AT THE VALLONE OF MARMORA

From Lou Pitavin, located at the mouth of the vallone di Marmora, good walkers can go up the main stream to its headwaters near the Gias Maro and also get tol Colle del Mulo, where we overlook Altopiano della Bandia and in short – through the Colle d’Ancoccia – you are at the foot of Rocca la Meja and the lake of the same name.

To the same locations, without being excellent walkers, one can get there by motorized means by following the road that leads to the Colle di Esischie, watershed with the Grana Valley above the famous shrine of Castelmagno, and from here to the Colle Fauniera; until recently, before the passage of the Giro d’Italia, the latter was known as Colle dei Morti and replaced in Fauniera (which is the name of a nearby mountain) because it was considered too “gloomy” (actually the memory of a battle-ambush of 1744 and therefore of historical value). On the Fauniera, the Col Cuneo cycling association had a monument erected in marble from Ormea to commemorate the exploits of Marco Pantani, who starred here with Savoldelli in a past edition of the Giro. Passing briefly through the upper part of the Vallone dell’Arma di Demonte, in the Stura Valley, we arrive at the Colle di Valcavera where the asphalt road ends.

We recommend continuing further to the Bandia barracks, a strategic military garrison for the defense of the borders, from which you can access on foot again by cartroad to the nearby Mulo and Ancoccia passes or to the Margherina Pass, from which you can admire the superb Rocca la Meja and the now famous Altopiano della Gardetta.

A day full of natural beauty that will certainly remain etched in visitors’ memories. Here is a piece of advice that we feel is important for those arriving from Marmora: be extremely careful of cyclists coming down Col d’Esischie; this is where the race of the “Fausto Coppi” and it is very easy to encounter runners in training or simply dealing with the roughness of the course, which is selective both uphill and downhill. Be very careful!

If, on the other hand, you just want to take a nice walk in the woods, go up the creek from Borgata Finello via the cappella di San Sebastiano (stop to observe its precious frescoes, which are part of Mistá’s cultural circuit) and the borgata Torello. From here connect to the Occitan Trails and walk up among the larches as long as you feel like it: the sound of the stream will keep you company, and with a little stubbornness you can reach Resile Lake; the effort of the walk will surely pay off.