Trekking, MTB and Climbing
Summer is a great occasion to spend a few days’ holiday in the mountains, immersed in greenery and nature. The Valle Gesso Campsite is an ideal starting point for enjoyable excursions into the Natural Park of the Maritime Alps or the Mercantour Park nearby. The activities are varied and numerous: from the simpler and shorter trails suitable for everyone, even families with children, to more challenging trekking activities up to actual climbing. Moreover, the Valdieri Adventure Park is perfect for entertaining young children.
For bike enthusiasts, there are many mountain bike trails, both easy and accessible options as well as the more difficult and challenging. Over the last few years, thanks to an agreement with the Park, a mountain bike rental service is also provided.
There are also numerous trails designed for road bicycles, we particularly recommend the Maritime Alps Grand Tour.
Those who wish to take on more challenging activities, climbing and excursions can rely on the help of Alpine guides and mountain bike instructors, who will help you to discover the most beautiful areas of the Maritime Alps.
Moreover, the campsite’s nature guide will provide information about the wildlife and walks to explore the Park.
Below, you will find a list of some of the easy excursions that you can embark upon with the family, some of which depart directly from the campsite:
Ring trail: 'Uomini e Lupi' visitor centre/Roman Bridge of Burga
Starting point: Valle Gesso Campsite
Time: 1 hour (excluding the visit to the ‘Uomini e Lupi’ visitor centre)
Drop: 50 m
Difficulty: easy, suitable for everyone.
Once out of the campsite, turn left and head down the cycle path up to the wooden bridge. After crossing the bridge, keep left along the unsurfaced road that leads to the woods, leaving the provincial road to the right. Once you reach the tarmac road, turn left until you arrive at the ‘Uomini e Lupi’ visitor centre in Loc. Casermette – the visit, lasting about 1 hour, is not to be missed!
Then follow the same road for around 300 m and turn left following the sign for “Entracque/Centro Uomini e Lupi” on a country road. Follow this road and you will reach the ancient Roman Bridge of Burga. Continue for the town of Entracque. Once you reach via Roata, keep left until you reach the junction with the provincial road. For those who wish to visit the second “centro del lupo”, turn right and head towards the centre of the town of Entracque. To return to the campsite, turn left and follow the cycle path.
Colletto della Lausa – Passo di Prati Corno
Starting point: Valle Gesso Campsite
Time: 2 hours
Drop: 574 m
Difficulty: excursion level
Once out of the campsite, turn right and follow the cycle path up to Entracque. At the bottom of Via dei Caduti, before the last houses, there is a mule track with a deviation near to the Splaiera river. The trail bends into a pinewood forest, and with a series of sharp U-bends, it winds close to Mount Lausa and then, less steep, emerges onto the Colletto della Lausa (1,295 m). From the pass, the trail turns north at the head of the Splaiera Valley, goes beyond a rocky ridge (1,258 m) and then rises along the dips at the top of the S. Giovanni Valley and reaches a clearing on the S. Giovanni-Infernetto crest, marked by the Prati Corno Pass (1,474 m), which opens up near the top of Mount Corno.
The Rye Eco-museum Trail
Starting point: Sant’Anna di Valdieri (1.011 m)
Time: 1 hour 30 min.
Drop: 200 m
Difficulty: excursion level
From the Ecomuseum shop “I Bateur”, in the town center, go downhill for a few meters until you meet a road leading to the cemetery, where you will take the trail leading to Tetti Bartola (1,054m). The itinerary develops cut into the mountainside and reaches some houses downstream. It crosses a creek and hardly climbs to some rocks, offering a wonderful view of the surrounding mountains. Downhill, you will continue along the trail leading to Tetti Bariau (1,154m) from where you will go down to the mule track of Vallone della Meris. Along this trail, following it downhill, you will go back to the departure point.
Il Piano del Valasco
Starting point: Terme di Valdieri (1.370 m)
Time: 1 hour und 30 min.
Drop: 400 m
Difficulty: excursion level
The route follows the thick network of army roadways of the Valasco Gorge. It’s a ring through lakes and waterfalls along which it is possible to come across marmots and roe deer. From Terme (1368 m) follow the road that rises on the orographic left of the Valasco Gorge reaching Piano del Valasco (1763 m). Cross over the plain, passing the hunting house built for King Vittorio Emanuele II, an unusual “castle” with a square outline and crenellated turrets. Nowadays it is a mountain hut.