Travel program

DAY 1: from Terme di Valdieri, we'll head up the former military road to reach Pian del Valasco and its "castle": the former Savoy hunting lodge with its characteristic crenelated towers, now converted into a mountain hut; from here, we'll continue along an extraordinary paved mule track toward the Valscura Lakes, finding ourselves on a panoramic balcony over 2,000 meters high, facing one of the most breathtaking views of the Maritime Alps, enhanced by the contrast between the blue of the glacial lakes and the dark gray of the granite walls. On the way back to Piano del Valasco, we'll pass through a tunnel carved into the rock along the mule track, a masterpiece of military engineering.
Return to the hotel, dinner, and overnight stay.*

DAY 2: from Piano del Valasco, we'll tackle a steady climb to reach the Fremamorta Lakes, one of the most iconic viewpoints in the entire Alpine arc, on the border with the Mercantour Park. These are a series of bodies of water nestled among morainic debris, offering the most spectacular view of the Argentera Massif.
Return to the hotel, dinner, and overnight stay.*

DAY 3: we'll change scenery and head from San Giacomo di Entracque toward the Moncolomb Valley. The destination is Lake Vej del Bouc, which we'll reach after crossing the beautiful Pra del Rasur, tackling a series of switchbacks with a gentle slope until we arrive at the secluded glacial basin, surrounded by roche moutonnée, that hosts it. On these rocks, until a few years ago, some rock carvings could be found—now disappeared—similar to those of nearby Mount Bego in the Valley of Marvels (4th millennium BC).
Return to the hotel, dinner, and overnight stay.*

DAY 4: we'll go and discover another stunning body of water, Lake Nasta, located at 2,805 meters above sea level, about an hour and a half's walk from the Remondino Refuge.
Surrounded by the striking environment of the Argentera Massif, Lake Nasta is the highest perennial lake in the Maritime Alps Natural Park, immersed in a high-mountain setting characterized by peaks and spires, snowfields, and extensive scree slopes frequented by herds of ibex. The lake, often covered in snow until late in the season, is overlooked by some of the most famous 3,000-meter peaks in the area: Cima di Nasta, Baus, and Bastione.
Return to the hotel, dinner, and overnight stay.*

DAY 5: we'll climb to the Dante Livio Bianco Refuge, built on the shores of Lake Sottano della Sella, surrounded by a natural amphitheater of great interest where the unmistakable profile of Monte Matto stands out. Queen Elena of Montenegro, wife of Vittorio Emanuele III of Savoy, used to come here to find peace and enjoy fishing for the famous trout of the Gesso Valley.
Return to Sant'Anna di Valdieri, where our trek concludes.

*The base for this trek will be a hotel in Sant'Anna di Valdieri. Travel from the accommodation to the starting points of the excursions will be provided by shuttle.