The next valley west, and the trip’s safety valve: a 25 m north-facing ice crag directly above the road with, per the Italian guide, no objective danger. Easier lines on the right, harder on the left, and a tree belay above means it top-ropes properly — so it is the venue for mileage, for leading practice, and for the day the avalanche bulletin rules out the Valeille and the Valnontey.

Valsavarenche, Eaux Rousses (1660 m)

Ice 4, commitment I / 25 m / North-facing / Roadside

Logistics

Approach
  • Drive from Cogne back down to Aymavilles and up the Valsavarenche — roughly 1 h 15, so this is a planned day, not a spontaneous one.
  • Just after the hamlet of Eaux Rousses (45.5671, 7.2086) the flow is visible on the right. Park at the roadside; the base is immediately below.
Top-roping
  • Walk around the cascade to the top and belay off the trees. One tree anchor is already in place — take slings to extend it or to rig a different line.

Notes

  • North-facing, so it keeps its condition when sunny aspects are rotten.
  • The published descriptions disagree on size — 25 m of climbable ice below a ~30 m rock mass in one entry, 80 m and grade II in another. Treat as a single-pitch venue.
  • Note this is a different Valsavarenche “falesia” from the Pont and Belvedere di Fosse rock crags, which are summer sport climbing.