Champoluc is a village in the commune of Ayas, in the province of

Aosta Valley , Valdostan or Valdotainian it, Valdostano (man) it, Valdostana (woman)french: Valdôtain (man)french: Valdôtaine (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = Official languages , population_blank1 = Italian French ...

, Northern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. The area is known as a centre for hiking, mountaineering and skiing, particularly around the

Monte Rosa Massif : , other_name = Monte Rosa massif , translation = Mount Rose , photo = Dufourspitze (Monte Rosa) and Monte Rosa Glacier as seen from Gornergrat, Wallis, Switzerland, 2012 August.jpg , photo_caption = Central Mon ...

Geography

It is one of the 3 main villages in the commune of Ayas, together with Antagnod (where the town hall is located) and Saint-Jacques. It lies at an altitude of 1568 meters in a broad flat part of the upper Ayas valley. Above Champoluc, to the East, is the ''Plan du Crest'' (1975 meters), one of the largest ski areas in the

, reachable by cable car from the centre of the village. In summer, the Crest is a popular place for hiking.

Climate

The climate is quite cold in winter (with minima around -15 ° / -20 °C). The rainfall is low. In spring and summer, temperatures rise remarkably, with peaks of 20 ° / 22 °C and the wind is more frequent. Summer is short, with autumn starting in September, accompanied by drier days and lower temperatures.

Tourism and Economy

Champoluc is a well-known ski resort, part of the

Monterosa Ski The Monterosa Ski is an Italian ski resort, at the foot of Monte Rosa the second tallest mountain in the Alps, which links three valleys, located largely in the Aosta Valley and the remainder in Piedmont. Much of the area consists of easy and int ...

area which connects the upper reaches of the valleys of Ayas, Lys and Valsesia (the latter is located in the Piedmont). The highest point of the Champoluc skiing is at the

Col du Bätt In geomorphology, a col is the lowest point on a mountain ridge between two peaks.Whittow, John (1984). ''Dictionary of Physical Geography''. London: Penguin, 1984, p. 103. . It may also be called a gap. Particularly rugged and forbidding co ...

(2676 meters) where lifts and runs allow connection to the Lys Valley and to

Gressoney-La-Trinité Gressoney-La-Trinité (Gressoney wae, Greschòney Drifaltigkeit or ; frp, Gressonèy-La-Trinità) is a town or ''commune'' and renowned alpine resort at the foot of Monte Rosa in the Val de Gressoney, which is part of the Aosta Valley region of ...

. Champoluc is the largest resort in the Monterosa area with great glacier views and wide variety of off-piste. Summer tourism is also a significant source of income in the area, with many hiking trails in the

History and Culture

Champoluc and other villages and hamlets in the upper Val d'Ayas were areas inhabited by

Walser The Walser people are the speakers of the Walser German dialects, a variety of Highest Alemannic. They inhabit the region of the Alps of Switzerland and Liechtenstein, as well as the fringes of Italy and Austria. The Walser people are named a ...

s during their migrations. Traces of their culture are still evident. Locally this part of the valley is called ''Canton des Allemands'' (French for "Germans' Canton").

References

Guardian, 27 September 2008

Guardian, 23 November 2008

Timesonline, 18 October 2009

External links

Frazioni of Aosta Valley Ayas, Aosta Valley {{Aosta-geo-stub