Trek around Monte Viso day 2: Refuge Granero - Refuge Quintino Sella

From the Grannero refuge, you can take the pretty Sellerino pass, which is less busy than the Séllière pass (avoiding the descent to the Viso refuge), and avoid going as far as the Piano del REI refuge by taking the pretty Camino del Postino path.

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Thanks for your advice and have a good weekend

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Hello,

The "a little bit" didn't refer to the rope but to the "exposed" side of the path on the Italian side of the traversette. Having said that, don't panic, it's still a well-marked and well-trodden path. No need for a rope.
The timetable seems pretty good to me, I'd say you should allow 9 hours without dragging your feet. It's a long stage and you should leave at 7am. Another option is to split the route in two by taking the postman's path (sentiero del postino) and spending the night at the Giacoletti hut before heading to the Quintina Sella hut. I'm not familiar with this route. Perhaps it's described in the guidebook you mentioned. If you have the time, it might be a good idea not to "load the mule up" too much, and to enjoy the surroundings of the refuge, a beer sitting on a slab, a siesta on the same slab, and perhaps a few friendly ibexes... without being pressed for time to wash up, eat and spend the night because you have to set off again the next day.

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Thanks for the advice.
I have one small concern about the rope. Do you need a rope? and then for the duration of the stage on the website it's 8.40 am - is that reasonable? Otherwise we're leaving from the echalp refuge du granero- granero-quintino sella-quintino sella vallanta-vallanta l'echalp this tour is proposed by visorando.i've bought the guide tous les tours du Viso (Vallo edition) If you know of any guides or topo on the 2 countries.cordialement

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Hello,
I did a group tour of Mont Viso last year in August. I stayed at the Jervis refuge, then the following night at the Pian del Re gîte (the food is very good. It's home-made with local produce. The homemade tomato sauce was excellent). I didn't do the part of the route between point 1 and the bottom of the Col de la Traversette (after point 4). So I can't give you any information about this part of the proposed itinerary.
However, there is another possible route that presents no difficulties for a good hiker. We followed this route with four llamas who carried our belongings and walked alongside us.
To follow this alternative route, from the Granero refuge (the starting point for this stage), follow a path (not marked on the map) to the east of the Loungo lago, which gradually diverges from it to climb towards the Nero lago and cross the Manzol pass. Then, on the other side of the pass, you have to descend towards Lake Arbancie to reach the Armoine pass, which we crossed before descending to Pian del Re, where we spent the night. The part of the route between Lake Arbancie and the junction after point 4 is shown in dashed purple on the map (zoom in).
The next day we did a stage between Pian del Re, near the sources of the Po, and the Quintino Sella refuge, where we arrived for lunch. In the afternoon, we climbed Viso Mozzo to 3,019m. This is a very steep walk (the llamas having stayed close to the refuge). Take poles to spare your joints. The Viso Mozzo is a beautiful viewpoint over the Viso, provided the landscape is not obscured as it often is by the nebbia (very dense fog that rises from the Po plain and envelops the peaks in the early afternoon).
And don't miss the sunrise at the Quintino Sella refuge. It's a superb sight.
Enjoy your hike!

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Hello,

It's always difficult to answer a question like this, because "it depends"... Your level, how used you are to dealing with rocky terrain and orientation, and the conditions of the terrain and the weather.
Nevertheless, this is pure hiking. At no point does this stage require the use of a rope, and apart from (a tiny bit) the Italian side of the Traversette there are no really exposed passages.
But... depending on when you set off, there may be more or less snow. At the start of the season, i.e. between now and early July, don't hesitate to take an ice axe. It's not heavy and it can be a safety feature. The best thing to do beforehand is to telephone either a Tourist Office (Abries) or a refuge (refuge du Viso or perhaps Granero) to find out about the conditions.
It should be noted that the Italian side may have received more snow than the French side because of the easterly flow (although... it usually overflows).
On the other hand, always leave as early as possible in the morning to try to escape the nebia. It's still better to walk and see the scenery.

The fact remains that this itinerary is fairly well signposted... even the variants like the one I suggested via the Pas du Sellierino... which should only be done when the weather is fine. Paumatory and pointless otherwise.

In any case, make the most of the route, it's magnificent... and don't forget that you'll be walking on the bottom of a vanished ocean... Amazing, isn't it?

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Hello everyone
Can you tell me the difficulties and dangers on this stage as I'm a hiker but not a climber.
Thank you in advance for your advice.

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Oh, but that wasn't a criticism ... just a suggestion for another route:... which I personally find much more pleasant in fine weather. But that's obviously subjective. And in any case, avoid the nebia!
And of course, the Queyras (like the Haute Ubaye) is a magnificent playground for those who want to get away from the (overly) marked trails.
In any case, thank you for this clarification about the nebia... Although I wonder if the grappa may have played a part in this explanation.

Happy hiking!
J.L.P.

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Thank you for your comments. Both the Tour du Viso and the Tour du Queyras are adaptable itineraries and it's great for our readers to have different routes on the site. For example, on Nicole's itinerary there is also the possibility, before Piano del Ré, of taking the postman's path up to the Giacoletti refuge and then crossing over to Quintino Sella. As in Rome, all routes lead to the refuge of the creator of the CAI.
As far as the Traversette Tunnel is concerned, Nicole made it clear in the Information section that you need a headlamp, but your comment is justified - you do need one. A little personal anecdote: being around 1m85 tall, I had the pleasure of getting to know the ceiling shortly before the outing. I was the one who got the hump, as my skull wasn't hard enough to make a hole in the rock. So for those of you around this size, wait until you're outside to get up again. And don't hesitate to do this tour, it's a must, but of course the Italians cook pasta every day, which creates a cloud (the nebia) that sometimes impedes visibility.

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Hello,

This isn't really a question, just a few comments.
I did the Tour du Viso a long time ago and the start of the stage last year.
My advice is to go via the Pas du Sellierino. You're approaching the Granero and I find the scenery much more pleasant than the ascent to the Sellierino in a moraine, which I have unpleasant memories of (but perhaps "exaggerated" by the lousy weather).
I've described the ascent to the Sellierino on the Refuge Granero - Refuge de la Blanche itinerary. I'll have to add a few photos...
It also has the advantage of shortening the stage a bit, as you arrive much closer to the Traversette.
As for the Traversette tunnel, I remember that you needed a headlamp and to be very careful not to hit the very uneven and aggressive ceiling... But the roadworks may have sorted that out. But if the tunnel itself has remained "wild", it would be worth clarifying the purpose of the headlamp. Some people even talked about helmets... but hey...

Best regards.
J-L
PS: I hope you enjoyed this tour of the Viso, without too much nebia... it can be very sticky

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