boscomantico wrote:
There is only one “route” from the north to Aosta. From the eastern tip of Lac Leman, follow the Rhone valley southbound to Martigny, the follow the road up to the Grand St. Bernard pass and descend into Aosta. 9500+ feet MSL.
Not the easiest route to follow 
tricky left turn after actual Grand St. Bernard pass to get to MMNW2 which is also called Gran San Bernardo. You definitely have to know where you are and what you’re doing.
Indeed.
Assuming one can reach 10k altitude, how would one do it easily?
Peter wrote:
Assuming one can reach 10k altitude, how would one do it easily?
I don’t know… the one described really looks like the only one. I’ve never actually flown it VFR at that altitude; I just overflew it few times at much higher altitude.
If I understand you correctly the route you guys are describing is the red one.
Personally I have never flown it. I have indeed flown the blue one twice. Both S-bound (on arrival) as well as N-bound (on departure) it affords a smoother descent/climb profile leaving more room for performance management. The passes (highest point in the route) in both cases are right on the border CH-IT at 8200-8300ft so you need to be able to fly 9000ft (for ski, usually in cold conditions so achievable for a PA28-180 as @Peter sais) .
THis is a N-looking Google Earth (R) view of both passes with the actual pass circled
As you guys say, neither is the lowest pass in the Alps, so you need some comfort flying in the mountains for both. Having said that, both valleys are ample enough to leave room for a circling climb or a turnback if required, if you just avoid flying the centre of the valley.
Antonio wrote:
you need to be able to fly 9000ft (for ski, usually in cold conditions so achievable for a PA28-180 as @Peter sais)
A PA28-18x should have no problem flying at 10000 feet even in warm conditions. I’ve done it in a max loaded PA28-181 at ISA+10 – but of course in that case you don’t have much excess performance in case of downdrafts.
A PA28-18x has a ceiling of about 14k in ISA conditions. I was going to buy one c. 2001 and spend about 40k “doing it up”
And if crossing the Alps, one climbs high enough before the terrain, otherwise you end up doing this.
I would not recommend flying in the canyons (which is what many call “mountain flying”) because then you really need to know what you are doing.
because then you really need to know what you are doing.
I’d say that would apply to flying in general 
The area is my playground, but I will not help in the matter. Not being selfish, exclusive, authoritative, or else, but a qualified PPL or more should be able to plan, and safely conduct a flight, according to his own, the environmental, and the aircraft’s limitations.
It is enough “showing off” by publishing trip reports, flights thru the Alps, attractive pictures, etc, but I would have serious problems having given advice on a route to fly, only to have the candidate encounter problems on said flight.
Single engine flying thru the Alps is dangerous (different definitions, my in context favorite: likely to cause problems or to have adverse consequences).
PS
Yes, the above sentence applies to me too.
Peter wrote:
flying in the canyons (which is what many call “mountain flying”)
By that definition, flying into or out of LIMW is mountain flying.
IN order to avoid too much of a thread drift, I continued the discussion on a prior existing thread on mountain flying.
Antonio wrote:
By that definition, flying into or out of LIMW is mountain flying.
But there’s big difference on arriving from south and arriving from north or west. And there’s huge difference in flying in these conditions with low-powered SEP and anything else.
