From the Galaberna hiking refuge you reach the hairpin bend to the left that leads up to the upper villages (follow the signs); enter the village centre and just before the town hall take a stone staircase to the left that leads up to the buildings on the asphalt road. Continue for about 100 m until the next hairpin bend, which you avoid by starting to climb up again to the right between the houses. Back on the asphalt road (signposted Via don Federico Palme - S. Bernardo), after passing a small stream, at a new hairpin bend next to the municipal cemetery you reach a crossroads (approx.1285 m ): the fork on the left, the main one all on asphalt, goes towards the hamlet of S. Antonio and hamlet of Bernardi, the one on the right (signposted S. Bernardo) runs alongside the cemetery and climbs up towards the houses further up, then with a couple of bends on the path and a short direct ramp back onto the asphalt. After going along one of the two stretches of your choice, you will reach the crossroads (approx.1310m ) where you have to follow the right fork leading to the chapel of S. Bernardo (approx.1350 m ). A narrow dirt road crosses the village, then continues first as a steeply sloping path, then more moderately; shortly afterwards you leave the right turning downhill towards the hamlet of Ciampetti and keep to the left fork that climbs with some grassy stretches here and there. At the second crossroads, leave the ascent towards the Ruà to the left and continue to the right until the Nais; a short uphill stretch finally leads to the square below the chapel of S. Nicolao (approx. 1410 m).The religious building stands on a rocky shelf in a dominant position (approx. 1420 m) from which you can enjoy a splendid view of the Monviso group and the valley floor by looking out carefully from the rocks behind. You go to the bottom of the wide square below the church of S. Nicolao and follow the ancient street - object of recent repair works - which is on the left. The route crosses shortly after a crossroads in a panoramic location called Lou Béc dë lh'Acasét: leave the path on the left that leads to the Mèire da Crouç and proceed directly with a short uphill climb at the end, until you reach a hollow in the woods (approx.1470 m ) called Sarlichart. Leave the diversion to the left for the Mèire da Crouç and continue in the direction of Oscho along the narrow lane on the hillside gradually descending to Lou Pont (approx. 1435 m). After crossing the small brook, continue through the wood with an almost flat path until you reach a second watercourse, then on gradually more open ground you will reach the ridge that leads shortly to the narrow hollow overlooking the Castel d'la Soma (approx. 1400 m) from where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the valley floor.  You descend to the left with a series of narrow hairpin bends on grassy ground, rapidly losing altitude until the point where the path stretches progressively eastwards.In a landscape characterised by some wonderful views, continue past a couple of small watercourses, then, having reached a depression, climb slightly uphill to reach the junction with the dirt road at Meire Manitoja (approx. 1300 m). Leave out the uphill fork that continues in the direction of the Chapel of S. Lucia della Vardetta and descend to the right on the easy and wide dirt road that runs alongside a mountain hut and encircles the slope, reaching a crossroads at a hairpin bend in Meire dal Bric (approx. 1225 m); leave out the fork on the right that descends towards the village of Grange (Calcinere), take the wide mule track with regular terrain that opens on the left passing by a mountain hut with a characteristic stone arch. The mostly flat track crosses the ridge passing just below the Croce delle Grange, crosses a brook and continues to climb until reaching a new fork (approx. 1265): you leave the dirt track that continues to the left in the direction of an intake for the aqueduct and take the initially narrow path that descends towards the right, gradually descending along the hillside with regular and open terrain, until you reach the first huts in Meire di Ciaramolin (approx. 1200 m). Once here, it bends sharply to the right and through a couple of narrow hairpin bends it joins the dirt road which, climbing from hamlet of Ferrere, passes just below near a hairpin bend. From here on, the route of Orizzonte Monviso follows the dirt road that heads towards the valley and descends gently for a long stretch, offering interesting and pleasant views of the landscape, alternating short stretches of trees with wide meadows. Once you reach a sharp bend to the right (approx. 1100 m) upstream of the Cazé 'd Pera, it is possible to cut a stretch of dirt road by descending directly along a "draia" towards the above-mentioned huts and then continue towards the Cazé di Gerp where the dirt road crosses again; alternatively, continue on the road that shortly after brushes the Meire Rouchasot and then reaches the Cazé di Gerp (about 1060 m). Without making any other detours, keep on the dirt road and descend rapidly to the Pilone della Fornace shrine, located near a hairpin bend in a panoramic position just above the hamlet of Ferrere (approx. 935 m).

Chapel of San Nicolao; lou Béc dë lh’Acasét, panoramic viewpoint.

Hiking Refuge La Galaberna Transport must be organised to Frazione Calcinere - Bed&breakfast Alpino (Paesana)

Motorway A6 TORINO-SAVONA, exit at Marene tollbooth; turn left and take the S.S. 662 towards Savigliano, continue until Saluzzo, then follow the signs from Saluzzo to the Po valley along the SP 26 or the SP 260. Motorway A21 TORINO - ALESSANDRIA - PIACENZA, exit at Asti est - then follow Alba - Bra - Marene - Savigliano - Saluzzo- valle Po (S.S. 662); from TORINO, take the Tangenziale, exit at Pinerolo, continue on S.P 161 then S.P 27 to Barge, Paesana. From Paesana: SP 26 in the direction of Crissolo, branch off to Ostana.
 

 

Source: Unione Montana dei Comuni del Monviso
Itinerary code: OMV
Phone coverage: Good coverage in the centres of Ostana and Paesana; possible less coverage on several stretches of the itinerary.
Recommended period: Spring, summer, autumn
Historical interest: Yes
Devotional interest: Yes
Access by public transport: Yes
Classification: Medium and low mountain provincial
Provinces crossed: Cuneo

From Torino and Cuneo: Atibus, timetables on www.buscompany.it/ati, lines Torino-Saluzzo, Cuneo-Saluzzo, Saluzzo-Paesana. From Torino and Pinerolo: Autolinee Cavourese, download the timetables from www.cavourese.it, linea Torino - Barge. From Barge and Ostana: Dossetto Bus, timetables on www.dossettobus.it, linea Barge - Paesana - Crissolo.