Bessanèse, Mountain peak in Graian Alps, France and Italy
Bessanèse is a 3,601 m peak on the France–Italy border in the Graian Alps, above Balme and Bessans. Its summit sits on a 150 m ridge, with the Bessanese glacier below on the Italian side and the Grandes Pareis glacier on the French side. The upper part is dark, striated rock with snow in the gullies; lower flanks are scree and snow.
The sources record no first-ascent date or climber. They state only that the summit taxed alpinists considerably at the end of the 19th century and that reaching it is still not considered trivial today. The normal route climbs the west, French side, from Pian della Mussa via the Rifugio Bartolomeo Gastaldi and the col d'Arnas; the Italian side offers the spigolo Murari.
The name Uia comes from the local patois for "needle, sharp point", while Bessanese refers to the French commune of Bessans below the peak. On the French side, the song "La Bessanèse" is widely known and tied to the mountain.
The approach begins from Bessans village and continues through Avérole Valley where parking facilities exist for starting the hike. Visitors should expect demanding conditions at high altitude with exposed ridges and rocky terrain.
The name Uia comes from the local patois for "needle, sharp point", while Bessanese refers to the French commune of Bessans below the peak. In France a song titled La Bessanèse is widely known. The summit sits on a ridge about 150 m long on the Italian-French border.
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