Trip Itinerary

We meet at the Albergo Ligure, Via Vittorio Emmanuele 3, in Vinadio on Monday June 15. Vinadio is a village of 1200 inhabitants and you will have no difficulty in finding the hotel. You should plan to arrive sometime that afternoon in time for our first evening meal. We will have a chance to review our clothing and gear before we start the next day. We will have double rooms at the albergo.

After breakfast, we take a van up the valley of the Rio Freddo and then walk to the Rifugio Malinvern (1839m). This will take less than two hours and a thousand feet of ascent on a dirt road following the old guide’s rule that the first day should be very easy. After lunch at the rifugio, we can take a short steep hike though open pastures and old larch woods to some small alpine lakes at 2291 meters, 1hr 40 min. The ambitious on this first day can continue up to the Passo d’Orgials at 2600 m, 40 min further, and great views of the Maritime and Cottian Alps. You are also welcome to stay around the hut. Lunch is not included on this day. Time to refuge, 2hr, Distance: 3km/1.85m, Ascent: 300m/984 ft

We climb out of the valley of the Rio Freddo up into alpine terrain passing the Malinvern lake, cross the Colletta di Valscura at 2520 m and then descend and traverse through some of the finest terrain on the trip, with alpine cirques and lakes and mountains everywhere. Our goal is the small and friendly Rifugio Questa perched on the side of a high alpine lake at 2388m. After a break, those who wish can hike up to a high col above the rifugio, Paso de la Pallette (2619), 231 meters of ascent. Time:  3hr 30 min. Distance: 5km/3.1m. Ascent:  700m/2297ft, Descent: 300m/984ft (Trail lunch provided)

From the Terme di Valdieri, we climb up though larch woods, then alpine meadows with water cascades and finally alpine glaciated terrain to the welcoming Rifugio Morelli- Buzzi (2351m) under the great southern face of Mt. Argentera. Trail lunch is not included on this day so we can dine on the terrace. The ascent is substantial but we will be on one of the royal paths constructed for the kings of Italy in the nineteenth century. These kings were old and fat and the happy result for us is that we will never ascend a thousand meters more easily than this day. Time:  Four hours, Distance: 4 km/2.5m. Ascent:  961m/3153ft

In about an hour on alpine terrain and snow, we will climb up to the high Colle de Chapious (2526m). Then we have an uninterrupted descent down on to the Gesso Valley. This stage is particularly rich in king ibex and chamois which we will almost certainly see. At the end of the descent, we arrive at the large Chiotas reservoir and go around it to our destination for the night, the Genova rifugio at 2015 meters. When I stayed there in 2009, in the evening, groups of king ibex fed in the meadows near the hut. In the afternoon, we can take a short hike to a lake further up the valley or ascend to the Passo della Rovina at 2724 meters. Time: 4hrs. Distance: 4km/2.5m. Ascent: 175 m/574ft. Descent: 550 m/1804ft (Hot showers, lunch provided)

From the Genova hut, we traverse around the lake and then ascend to the impressive Colle di Fenestrelle  (2463m). As we ascend, we gradually get a view of the entire south side of the Agentera. It is a wild landscape all around as we cross the great mountain ridge and then start the descent into another fork of the Gesso valley. The descent is substantial but relatively easy because it is well graded. This is another day where we are likely to meet many ibex and chamois. Finally we reach the floor of the valley at 1800 meters. We turn up the valley and walk thirty minutes to the Rifugio Soria-Ellena (1840 m) where we will spend the night. Time 4 hr. Distance:  5.5km/3.4m. Ascent: 490 m/1608ft. Descent: 663m/2175ft. (Lunch provided)

The next morning, we have an hour and a half walk down a gentle mountain track to our destination for the night, San Giacamo and the Forestria refuge (1213m). In the afternoon, we can hike up to the great Raus meadow in an adjoining valley above San Giacamo. If anyone is more ambitious, there are some high lakes perched above the meadow which would make a fine objective. (Hot showers in San Giacamo) Time: 2hr. Distance:5km/3.4m. Descent: 627m/2057ft (Lunch provided)

From San Giacamo, we go down the valley on a gentle forest track for about 45 minutes to the Ponte Della Rovina (978m). We then climb out of the Gesso Valley to the Colle Vallietto 1515m) and continue through forest and high pasture lands to the  mountain hamlet of Trinita (1091m). Here we will stay in a posto tappa, a mountain home converted into shelter for hikers. We will stay at the family owned Locanda del Sorriso. (Sorriso means smile) (Double rooms with shared baths.) The posto tappa are renowned for their warm welcome and their food .Time: 5 hours. Distance: 10.9km/6.8miles. Ascent: 750m/2460ft Descent: 880 meters/2887ft. (Lunch not included)

The next day, we climb up though woods and the rocky valley of the Vallone Grande to a saddle and then up a series of limestone terraces to the Colle del Garbella at 2170m. Then we follow an open ridge with many views, the Costa di Planard. From there we descend through meadows and pastures to the village of Palanfre and our posto tappa, the Locanda del Parco at 1379m.Time: 5hr. Distance: 10km/6.2miles. Ascent 1080m/3543ft. Descent 790m/2591ft (Lunch not included)

Our trip ends with a spectacular flourish as we go up a long forested valley which turns into grasslands, goes past some small alpine lakes and then goes over a rocky ridge to the Passo di Cotto Mieu at 2274 m. We have terrific views of the Argentera and the rest of the park to the north and are overshadowed by the limestone walls of the Monte Frisson. From the col, we can take a 30 minute side trip up a ridge to the Monte Cotto Mieu, one hundred meters higher. Then we descend the mountain side past high shepherd’s huts to the village of Limonetto (1294m)  We walk a mile and a half down an ancient Roman road to our last albergo, the Edelweiss.(double rooms)Time: 5hr. Distance: 10km/ 6.2m. Ascent 940m/3084ft. Descent: 1000 m/3280ft. (Lunch not included)

After breakfast, we take the local bus to the bustling village of Limone. From here, we have rail connections to Cuneo and to Nice. This is the end of our trek.

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