October 23, 2023, edited by Cecilia Mariani
The Marguareis Natural Park was the first park established by the Piedmont Region, in 1978. Its highest peak, the eponymous Punta Marguareis, reaches an altitude of 2,651 meters, from which both the Monte Rosa glaciers and the sea can be seen. Crossed by ancient trade and exchange routes, the Marguareis massif is rich in history and biodiversity. Today it is crossed by many trails and long-distance routes, including the Giro del Marguareis. We hiked part of it last spring, here is how it went.
“Shall we go for a trip in the mountains before the season starts? There is this place in Piedmont, it is called Marguareis. I have never heard of it and I don't even know how to pronounce it, but it looks beautiful, what do you say? We will bring our tent and go see what it is like!”.
So Daisy and I decide to meet halfway. She lives in Chamonix and I in Trentino, we hadn't seen each other in months! We wanted to get away for a few days, she to take a break from her work as an interpreter and I to treat myself to a few days of rest before the start of the hectic summer season. So we leave, and on a warm late May afternoon we meet in Mondovì.
The weather forecast is not the best. “What do we do, shall we go?”, “Come on, let's try. If things go wrong we will turn back”. Lesson number one: never give too much weight to the weather forecast, here the mountain does what it wants. And indeed we didn't get a single drop of rain. Anyway, after a quick look at the map we get in the car, destination Pian delle Gorre.
It is not my habit to leave without having a very precise and well-studied plan, and my ability to change my mind dozens of times and to doubt the decisions made is renowned. This time, however, perhaps due to lack of time or motivation, or perhaps simply because the presence of a friend reassured me, I was fine with it. Let's go, then we will see. Looking at the map I had seen that there was a multi-day route around Cima Marguareis, the highest peak of the Ligurian Alps, in the Marguareis-Mongioie massif. It seemed feasible: not too high up, to avoid the last snow still remaining on the north slopes, and with the possibility of extending or shortening the route depending on the conditions. The idea was to use the track as a guideline, and modify it along the way.
Day 1 - from Pian delle Gorre to Gias della Madonna
Distance 3.2km, positive elevation gain 617m
After parking at Pian delle Gorre, at 1032 meters above sea level, we set off towards the Garelli refuge. It is already late and there are not many hours of daylight left, but we still want to get as far away from the road as possible before stopping to sleep. Between one chat and another, updating each other on our respective lives, we start climbing through a dense forest and then through meadows, until we reach a locality called Gias della Madonna, at 1652 meters. Who knows what Gias means. The manager of the Garelli refuge will explain it to us the next day. In the local dialect it means straw, that is, the set of dry grass, hay and straw used as fodder for livestock or as bedding. And indeed we are in an area used for alpine pasture, perfect for spending the first night.
We pitch the tent and have dinner sitting on the grass, while the sunset lights up the colors in the distance. The adventure has begun, who knows where we will go tomorrow.
Day 2 - from Gias della Madonna to Rifugio Don Barbera, passing through Rifugio Garelli and Colle del Pas
Distance 11.9km, positive elevation gain 884m, negative elevation gain 449m
We open our eyes with the first light and roll around in the warmth of the sleeping bag. But as soon as the sun begins to shine timidly on our tent we go out to prepare breakfast. Daisy, a serial designer, already has the brush in her hand to immortalize the moment on a piece of paper, while I prepare the mate (an Argentine drink similar to tea, indispensable after my recent trip to the southern hemisphere).
Slowly we warm up in the sun that continues to rise higher and higher, and we refine the plan for the day. The idea is to reach the Rifugio Garelli and from there shorten the “official” Giro del Marguareis by passing through Colle del Pas, then descend on the other side to Rifugio Don Barbera. Feasible, the only unknown is the snow.
We leave, and now that we can see them in the sunlight we are immediately amazed by the simplicity of these mountains, the feeling of “remoteness” they convey. In a short time we reach the Rifugio Garelli, where we allow ourselves a break and a slice of cake. The refuge has just opened for the season and the manager welcomes us warmly. We exchange a few words, we tell him about our plans and, as a good connoisseur of these mountains, he gives us some useful advice.
We resume towards Porta Sestrera, and so far so good, but as soon as the view opens up on the other side we notice that there is still quite a bit of snow! Will we manage to cross the Colle del Pas? We decide that it is worth trying and despite taking more time than expected we reach the pass without problems, even if with completely wet feet: it could have been worse! We stop for a quick lunch (and to dry our socks!) then descend towards Passo della Croce and continue to Don Barbera. We arrive in the mid-afternoon, the refuge is open but we are the only guests, so we start chatting with Matteo, the manager. And as often happens in these situations we end up talking about the mountains, our jobs as refuge keepers and guides and what will happen to mountain tourism. It gets late and so Matteo invites us to stay for dinner, not as guests of the refuge but as his personal guests.
After an excellent risotto he even asks us if we want to stay and sleep in the winter room, saving us from pitching the tent and saving us from sleeping outdoors under a very strong thunderstorm that will arrive in the middle of the night. What can I say, excellent hospitality that is always nice to find in these places, especially at a historical moment when some refuges think more about profit and luxury lunches than about welcoming and sharing.
Day 3 - from Rifugio Don Barbera to Pian delle Gorre
Distance 14.2km, positive elevation gain 287m, negative elevation gain 1340m
We wake up early and there seems to be no more trace of the nighttime thunderstorm, the sun is back and we prepare breakfast on the outdoor tables of the refuge. Daisy takes her time to paint the morning panorama once again and bring home a memory of this beautiful place, while I do the same thing but with words. Everything is silent in the refuge, so we leave without making noise, grateful for the welcome and the beautiful moments spent together.
The first part of this third day takes us to briefly cross the border and walk a few kilometers in French territory (Daisy feels at home!), where we find ourselves once again having to slow down because of the snow. Once we pass the Colle Piana di Malaberga, however, everything seems clean and the descent starts quickly. We quickly reach the treeline, then venture among the trees and take the path that will bring us back to the car. We arrive at Pian delle Gorre in the early afternoon. From here we will continue towards the sea, but it seems to us dutiful to stop and celebrate this adventure with a well-deserved beer.
I have always felt a kind of call for the Western Alps, perhaps because I know them less than the Dolomites, they are places for me still unexplored and therefore they smell of adventure. Certainly Marguareis is not an unknown place, even if it was for me. Famous routes pass through it like the Via del Sale or the Giro del Marguareis itself and there are several refuges, all easily accessible. Maybe it is because we explored it in the low season, when the refuges had just opened, and yet this place seemed to me frozen in time. A widely explored mountain but quieter, respected, where people still speak in a low voice compared to other places like, for example, the Dolomites to which I am used to. Surely it will not be like that during the Ferragosto week, or maybe I was simply lucky and I was able to enjoy this place when it was still waking up from winter. And this is exactly the period I recommend for visiting it, or autumn, before the refuges close and silence falls again over these valleys and these peaks, humble and without too many pretensions at first sight, but perhaps precisely for this so special.
© photo: Cecilia Mariani, Céline Gay