GTA Variant of the Upper Stura, Maira and Varaita valleys: Stage 53C Borgata Chiappera - Chialvetta | Lake Maggiore, Lake Orta, Lake Mergozzo and Ossola Valleys

Highlights and tour details

From Chiappera you go up the hillside to the springs of the Maira Stream. You then continue on the road for a short stretch inside the camping area until you take the S29 route to the left for Col di Ciarbonet. The path immediately climbs with narrow hairpin bends in the larch grove to an altitude of about 1850 when a long diagonal stretch begins. After passing a ridge you reach the Rio Ciarbonet valley and then you meet the crossroads in the locality of Fontefredda (1959 m) with the S12 path that climbs to the right towards Col di Ciarbonet. The next section climbs up the valley and has some difficult sections due to increased erosion caused by intense grazing and runoff of open water on some stretches. Once you reach the Col di Ciarbonet (2205 m) you go down by following the dirt road with many hairpin bends towards the valley floor of the Unerzo Stream, passing the homonymous refuge and reaching the fork at an altitude of 1813 where you take the road on the left that firstly goes down to Viviere and then to Chialvetta.