Testa Grigia / Tête grise, Alpine summit on the Swiss-Italian border in Valais

Testa Grigia is an alpine summit on the border between Valais and Aosta Valley, separating Switzerland and Italy. The mountain reaches 3,479 meters in elevation and overlooks the Theodul Glacier and the Plateau Rosa.

The border between Italy and Switzerland was only loosely fixed by the watershed when the first cable car was built in 1935. In 1937 the builders asked Swiss diplomats in Turin and Rome for permission to place the top station on the rocky knoll crossed by the border; Bern hesitated over Mussolini's regime, then agreed, and new boundary stones were set in 1938. The Breuil-Cervinia lift opened in 1939, and from the early 1970s ski lifts from Trockener Steg served the summit in winter and summer.

The name translates to Grey Head in both Italian and French, reflecting the linguistic diversity of the Swiss-Italian border region.

Access typically comes through Zermatt, which provides accommodation, dining options, and professional mountain guides for safe climbing. Careful planning and proper equipment are essential, as the elevation and alpine conditions present significant challenges.

The summit holds the Rifugio Guide del Cervino and a telecommunications installation. The 1935 cable car line relied on a watershed boundary that was only precisely marked with new border stones in 1938, after Swiss authorities overcame reluctance tied to Mussolini's regime. In the early 2020s the shifting watershed put a mountain hut astride the border.