From the square in front of the Church of Santa Margherita in Paesana you proceed in a south-westerly direction until you cross the provincial road that goes up towards the upper valley. Take the narrow road (towards the hamlets of Macari - Oca - Rossetti) which, at the end of the straight stretch, makes a sharp diversion to the left at a fork in the road: leave out the path on the left which becomes a dirt road (itinerary of the stage 1 variant of the original route, which runs along the provincial road, going beyond the village of Paesana in the Vallone del Croesio, until it comes out on the road of Pratoguglielmo just before the hamlet of Fantoni) and follow the asphalt road on the right which climbs decisively with a narrow hairpin bend, and then stretches out to a fork a little further ahead (approx. 640m). Continue straight ahead (leaving the road to the Macari on the right) on a terrain which, having become a dirt road, initially climbs with a couple of long hairpin bends and then stretches towards an open area, near a crossroads. The route now develops easily on a wide dirt road surrounded by vegetation which, although thick, is not intrusive. When you reach the crossroads (approx. 715m), continue on the right (the path on the left leads to Oca and Rossetti), keeping to the main track that climbs gently to the right of a stumpy hill, until you reach the village of Airetta (approx. 745m). Go ahead, leaving out the paths on the right and left, until you come out after about 200m on the asphalt road: cross it and take the dirt road Via Bosco Lay which runs parallel to the main road until you reach a junction at a renovated house (leave out the path on the right closed by a barrier), from which you continue along the wooded slope in a charming path among chestnut trees and other tall trees. Maintain the main axis of the forest track (leaving out the ones on the right and left) until you cross the asphalt road again (approx. 835m): here you turn sharply right uphill for about thirty metres, then turn sharply left onto a forest track that leads back into the wood. After a couple of hairpin bends you pass the Comba Fantoni (do not consider the paths to the right and left of the uphill route), then you pass upstream of the houses of the hamlet of Bertoni where the path is again an asphalt one, and develops once more into a more open environment. The road, slightly but constantly uphill, leads to the valley of the hamlet of Bonetti and, just before an unmistakable hairpin bend, it crosses the dirt road on the left coming from the Vallone del Croesio (stage 1 variant). After the hairpin bend, head uphill of the Bonetti houses until you get back on the asphalt road which, with a modest descent of about 500 m, leads to the indication on the left to resume the Orizzonte Monviso route (forest track slightly uphill - approx. 1005m). Take the forest track that opens upstream of the asphalt road above the hamlet of Fantoni, and after 50 m (on the right you can see a characteristic wooden totem) continue on the path that bends decisively to the left into the woods. After passing by a mountain hut, you continue along a long, moderately sloping hillside on easy and smooth terrain, along the entire slope until you cross the ridge at some isolated rocks in the woods (approx. 1080 m). The crossing continues with a constant gradient on regular terrain, crossing an area characterised by sparse vegetation, then thicker again, until finally coming out: the panorama opens up more and more. The path, which has become a wide grassy mule-track, continues to climb gently upwards, stretching into the deep valley until it reaches a crossroads: leave the path on the right towards other mountain pastures (Meire Pra Erasca) and continue directly on the dirt road, arriving a little further ahead near the former Forest Nursery (approx. 1254m) characterised by the dense presence of conifers; from here (stage 2 variant, the original route now descends into the Erasca valley to climb up the opposite side as far as the Tournour road) continue as far as the hairpin bend beyond which you turn right onto the dirt road that leads to the fork with a path towards the huts below (approx. 1280m). Ignore this path and follow the dirt road to the left which, slightly uphill, reaches the starting point of the ski lift called "Vivaio" which is part of the Pian Muné ski area; go up the grassy slope following the poles of the ski lift in the first stretch and, when the slope increases, cut left zigzagging along the slope until you cross the dirt road which connects the main road with the upper part of the valley. Cutting the road again, follow the track that starts on the left and climbs moderately up the grassy slope in view of the ridge that will soon lead to the asphalt road coming from Paesana, and after a couple of dozen metres, to the Pian Muné Hiking Refuge.

Stage departure: accommodation facilities in Paesana (http://www.vallidelmonviso.it/com_valle/paesana-3/?valle=valle-po ), "Un Po di sosta ai piedi del Monviso" camper van parking area, Paesana (www.unpodisosta.piemonte.it). Stage arrival: Rifugio Bertorello Rifugio, Pian Muné.

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 centre of Paesana; possible less coverage on 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.