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Spot de Col du petit St-Bernard

Col du petit St-Bernard snowkite spot

France · Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

45.68 | 6.88

2188m

Overview

Spots located on a mountain pass are always excellent!
The Col du Petit St-Bernard spot is no exception to the rule, situated at nearly 2200m altitude between Italy (Aosta Valley) and France, the pass benefits from exceptional snow and wind conditions. It's very often the right choice when it doesn't work elsewhere. The spot is very large, with a flat section that's quite reassuring, and on each side there are slopes that you can climb with your kite depending on your level and avalanche conditions
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Col du petit St-Bernard: when to go?

The season runs from November to May, peaking in December: 15 rideable days a month and 158 hours of usable wind, at 1 °C. The low point is August, at 0 days.

Rideable days per month

J F M A M J J A S O N D

Wind strength when it is rideable

16-22 knots · 73% 22-30 knots · 26% 30-40 knots · 1%

When the spot works, wind sits mostly between 16 and 22 knots — 73% of rideable hours. Big-kite territory. The coldest month is January, at -2 °C. The wettest month is June, with 74 mm. Snow depth peaks in March, at 133 cm. Bar height is the month's rideable days; the split shows how its wind hours break down by strength.

Monthly averages — Col du petit St-Bernard — averaged over 3 years of records
Month Rideable days Usable wind Temperature Rain
January 13.7 116 h -2 °C 1 mm
February 12.0 108 h -1 °C 4 mm
March 16.7 157 h 0 °C 4 mm
April 13.7 161 h 1 °C 16 mm
May 10.7 125 h 8 °C 47 mm
June 9.0 107 h 13 °C 74 mm
July 0.3 2 h 16 °C 48 mm
August 0.0 0 h 16 °C 36 mm
September 0.3 6 h 11 °C 52 mm
October 4.0 37 h 8 °C 62 mm
November 15.0 138 h 0 °C 16 mm
December 20.7 158 h -2 °C 4 mm

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Technical details of Col du petit St-Bernard spot

Spot currently open :-)
Spot functioning
During the season:
Access to the spot is via La Thuile resort on the Italian side or via La Rosière resort on the French side.
 
Access via La Thuile (Italy), there is a "snowkite" lift pass for €18 that allows you to reach the spot. It gives access to a series of lifts that take you to the spot, here's the route:
- "Les Suches" gondola
- "Chaz Dura Express" chairlift
- Trail 7 to the pass
Return: 
- Trail 7 back to the resort
- OR "Piccolo San Bernardo Express" chairlift then return via the slopes toward "La Thuile".
 
Access via La Rosière (France), take a day pass "Espace San Bernardo" for €41.50 (With FFVL license). It gives access to a series of lifts that allow you to go to the spot and return at the end of the day, here's the route (allow at least 45min): 
- "Roches Noires" chairlift
- "Fort" chairlift
- "Bellecombe 1" drag lift
- Trail 26 to the pass
Return:
- "Piccolo San Bernardo Express" chairlift 
- "Chardonnet" chairlift
- "Plan du Repos" chairlift
- Return to the resort via the slopes
I can only recommend the superb video by friend Pascal Boulgakow: Guide to the Petit St-Bernard spot - French access. Everything is very well detailed there.
 
Off-season:
Access is via the Col du Petit Saint Bernard road. Depending on snow conditions, you'll also need to count on skins to go all the way (almost every time).
 
From La Thuile, at the very beginning or end of the season, you can drive up to Pont Serrand (1602m, 600m elevation gain remaining) or up to la Cretaz (1861m, 400m elevation gain remaining). The area has no particular dangers.
From La Rosière, at the very beginning or end of the season, you can drive up to the Zittieux ridge (1900m, 250m elevation gain remaining, 6km), or to Pont de la Marquise (2072m, 100m elevation gain remaining, 2km, or kite if Southwest wind for the more experienced). The area is very avalanche-prone, the road is overlooked by a 2km long rocky ridge.
Spot opening date

Open all year round

Spot type

Resort (Ski lift access)

Altitude: 2188m

Parking
La Thuile ski resort:
Ski resort parking. The later you arrive, the further away you'll be parked! Paid parking, about €5/day.
La Rosière ski resort:
Ski resort parking. Fills up quickly, paid parking.
Wind specificities
Pass oriented Northeast / Southwest. There you'll experience the main wind systems of the Alps. Normally if there's a wind forecast, it will enter the pass from one direction or the other.
Hazards
You are in a mountain area, the snowkite spot is in an unsecured zone. The flat part is safe, but the slopes quickly become quite steep. Therefore, the trio of Avalanche Transceiver, Shovel, and Probe is mandatory (for access to Lancebranlette, access to Lac Sans Fond, etc.).
On the "slope" side of the pass, there are high-voltage lines, so don't wander around there.
Update

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Spot forecast for Col du petit St-Bernard
07:09 19:46
Forecasts provided by Open-Meteo

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