A) - In ascent from Gimillan Hamlet (1.787m) in Cogne Valley: go right starting from the car park
1.800 meters about of Gimillan: after few metres the indications to Lakes of Lussert, St. Marcel Hill are found. The pathway is indicated by the yellow circle
8/8A/8B/TVC and by yellow strips marked on stones along the route. The path begins going immediately uphill, then the slope decreases as we go beyond Révènti Alp (
1.906m; perimeter ruines) and a little Chapel dedicated to the Virgin
(1.836m). Soon the path resumes to go up and splits in two, before it begins to penetrate into the Grauson Vallon. It's possible to continue following the right one that goes down as far as the small bridge of Ecloseur Pastures (
1.904m; shop-sign Tchezeu Alp;
1.918m), but in such a case we must go up again; it's better to follow the left one that, in practice without losing height, arrives at the bridge under the Alp of Pila
(2.025m), cross it and, following the stepped pathway equipped with small wooded stairs, overcome the rocky bastion beside a fine waterfall (to the left). At this point the path turns right markedly, entering, high on the torrent, into a small vallon; by an alternation of steep and slight slopes, it reaches a panoramic cross, on the edge of a pleasant plateau. The path goes through the meadows, slightly descending and, after the Old Grauson’s Pastures
(2.271m), crosses the Doreire Torrent on the small bridge and by a steep trail beside the torrent, reach the wide upper part of the Grauson Valley. At the junction before Pralognan Pasture
(about 2.400m), instead of going straight ahead along the pathway
8/TVC leading to the head of Grauson/Doreire-Tessonet Vallon, go left (North) till to New Pasture
(2.540m), where once there was the burned Tentori Bivouac, on Summer 2000. Before along grassy slopes and great blocks among small springs, after on a small rounded promontory with the path
8A/8B/102 towards the "Rane" (Frogs) Corona Lakes and by this last in short time in East to the St. Marcel Hill or Corona's (
2.641m, 2.702m, 2.931m;
3h'30/4h'00).
A) - In salita dalla Frazione di Gimillan (1.787 m) in Val di Cogne: partire dal parcheggio (1.800 metri circa) trovando dopo pochi metri i "panneaux" con l'indicazioni per i Laghi di Lussert, il Colle di Saint Marcel o Corona, scegliendo quello giallo cerchiato in nero con l'indicazione 8/8A/8B/TVC. Il sentiero inizia salendo immediatamente in ripida salita per poi diminuire gradualmente in pendenza andando verso l'Alpe Révèntì (1.906 m; rovine perimetrali) ed incontrando subito dopo una Cappelletta dedicata alla Vergine (1.836 m). Subito dopo lo stesso riprende a salire con falsopiano e dividendosi in due presso un grosso cartello indicatore con piccola tettoia. Tenendosi sulla destra (Est) penetrare nel Vallone del Grauson e, tramite una breve discesa, raggiungere il Ponte dell'Ecloseur (1.904 m; cartello indicante l'Alpe Tchezeu; 1.918 m). Attraversarlo sul Torrente Lussert e, lasciate le Alpi Ecloseur appena a destra, con un lungo diagonale a sinistra ed in mezzo ai prati raggiungere il successivo Alpeggio di Pila (2.025 m), con alla sua sinistra una bella cascata. Superare la soprastante bastionata rocciosa doppiandola a sinistra con una gradinata attrezzata in legno con puntelli in ferro per poi ritornare a destra passando alti sul torrente in una valletta. Con pendenze alternate e lievi raggiungere una croce su d'un promontorio panoramico. Il sentiero attraversa la prateria in minima discesa e, dopo Grauson Vecchie o Dessous (2.271 m), guada sul ponticello il Torrente Doreire e con un ripido percorso accanto al medesimo perviene alla parte larga e superiore del Vallone del Grauson. Verso la congiunzione prima dell'Alpe di Pralognan (2.400 m), invece di progredire direttamente lungo il sentiero 8/TVC, che abbandona la testata del Vallone di Grauson/Doreire verso l'Invergneux, girare a sinistra (Nord) sino all'Alpe di Grauson Nuove o Dessus (2.540 m), ove esisteva il Bivacco Tentori andato a fuoco nell'estate del 2000. Attraversando pendii erbosi tra grandi blocchi e sorgentelle, dopo un piccolo promontorio arrotondato, pervenire su tranquillo sentiero 8A/8B/102 dapprima ai Laghi delle "Rane" e poi Corona e da quest'ultimo in breve tempo e verso Oriente al Colle di St. Marcel o di Corona (2.641 m, 2.702 m, 2.931 m; 3h '30/4h '00).
B) - In ascent by St. Marcel towards the homonym valley, Grande Chaux and Corona's Hill: from the rotunda to the entry of the St. Marcel Commune, to go up over on a wide bridge the Dora Baltea, bringing himself in the center of the same in direction of his great Church; to edge it and to continue (manifold indications for which thing, with the purpose not to be wrong, to follow the poster of brown color with the wording Plout Sanctuary. To go up again toward South with the Regional Road towards the Hamlets Crétaz
(653m) and then, decidedly towards East, Jayer
(693m) and Mezein
(793m); immediately after this point, leaving on the left a ramification that goes down to the Municipality of Fénis (prohibition of transit for the cars), the road changes completely direction toward Southwest to reach the Village of Réan
(898m) and, through a long diagonal, the famous
Sanctuary of Plout (
898m;
* splendid
"Via Crucis" in the covered communication trench and before), where from centuries a procession happens departing really from St. Marcel. Doubling it same the road is again addressed to thin East to a wide hairpin-road, where it reenters towards the preceding direction reaching the Village of Seissogne
(1.066m) and, through great grasslands, the following one of Sazailland
(1.220m); they follow those of Ronc
(1.359m), Viplana
(1.346m), Champremier
(1.383m), over which he leaves on the left a deviation for the tall alpis of the Municipality Fénis (passable and open to the traffic) to reach the fork for Porteron (famous for his international footstep of the sled) and the following place of Leycher (
1.506m; famous
"Inn of the Devil"). Returning to East, the road leaves in low the short deviation for Lower Les Druges
(1.567m) to reach later immediately to
Upper Les Druges (
1.600m about; beautiful fountain near a small square wooden
"rascard" and just nearby votive small Chapel dedicated to St. Bernard, at the beginning of the path
n° 14 to Fontanafreida Alp
(1.810m), which is connected with the farm dirt road to the Alpe Bren
(1.961m) at the feet of Mont Corquet.
By Les Druges towards Grande Chaux: abandoning this deviation, from Les Druges "Alte", Pouria Pasture (
1.600m; various panels) starting from the small lay-by beyond the rocky-wooden dump of the above abandoned Coppermines Chuc-Servette, and after rounding the cape entering the real vallon, walk
"suspended" on the left (East) along the entire Vallon St. Marcel and, after passing a small gate, border of the Reserve by Marquis Turati ex Baron Peckoz, and after a short descent, remount passing through Mulàc Hunting House (
1.937m; beautiful fountain with wooden steinbock) boarding on the right (Northwest) the manganese old Mine of Praz Bornaz also Prabor(g)na (
1.882m; abandoned for years now). Cross the torrent on a footstep
(1.995m) and walk up (little steeper with a final ramp to the East) get two Plan Ruè Pastures
(2.100m) and, just after, to those Plan d'Emonin Dessous e Dessus Dessous e Dessus
(2.129m, 2.219m). Once in Layet (
2.233m; fine pond), flanked by a boulder, and in a short time, just after leaving the left (Southeast) deviation for Pastures of Petite Chaux
(2.419m), you get the hunting House "Turati", ex Hunting House Baron Beck Peckoz Gressoney
(2.370m), placed at the base of the Grand Vallon and Vallon Fenêtre. From Grand Chaux, leave on the Western side the route of the small vallon or Petit Vallon for the Leppe Pass and more to West-southwest the one of the big vallon also Grand Vallon (leading to the Vallonet Pass
(3.062m) along tracks, more straight but steep and tiring). Once at the fork
2.602 metres; in opposite the other path goes to Lavodilec Hill
(2.863m). Besides move more and more to the right, first with a Southerly direction and then the Southwest, crossing along a diagonal ascent on the morainic slopes of hanging Vallon Fenêtre you get the Saint Marcel also Corona Hill
(2.931m through the base trail
4/102; abundant presence of soapstone) and from here follow the route
8B/102 coming by Gimillan Hamlet (
E/F 1h'45/2h'15 from Grande Chaux Hunting House;
5h'30/6h'00 by Les Druges Village)