Rey, past the first buildings in Cervinia, until you reach the roundabout opposite the chapel dedicated to Maria Regina Vallis Augustanae (2,002m). In the small adjoining park, on the left, you will also notice a half-bust dedicated to Mike Bongiorno.
0h05' 0.32km Follow the signs on the signpost, turn right and go up Via Funivie until you come to a short shortcut leading back onto the same road near the old cable car building. Continue along Via Bardoney until you come to a fork in the road, marked by a yellow marker.
0h05' 0.77km Proceed straight ahead, ignoring the path to Lake Goillet, and quickly bring yourself to the end of the large car park at Cervino Ski Paradise, where you take the path. Cross the Marmore stream with its tributary Vielle and begin the ascent through the pastures, leaving the imposing Giomein agglomeration to the left. With a steep ascent and a series of small turns, you gain height, turning right and keeping to the orographic left of the Marmore. The rather monotonous path climbs up the hillock on which Plan Maison stands and reaches the Tsa de Vielle mountain pasture (2,434m). It then joins a short little valley before the Plan Maison plateau and the junction with trails and .
1h25' 3.28km Turn left and, after a short climb, reach Plan Maison (2.561m), with its wide basin and the arrival station of the gondola.
1h30' 3.42km Continue along the dirt track up a detrital valley, with views of the Rollin Hump and the glacial basin of Plateau Rosa, under the severe gaze of the Gran Becca. Passing the Fornet lift (2,876m), continue through meadows and scree slopes colonised by Linaria alpina, Ranunculus glacialis, Cerastium sp. and Gentiana sp. The path bends towards the Colle del Teodulo, enters the (Tour du Mont Rose) signpost and reaches the Bontadini Chapel (3.024m), now used as a materials depot.
3h00' 6.82km (1,033mD+) Continue straight on between rocky crags to an altitude of 3,190m, where the path crosses the cables of a ski lift. Continue along the ski slope until you reach the wide creek overlooking the Glacier de Saint-Théodule, which indicates that you have reached the Col du Teodule (3,302m). 4h00' 8.68km (1,315mD+)
The return is along the same route followed during the ascent. 2h30' 8.68km (1,315mD-)
Points of Interest
Tsa de Vieille
Bontadini Chapel