Travel program

1st DAY: Our journey begins in San Giacomo di Entracque, where we ascend an ancient glacial valley along the historic mule track that once connected Piedmont with Nice and served as a "salt road." About four hours of hiking lead us to Rifugio Pagarì (2650 m), the highest in the Maritime Alps, where we have dinner—perhaps toasting with the beer brewed by the manager—and spend the night.

2nd DAY: From the refuge, we pick up the trail again to reach Passo Pagarì. From here, we descend into the wild Vallon de la Gordolasque in the Mercantour National Park, in the presence of the majestic Mont Gelas (3143 m). Arriving at Chalet de la Madone de Fenestre, a refuge adjacent to the ancient sanctuary of Notre Dame de Fenestre, adds a touch of history and spirituality to the stage. Here we have dinner and spend the night.

3rd DAY: We ascend the wide Vallon de Fenestre, which offers a beautiful view of numerous glacial lakes scattered here and there among suggestive landscapes, to reach Colle di Finestra. This pass, along with the Ciriegia pass, was used in September 1943 by Jews confined in Saint-Martin-Vésubie to flee to Italy. From the pass, we descend towards Rifugio Soria Ellena, where we have dinner and spend the night.

4th DAY: We set off towards Rifugio Remondino: we say a final goodbye to the Gelas massif to change perspective and approach the queen of the Maritime Alps: Argentera. Passing the imposing Chiotas basin and Rifugio Genova-Figari, we ascend one of the slopes of the majestic mountain until we reach Passo del Brocan (2892 meters) and descend to Rifugio Remondino, where we have dinner and spend the night.

5th DAY: The stage starts with a descent, later leading us to the beautiful Fremamorta Lakes and the Colletto del Valasco. After crossing it, we reach Rifugio Questa, where we have dinner and spend the night.

6th DAY: We set off early in the morning, following one of the most remarkable and best-preserved trail works in the Maritime Alps with modest elevation gain: a completely paved former military road that leads first to Lake Claus and then to the Valscura Lakes. From here, in the afternoon, we follow a mule track through a spectacular tunnel carved into the rock to reach Piano del Valasco and the refuge of the same name, a former hunting lodge of the House of Savoy. Finally, winding down turn after turn, we descend on a mule track to Terme di Valdieri, where our trekking tour concludes.