Mount Chialmo – Grana valley

Continue the climb among the houses in Colletto, perched on a narrow pass in an enchanting scenic position, until you reach the square in front of the church. Then follow the indications for Campofei on the left (direct) and along a signposted, slightly downwards path that cuts through a wooded escarpment and passes close by two wayside shrines that bear testimony to the deep devotion of our ancestors.

A few dozen of metres further on, we cross a torrent over a characteristic log bridge and a more marked climb takes us past the old Albré houses. The trail continues along hairpin bends, flanking other old houses higher up and the crossroads towards the Croce hamlet – which we pass by to move on to the first houses in the hamlet of Campofei (1428 m).

Passing some houses on the left and following the signposts, we reach the tiny scenic square of the Chandarfei farmhouse and the XIX century chapel, where it is well worth enjoying a pause.

Moving around the farmhouse and the church on the left, we pass by a wash house and then head towards the hamlet of Grange higher up, which in recent years has seen some excellent restoration projects.

We now follow the path between the houses and continue into a larch wood, where there is a crossroads further on.

We turn right along the direct route to Colle della Margherita. This stretch of the itinerary offers splendid views overlooking Colletto, our starting point. Taking a half turn across the grassy meadows, we reach first a ruin and then a huge pine. At the crossroads, do not take the path to Rocca Lingera and Cauri on the right. The panorama opens up behind us, dominated by the pyramid-shaped Mount Tibert (2648 m), the highest peak in the Grana valley.

Continuing over a traverse to the left, the path follows the upper edges of an impressive larch wood, gradually becoming steeper until it joins the gravel road between Valliera and Grange Sarià (1742 m). We continue towards the latter, following the slightly uphill gravel road for one hundred metres or so.

Near the superbly restored first house, we take a path on the right towards Colle della Margherita. The trail now becomes more demanding (absolutely avoid it if there is snow) but also more varied and interesting because it flanks the protrusions and recesses of very steep grassy slopes over a rather long stretch.

It takes us to Passetto (1820 m), a small, inconspicuous hill that separates the Valliera and the Cauri valleys.

The truly scenic climb is steep in some points but flattens out somewhat near Colle della Margherita (1980 m), which we reach along a traverse cut on the left. The view opens out here on the left side over the Maira valley, enclosed at end by its most important peaks, and the ever-present Monviso.

Leaving the trail towards the Rocca della Cernauda on the left (west), we reach Mount Chialmo on the right along the slight slope, which emerges soon after a hillock.

This scenic viewpoint has an orientation table indicating the main peaks in the surroundings.

Returning to the path, we turn back first to Colle della Margherita and then to Grange Sarià. We avoid repeating the outward journey by taking the easy-going gravel road that leads us to the enchanting hamlets of Batuira (1647 m) and Valliera (1510 m), where the Refuge of the same name is located.

We continue our descent from Valliera, again along the gravel and then asphalt road, as far as Colletto, where we finish the circuit in one of the most beautiful side valleys of the Grana valley. Its sunny hamlets are coming to life again today.