The obvious first day. A long, low-angle staircase of ice in the river gorge immediately above Lillaz, ten minutes from the car, with the grade nowhere near the limit — which is exactly what a first day on ice after a year off should be. It is also the busiest waterfall in Italy, so it is a morning route, not an afternoon one.

Valeille, Cascade de Lillaz

WI3+ / 5-7 pitches, ~150 m ↗ / Lillaz 1617 m

Logistics

Approach
  • Park at the Lillaz car park at the end of the road east of Cogne (45.5941, 7.3901), 8 min drive from the village.
  • About 10 minutes on foot into the gorge. The fall is in full view from the village.
Descent
  • Walk off. A tourist stairway runs up the side of the gorge to the top of the falls — the same stairway people use to bypass the steep first step.

Notes

  • Grade and pitch count vary by source. UKC logs it WI3+ in 5 pitches; others call it WI3 and count 6 or 7. The direct first step is the WI4 bit and is routinely bypassed by the stairs — decide at the bottom which version you are doing.
  • The sluice at the top is the real hazard. There is a water intake above the falls that can release a large volume of freezing water with no warning. Do not linger at the top belay.
  • Pools collapse. The 2011 report from the local ice site flags fragile ice on the first pitch and collapsing pools; a neighbouring line (Hard Ice) collapsed outright the following day.
  • Busiest fall in the valley. Be first on it or accept queues and ice fall from above.