The Rutor waterfalls are one of the most evocative landscape corners of the Aosta Valley. They arise from a stream fed by numerous lakes near the Rutor glacier, the sixth in Italy, from which the falls are named.
Testa del Rutor (3486 m) is located in Valgrisenche, a small valley in the Aosta Valley characterized by many small lakes. The Testa del Rutor is a sort of 'privileged balcony' from where the view can range from Mont Blanc al Gran Paradiso and Monte Rosa.
The Rutor waterfalls, a magnificent natural spectacle in the Alps
To admire the beauty of this extraordinary naturalistic scenery, you can walk along the path that leads from La Joux leads to La Thuile. Among the coniferous forests, after about twenty minutes of walking along the mule track, you will arrive at the observation point of the first waterfall at an altitude of 1700 meters.
Continue through the woods until you reach the Parcet hut (1.772 m); then resume the climb up the path, until you reach the second waterfall located at 1.850 meters above sea level. After a few hairpin bends, the hiker also finds himself in front of the third waterfall, near a crossroads that offers the possibility of reaching the Deffeyes Refuge (2.494 m) or to deviate in the direction of the Lakes of Bellacomba.
The Rutor waterfalls and the glacier that feeds them
The Rutor glacier dominates the valley and can be admired from any perspective. With its 8,4 square kilometers of surface, it is the third largest in the Aosta Valley after that of Miage (10,6 km2) and Lys (9,6 km2). The glacier forms a large cap that from the Testa del Rutor descends to an altitude of 2.500 meters, feeding some lakes. 150 years have passed since the sudden emptying of the Lake of Santa Margherita which caused the last flood in the town of La Thuile.
On that occasion, the glacier front withdrew definitively from the shores of the lake in 1864. Since then the lake has no longer been blocked by ice and the melting waters of the Rutor have started to flow downstream again regularly, generating the beautiful spectacle of waterfalls. In ancient times, in the month of July, the people of La Thuile went up in procession to the glacier to pray and ward off other possible floods.
Excursions through woods, paths and waterways
Excursions are planned for Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 July, one on the glacier and the other in Valgrisenche. The two days are organized by the CAI (Italian Alpine Club). Naturally, the naturalistic itinerary also includes a stop at the Rutorine waterfalls which are among the most beautiful in the region.
Three impetuous jumps of water that are thrown between gorges and precipices, giving life to the Dora del Rutor. Those who want to enjoy an even more suggestive view can climb the bridge of the third waterfall, inaugurated in 2014, for the 150th anniversary of the birth of the waterfalls. The two-day itineraries include routes for adults and also for children.
