2350 meters up in one day – Hiking trip

To move your body up the hill requires a lot of energy, time, and dedication. It’s even harder when your body has never moved in such a way and experiences pain even walking on flat ground. The trip proposed here doesn’t cancel the force that needs to be applied, but it does reduce it. Determination and a love for nature are still required — however, it could be done by anyone who has those two things.

There are two main ways to get to Aosta – the starting point of the journey – from Turin. You could take a train (note: as of summer 2025, half of the route Turin–Ivrea is by actual train, but the rest is suspended and replaced with a bus from Ivrea to Aosta), or you can choose a direct Flixbus. Aosta is a very popular stop for Flixbuses, as they continue further to Switzerland. The price for both options is €10 one way.

If you depart at around 7:30 a.m., you can arrive there 1 hour and 45 minutes later. Perfect timing, as the start of our trip has just opened: a funicular – active both in winter and summer! In wintertime, Aosta becomes a world hub for skiing. In summer, the alpine slopes are ready to be hiked. The funicular costs €8 for a round trip. A 6-person-wide transparent cabin takes you to the altitude of 1800 meters in just 15 minutes. It is quite windy but manageable, even for those afraid of such adventures.

Once you arrive at the top, passing by a cow herd on the way, a breathtaking view of the Alps opens up on your left, where you can see glaciers on the perfectly unsnowed mountains, as well as the famous Mont Blanc. Here, your trip might as well be over — the combination of a great café (with prices similar to those of a bar in Turin) and a great view could be everything one needs in life to be happy.

However, if after a €2.50 breakfast, you decide to try hiking, Pila – the name of the town we rode to – offers a variety of perfectly managed and structured hiking paths. They are separated into four main categories:

T – touristic walk

E – trekking without technical difficulty

EE – trekking for experts

EE A – trekking with equipment

Our trip for today is an E. From the center of Pila to a picturesque mountain lake, it’s 2.7 kilometers and 550 meters higher. The route takes 1 hour and 30 minutes on average, and it is route number 16. The paths are clearly marked with posts and pointers all over the place, so you could go without a map. Still, I would recommend taking a free one available at the exit of the funicular, on your right.

How to actually do hiking?

Everyone says – go hiking. So you arrive there, hopefully there is a funicular, and you get higher and closer to your goal so you can finish your hike in just one day — but what do you actually do?

You prepare beforehand. Comfortable clothes, some high-calorie food, water, sunscreen, and something to cover yourself from the sun. Keep it light, but take everything that makes you feel secure outdoors.

Then start walking. What pace should you keep? How many breaks should you take? Do you breathe with your mouth or with your nose? It’s very individual. You just start walking, and whenever you feel like it — stop. Hiking is not just a sport activity; it is also a form of mental health preventive care. Being happy is as important as being hydrated (allegorically) on a hike.

After the pine forest bit, you climb over the ski slope, and then some alpine grass with a view of some of the biggest glaciers in Europe (still there when you go, hopefully). Then, you arrive at the lake Chamolé. A great place to have lunch, I must say. It’s quite a popular location — plus, there is an open funicular that takes you back just 5 minutes away from the lake for €14 one way (which is neither cheap nor hiking, still, it makes the lake an incredibly accessible spot for a picnic without the hassle). Soon after starting your descent, you’ll find bathrooms with drinkable water as well.

Due to renovation, some of the hiking trails — such as number 22 that leads the other way, back to Pila — aren’t always easy to follow. But this is a great place to start your hiking “career”. There’s no way to get lost: as long as you follow the general directions, you will meet other people every 5 to 10 minutes.

Pila’s summer season is open from 21 June to 7 September. The important thing to keep in mind is to come back before 18:00 to catch the last funicular.