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Location
Italy
PIEMONTE
CN
PIETRAPORZIO
ALTA VALLE STURA

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Stage point (start or end of stage)
Intermediate accommodation possibility
Summit
Pass
Town, village
Other locality

Catering
Doctor
Chemist
Bakery / grocery
Hardware / sports shop
Post
Bank / cash dispenser
Train
Coach
Taxi
Open automobile access

A Tarred or paved road
B Dirt track
C Mule trail
D Mountain trail
E Equipped trail (cables, ladders)
F No trail

Stroll / tourism (broad, non-exposed trail)
Hiking (mountain trail, in places narrow and exposed)
Alpine route (equipped or very exposed section, snow field, blocks)
R137 Pontebernardo » Rifugio Zanotti
  |   8h40   |   17.7 km   |   2129 m   |   1279 m

From Pontebernardo the trail heads westwards, about halfway up the slope, through a dip near the Becchi Rossi peaks, and then down to Prati di San Lorenzo, on the banks of the Forneris stream. Once over the Stau pass it leads back down to the Ponte Bernardo valley and near the Talarico hut. The trail then leads up the opposite slope to the Sottan delle Scolettas pass, followed by a brief descent to the Zanotti hut. This leg is practicable by mountain bike, too from Zanotti Refuge to Pontebernardo (don’t go up to Stau pass; once you get to Malarico you’ll have to go down directly along the valley of Pontebernardo; Zanotti refuge can be reached through the military road from Pietraporzio).

Point Segment
Name Services Information Marking
Pontebernardo
1320 m
| C  5.1 km / 2h40
Colle
2227 m
| D  1.8 km / 0h35
Quota
1540 m
| C  2.6 km / 1h55
Colle di Stau
2545 m
|   4 km / 1h30
Prati del Vallone
1710 m
|   2.2 km / 1h30
Passo Sottano di Scolettas
2223 m
| C  2 km / 0h30
Rifugio Zanotti
2200 m
Other long-distance trails and alternative routes
Sentiero Italia trail.
Useful topographic maps
  • 7 ~ IGC VAL MAIRA, GRANA E STURA (1: 50000)
  • 7 ~ ASF, CAI-CAF, HAUTE TINEE, ALTA VALLE STURA (1: 25000)
Useful guidebooks
  • La Valle Stura di Demonte, com.scient. CAI ~ Itinerari naturalistici e geografici (ISBN 1978)
  • Camminaitalia, Cannobini, Carnovalini, Valsesia ~ Le guide di Airone, Mondadori (ISBN 1995)
  • In cima-70 normali nelle Cozie meridionali, M.Bruno ~ L'arciere blu, Cuneo (ISBN 1995)
Comments

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  • Martin Schreiber - 2011-04-17
    Don't take the shortcut to Prati del Vallone via the valley since the other side of the mountain (following the VA) is really beautiful.

    The Quota with 1540 m seems to be wrong. It should be something about 1800 m. Don't cross the bridge at this quota. The VA is continuing on the very small hiking path besides the river.

    There's also an accommodation in Prati del Vallone. They have a really cheap offer for half-board.
    A.P.S. "Associazione Zio John". +39 011 317 97 96.

    The people at Zio John told me, that Rif. Zanotti is only accessible with a key which you have to bring back. On the next day trip, I figured out that the hut warden was inside the hut. Thus maybe the information with the key is wrong.
Last update : 2012-01-13