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- La Nebbia (very damp fog) often rises from the valleys in the middle of the day to cover everything in the afternoon, especially in summer. This is a phenomenon to bear in mind, particularly for the stages onthe 2nd and4th days.
- Water sources are not always available: make sure you fill up at the mountain huts, or treat any water taken from the lakes due to the sheep grazing on the mountain pastures.
- Steep, rocky sections...: good footwear, walking poles.
- Early in the season: snowfields may persist on passes close to 2,900 m; bring crampons.
- A helmet is not necessary if you stay on the paths.
- Regarding the stage on the 2nd day (Rifugio Bianco–Rifugio Questa), it is definitely better to go via Colle Est della Paur rather than Colle di Valmiana. The path passes through more pleasant scenery and avoids adding extra time and elevation gain.
- Book mountain huts in advance, especially during the summer. Remember to bring a sleeping bag liner, which is compulsory in Italian mountain huts; see the links in the following section
- To avoid the 5 km drive back from Terme di Valdieri to Sant'Anna (on the final day), consider leaving a second car at Terme if you have more than one vehicle.
Tour of the Argentera
There are several ways to circumnavigate this mountain: closer to the summit or further away. But this suggested route allows you to walk around the Argentera via the lakes and the King Victor Emmanuel II trails, always with a view of the Argentera and, of course, a comforting stop at the mountain huts every evening. The stages are fairly well balanced in terms of the effort required, so let’s set off on the tour.
Details
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
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Activity: Walking -
Distance: 59.26 km -
Average duration: 5 days -
Difficulty: Difficult -
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Back to start: Yes -
Ascent: + 4,461 m -
Descent: - 4,460 m -
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Highest point: 2,883 m -
Lowest point: 993 m
Stages of the route
This route needs several days, find the details below:
Notes
Worth a visit
The mountain huts used for this trip are as follows:
Livio Bianco
Emilio Questa
Morelli Buzzi
Franco Remondino
Reviews and comments
4.7 / 5
Based on 1 review
Reliability of the description
4 / 5
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
5 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
5 / 5
User 3416361
Overall rating : 4.7 / 5
Date of your route : Jul 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
Thank you for this suggestion, which really appealed to me. It was too beautiful! Those lakes, those views!
I was looking to add some stages to the itinerary proposed by Alpi Maritime Grand Tour of Argentera and Merveilles, so I made some changes, with a starting point at Merveilles Boreon, Col de Cerise/Col de Fremamorte, on a 13-day hike.
The description lacks information for people who are prone to vertigo/verticality, which includes me. I cancelled the Remondino refuge stage because of the Lac di Nasta section with its exposed passage, which is rated T3. The same goes for the Colle della Paur passage, rated EE in Italy and T3 in Italy, but there (I bombarded the other hikers with questions, as I was walking alone and having a dizzy spell would have been very unpleasant) it wasn't dizzying but technical. I went via Colle di Valmiana, which is a bit long but beautiful. Be careful on the N27 trail between the lower Valrossa lake and the Valscura lake, as some sections of the trail are very damaged and therefore narrow, directly above the void. I got through, but it could be a problem. It's more manageable when you're warned. The Thermes di Valdieri stage was halfway for me, the ideal stage to rest and enjoy the comfort of Casa Savoia and the botanical garden. For enthusiasts of the area, there is also the Italian Lupo trek, which continues on to Entracque.
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