Trip Itinerary

We meet  in the village Sant’Anna di Valdieri about an hour from Cuneo at the Albergo Balma-Meris. You should plan to arrive sometime that afternoon in time for our first evening meal. Sant’ Anna is a historic village in the deep Gesso valley. Once the summer residence of the kings of Italy, It has a grocery store and a small museum.

The next day, we climb 899 meters to the Rifugio Livio Bianco situated on a large alpine lake surrounded by high mountains. Half the ascent is through forests following the cascades  of the Meris valley, then we emerge into high alpine pasture-lands to  the Lago Sottano della Sella. This is an easy day following the guide’s rule that the first day of a mountain trek should be a half day. (Lunch not included on this day.)
Time: 3 hours. Distance 7.5km, Ascent: 899m

On one of the best days of our traverse, we hike up to the Colle Della Valetta(2488m) then along a rocky ridge with views in all directions to Colletto Est della Paur (2890m). We will probably use crampons. On the narrow alpine col, it will seem as if we are on top of the world. We cautiously descend 300 meters of talus slopes past a series of lakes and start a long traverse into the Valasco Valley. This has been rough terrain but now we will be on the graded hunting paths and roads made for the fat Italian kings. The lakes become more and more spectacular as we go past the beautiful Valscura and Claus lakes and end this remarkable day in the small refuge, Rifugio Questa perched in a high mountain cirque above a frozen lake.
Time: 7:30 hours, Distance: 15km, Ascent: 1144m, Descent: 666m

From the Terme di Valdieri, we climb up though larch woods, then though alpine meadows and  alpine glaciated terrain to the welcoming Rifugio Remondino (2430m) high up on  Mt. Argentera. In the afternoon, we will search for the legendary Sasifraga florulenta, a rare endemic flower that grows on vertical cliffs near the refuge and flowers in a great white spike after 28 years. (No lunch provided on this day)
Time: 3 hours, Distance 8km, Ascent 1062m

We climb up over the shoulder of the mighty Argentera to the Colle del Brocan at 2872 meters. Along the way we may take a side trip to the frozen Lago di Nastia set in a dramatic mountain cirque at 2800m. We will probably need crampons on this very alpine day. Then we descend snow slopes and couloirs to the Rifugio Genova(2015) situated between two lakes.
Time 6 hours. Distance 6.5km, Ascent 877m, Descent 877m

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 with wild views of the Mount Gelas 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 and go down a stony track to San Giacamo (1213m).
Time 5 hours.  Distance: 16.2 km.  Ascent 493m, Descent 1250m

From San Giacamo, we go up a dirt road past yet another royal hunting lodge and enter the Vallone de Moncolomb, traverse the memorable Pra de Rasur, a great meadow at the  head  of the valley and then start the long and complicated and beautiful  ascent to the Rifugio Pagari, the highest and most remote refuge in the Maritimes. The Pagari hut guardian provides the best food we may have on our trek and also makes an excellent home made beer which some of us may want to try after the long ascent. (No lunch provided on this day)
Time 6hours. Distance 11.3 km, Ascent 1437m

This is our day to climb mountains. From the hut, we do the easy walk up peak, Cima di Pagari at 2905 meters. This will take us about one hour there and back. Then we will descend a few minutes from the Passo di Pagari at 2819m to a trail which we will follow to the summit of Monte Clapier at 3045 meters. From the summit we return to the trail and descend steeply to the Refuge Nice at 2232 meters. We are now in France.
Time: 6hours. Distance 6km, Ascent 600m, Descent 950m

Leaving the Nice refuge, we climb past lakes and waterfalls to the Baisse du Basto (2693m), traverse a  mountain shelf  down to another col, the Baisse Valmasque(2549) and then enter the Valley of Marvels. In two or three kilometers, this valley contains about 45,000 rock carvings made  5000 years ago. There are interpretive tablets set up along the way to help us appreciate them. We spend the night at the Refuge des Merveilles, located at the entrance to the valley among some mountain lakes.   
Time 6hours.Distance 8.8km, Ascent 610m, Descent 712m

We go by Lac Superiore, descend past a series of waterfalls and cascades, and then climb up to the rocky Baisse de Vallauretta and down into the Valley of Fontanalba. This is another center of rock engravings, somewhat different from those we saw in the Valle des Merveilles. We will take a side trail and spend an hour or two to visit them. Then we go down steep switchbacks through a thick conifier forest to the hamlet of Casterino and our final nights destination, the Hotel Chamois d’Or. 
Time:6.5 hours. Distance: 10.6km, Ascent 360m,Descent 947m

After breakfast, a bus takes us to the train station at St Dalmas di Tende in the Roya Valley. Nice is an hour and a half away. This is the end of our trek..

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