From La Via del Sale hiking refuge in Sanfront, you cross the centre of the village, passing the main square on the right; the constantly uphill asphalt road  bends to the left crossing the Albetta stream and, in a linear course, goes up the homonymous narrow valley (ignore the forks to the left and right) to a wide hairpin bend to the right (water point on the left), which leads to a crossroads after a few hundred metres. Continue by turning sharply left uphill with a steady gradient, passing some small and practically uninhabited clusters of houses immersed in a suggestive wood of tall chestnut trees; after a series of hairpin bends, the road levels out and reaches the characteristic chapel of San Bernardo (1075m - equipped area and water point). The track now becomes a dirt road for a couple of hundred metres, and continues to encircle the slope on good terrain without any excessive gradients, passing through mixed woods first of chestnut, ash and birch trees, then larch and fir trees for a short stretch, until it finally comes out into an open field (group of huts on the left). The dirt road now increases decisively in gradient: a series of long hairpin bends climb up the increasingly panoramic side, alternating easier stretches with more demanding ones due to the uneven ground; for a section, the track is slightly sloping and then gains altitude once more at the end of the climb that concludes its demanding part near a sharp turn to the left that leads to a panoramic hillock with a drinking trough for herds. The track now runs along a mostly flat stretch, firstly in an open clearing, then in a suggestive wood with some ascents and descents until it reaches the wide and grassy clearing of Colle di Gilba (1524m), a communication point and intersection with the nearby Valle Varaita (equipped area and water point). The descent begins a few dozen metres back from the pass, just at the beginning of the clearing, and bends again in the direction of Valle Po (signposts) along a path that is initially grassy but soon becomes technical both for the terrain (at times windy with parts on stones and roots) and for the gradient (a steeper first part, which flattens slightly to descend again afterwards), for about 700 mt, until coming to a crossroads (signposts), where the demanding part of the descent ends. Now you go left along a nice stretch in the thick pinewood that has a special environment in some parts and leads onto the opposite side of the valley. The first part is well cyclable, followed by the crossing of the first stream and then a second one with a greater water flow (narrower and more uneven terrain both upstream and downstream). The path, which shows clear evidence of its history, continues on sloping ground until the third and last crossing of a larger stream (due to rather evident landslides and rockfalls, you climb a little bit and then descend), beyond which you join the forest path coming from the valley. After approximately 500 metres along a larger path with better terrain, you reach the Bertorello Forest Refuge (1375m) immersed in a large pine forest. You go onto the uphill fork which, after the refuge, leads to some higher mountain huts and then up to Pian Muné, where the hiking refuge is located next to the departure of the chairlift of the local ski resort.

 

Chapel of San Bernardo Colle di Gilba, panoramic viewpoint and intervalley crossroads

La Via Del Sale Hiking Refuge (Sanfront) Rifugio Bertorello, Pian Muné Hiking Refuge (Paesana)

Motorway A6 TORINO - SAVONA, exit at the tollbooth of Marene; turn left on to the SS 662 in the direction of Savigliano, carry on to Saluzzo, then the directions from Saluzzo for Valle Po along the SP 26 or the SP 260; Motorway A21 TORINO – ALESSANDRIA – PIACENZA, exit at Asti est – continue to Alba- Bra- exit at Marene - Savigliano - Saluzzo - Valle Po (SS 662); from TORINO, take the Tangenziale, exit at Pinerolo on the SP 161 then take the SP 27 for Barge, Paesana.

Source: Unione Montana dei Comuni del Monviso
Itinerary code: OMV
Phone coverage: Good coverage in the centres of Sanfront and Paesana and along most of the route; possible less coverage in several stretches of the itinerary.
Recommended period: spring, summer and 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, orari sul sito www.buscompany.it/ati, linee Torino-Saluzzo, Cuneo-Saluzzo, Saluzzo-Paesana. - From Torino and Pinerolo: Autolinee Cavourese, timetables on www.cavourese.it, linee Torino – Pinerolo and Pinerolo - Barge. - from Barge and Paesana: Dossetto Bus, timetables on www.dossettobus.it, linea Barge - Paesana - Crissolo.