A very bumpy, grueling road to Lago Ponton

Lago Ponton is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 2.645m (8,677ft) above the sea level, located in the Province of Aosta in the Aosta Valley region of Italy. It’s one of the highest roads of the country.

Set high in the Graian Alps, a mountain range in the western part of the Alps, in northwestern Italy, the road to the lake features paved and unpaved sections. The paved road ends at just below 1900 metres. But several times throughout the route, after long ok quality rocky stretches, the road would suddenly be paved again. The road is closed to private vehicles. A 4x4 vehicle is required.

The road to the summit is very steep. Starting at Lillaz, the ascent is 13.2 km (8.20 miles) long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 1.021 meters. The average gradient is 7.73%.

Located in the Urtier Valley, near the Gran Paradiso National Park and the Avic Park, the road is closed to heavier vehicles. This road is usually closed from late October through late June or early July (depending on snow). Near the lake there’s a mountain hut known as Rifugio Sogno di Berdzè.
Pic: Michael Cortese

 

 

• The unpaved road to the touristic Mount Belvedere
• Strada Militare del Colle della Vecchia, an old military road built in the 1880's