path transits at the foot of splendid Mongioie. By way of Passo delle Saline, a reminder of the long-gone salt trade, it touches on friendly Rifugio Mondovì, where the risk of being waylaid by a mouth-watering lunch is elevated. But it is crucial to push on to see 2651m Marguareis, the highest mountain in the Ligurian Alps. Here beautiful sweeps of limestone landscape include tell-tale signs of karstification – sink holes, dolina basins and extensive underground caves. An old paved military track winds unhurriedly upwards to the exhilarating grassy ridge separating France and Italy, where a remarkable string of six monumental forts from the late 1800s still stand guard. Showcase Fort Central overlooks Colle di Tenda, where views now embrace the Maritime Alps, pale and very promising.
The Maritime Alps: from Limonetto to Pontebernardo
A morning’s walk from Limonetto, Passo Ciotto Mieu acts as the gateway to the wonderful Maritimes. A short detour is rewarded with a brilliant lookout over the vast Po plain to the unmistakable pyramid of Monviso, succeeded by glittering if distant glaciated Monte Rosa, where the GTA will come to its grandiose finale many weeks on.
Tiny lakes at Colle di Fenestrelle
Down Vallone degli Alberghi with its pretty tarns, the steep path passes through beautiful beech wood, glorious colours highlighted by filtered sunlight. The day comes to a satisfying if tiring end at the peaceful hamlet of Palanfré, home to an excellent dairy and walker’s hostel.
Grassy slopes precede broad-ridged Costa di Planard. It’s hard to know which way to look here. In late summer the best direction is up for the airborne procession of birds of prey migrating south – golden eagles, black kites and sparrow-hawks. Volunteers spend days on end monitoring their progress and keeping a tally of numbers and species. The birds’ flight takes them over the wild heart of the Maritimes, a multitude of sharp, toothy grey-green points. What a sight!
Over in wooded Valle Gesso a steep track emerges at the foot of neck-cricking 3142m Monte Gelàs, dubbed the ‘Mont Blanc of the Maritimes’. Here Rifugio Soria-Ellena at 1840m is a good place to overnight and fraternise with the French randonneurs who come via Col di Fenestre, a pass that has seen centuries of pilgrims, traders and even hapless refugees in 1943 fleeing occupied France.
A crazily zigzagging path concludes at 2463m Colle di Fenestrelle and an unworldly corridor where ibex hang out on vertical perches, keeping a watchful eye on the two-legged intruders. Just a few steps on comes the breathtaking vision of the Argentera, the queen of the Maritimes, and what a beauty! A huge clump of interlinked mountains rather than a single peak, reminiscent of an awesome impenetrable fortress. A roller-coaster route across rock-strewn slopes in the company of chamois and vast spreads of wild flowers leads along its northern flanks and Canale di Lourousa, a vertiginous ice-bound gully. A tiny red bivouac hut can be spotted up there, essential shelter for climbers.
The contrast with the day’s destination couldn’t be more striking; nestled in beechwood hundreds of metres below in Vallone Gesso della Valletta is the old-style spa resort of Terme di Valdieri (1368m), all the rage in the 1800s thanks to scorching hot mineral springs used for therapeutic purposes. The ageing Grand Hotel and Swiss-style chalets offer a hint of erstwhile charm and elegance. At the time this beautiful valley was at the heart of a game reserve owned by Italy’s royal family, and paved tracks designed for horse-ridden parties still venture high onto Piano di Valasco, popular these days with picnicking Italian families taking a day out from the summer heat on the plains. Streams cascade through the pasture basin carpeted with a riot of wild flowers and crowned by a majestic line-up of soaring grey jagged ridges. Past a hunting pavilion converted into a refuge, the path gains height beneath Testa di Claus. A highly recommended detour branches off to Rifugio Questa, a spartan hut with an outdoor loo that doubles as a superb belvedere.
An intact section of hunting track leads via pretty tarns on a section to be savoured slowly for its beauty. Further ahead comes Vallone di Riofreddo, a clearly recognisable U-shape created by an ancient glacier. Soaring at its head is superb Testa di Malinvern, which can be admired at length thanks to the modern refuge on the valley floor.
The following stage visits the historic sanctuary of Sant’Anna di Vinadio, the highest of its kind in the whole of the Alps. It has provided a roof and victuals to pilgrims and travellers since the Middle Ages, and modern-day visitors can enjoy comfortable lodgings. The tiny porticoed church is a masterpiece of popular art, its walls plastered with ex voto plaques to thank the Virgin Mary’s mother for her mercy. Further down, Vinadio and its hot baths are touched on as the GTA transits via the traffic artery of Valle Stura.
Laghi della Valletta en route to Passo di Orgials
The Cottian Alps: from Pontebernardo to Susa
The incontestable star and a highlight of the Cottian Alps is the Monviso. The GTA’s approach to the stone giant takes place over a full four stages, with an excited build-up of anticipation. In the meantime there are stunning locations to be enjoyed. A 1300m uphill slog on old military tracks leads into the beautiful high-altitude plateau, Piano della Gardetta, and a lively refuge. Here the focus is the elegant soaring form of Rocca La Meja, its unusual pale aspect due to the dolomite rock that is its main constituent.
More treats are in store with the crossing of upper Val Maira in the company of twin quartzite needles Rocca Provenzale and Castello, the antics of acrobatic climbers providing a good excuse for a rest stop. Splendid waterfalls form the backdrop for concentrations of divine blue mountain cornflowers that stain the grass, while the scent from pinks is all-pervading. All the while the path ascends unremittingly to the isolated 2804m pass of Colle di Bellino.
Below is Valle Varaita di Bellino, a wonderland of slate-roofed houses with overhanging eaves sustained by graceful round stone columns. It would be a great shame to rush through here and miss a stroll through the quiet atmospheric villages; time seems to have passed them by, and the traditional farming lifestyle persists. Artistic sundials grace the walls as do wise sayings, many in the curious medieval language of the Occitan population, which has strong links to faraway Provence. Passers-by are reminded that Lou soulei nais per tuchi, ‘the sun rises for everyone’.
The village of Chiappera with Rocca Provenzale
On the neighbouring ridge is 2248m Colletto della Battagliola, a breathtaking lookout to the Monviso, which entirely fills your field of vision with its massive pyramidal bulk. An inspiring sight. Now two very special full days can be looked forward to, with an exhilarating climb to rugged heights where desolation reigns amidst clutters of tarns and snow patches. It’s quite a haul to where the vertiginous southeastern face of the Monviso rises a jaw-dropping 1200m from its base to peak at 3841m. And what better place to drink in this magnificence than at Rifugio Quintino Sella, a landmark Italian mountain hut named in honour of one of the founders of the Italian Alpine Club in 1863.
Several valleys on, as the path emerges from the cover of wood, walkers are treated to the extraordinary sight of the 18th-century fortress of Fenestrelle crawling up the flanks of Val Chisone opposite, with a 3km wall that rises an incredible 600m in height. A full day is needed
