Usseaux – Location Montagne Seu, Salbertrand

Usseaux 1446 m – Balboutet 1557 m – Cerogne 1740 m – Colle dell’Assietta 2472 m – Testa dell’Assietta 2566 m – Montagne Seu 1771 m 

the medium-long stage due to some flat stretches and the descent towards the Montagne Seu: the passage from Val Chisone to Val Susa is therefore not too tiring, and presents aspects of notable naturalistic interest (the Gran Bosco where you can meet many deer, the pastures of Assietta) and historical (the fortifications of Assietta).

The route follows the road that circles Usseaux downwards and to the west and, without entering the town, takes the road to Balboutet on the left; which heads west, almost flat, towards Balboutet. After about 1 km you leave the road to turn right onto the old mule track which shortly leads (votive pylon) to Balboutet 1557 m; near the square of the carriage road (fountain) you go up again between the houses and take the mule track that crosses the road to the Piano dell’Alpe. Above the road the mule track (EPT 332) heads west between cultivated fields and terraced meadows, towards a clear rocky saddle (1674 m).

Here you take the dirt track which, with a comfortable flat and highly panoramic route over Lake Pourrieres, the Pragelato plain and the entire upper Val Chisone, crosses the steep pastures of the Vallette valley and arrives between larches and some pines in Cerogne 1740 m; 1.45 hours, characteristic village now used only as a mountain pasture. After crossing a bridge, without touching the bergeria, you enter the EPT 331 mule track (coming from Pourrieres).

For those following the route in the opposite direction: be careful, before the granges, to abandon the EPT 331 path, instead going down to the left to cross the bridge.

After a short stretch on the orographic right of the stream you cross it again on a bridge and go up between sparse larches and pasture lands, always along the stream; past a narrow passage dominated by the wooded slopes of Rocca del Colle (on the left), you reach a large, pleasant plateau, dominated by the lower slopes of Gran Serin, on which a military road was built with daring work. The mule track rests on the right among the larches and progressively rises. Behind the coast of Rocca del Colle Monte Albergian appears while looking towards the lower Val Chisone you can spot the ridge with the fort that descends to Fenestrelle.

Dominating the plateau, the mule track cuts through the steep slopes that enclose it, crosses the stream and leads to the rugged Bergeria dell’Assietta 2150 m, located on a narrow grassy saddle, 1.10 hours. You pass another bottleneck, cross the stream again and you soon reach the very large pastures of Assietta, used by the herds that find shelter in the new bergeria of Alpe dell’Assietta. From here you enter the valley towards the north which leads along gentle grassy slopes to Colle dell’Assietta 2472 m; 1.10 hours. Follow the military road to the left, cutting through its hairpin bends, in the direction of Testa dell’Assietta, which the road flanks to the south: you can easily climb to the top (2566 m) on which stands a monument in memory of the fallen of the famous battle .

On 19 July 1747, a very violent battle took place around the Testa dell’Assietta between Piedmontese, Austrian and Waldensian troops (about 8,000 men) who repelled an overwhelming French army (about 20,000 men) which was attempting to bypass the forts of Fenestrelle and Exilles . In the repeated furious assaults to conquer the Testa dell’Assietta the French in a few hours left 5300 dead and wounded on the field while the Piedmontese and Austrians lost only 220 men

With the exception of the military road, the places have remained unchanged since the battle, the defense works of the Piedmontese entrenched camp are still clearly visible, long dry stone walls that form zigzag lines for the typical arrow structure of the fortifications of the time.

From Testa dell’Assietta continue for about 2 km along the very panoramic military road that runs roughly along the ridge overlooking the Val Susa side and the Chisone side: leaving the small Lake of Assietta on the left and then on the right the summit of the Testa di Mottas, at a bend (which at around 2490 m takes you back to the Valsusa side) you leave the road; 1.00 hour from Colle dell’Assietta.

You descend into the Susa Valley on a path between sparse pastures, initially losing altitude in successive depressions and then sloping to the left on less steep terrain which is populated by the first conifers, while the path becomes a mule track. Leave this (detouring to the right: trail sign) and continue the descent. Between pastures and sparse woods the path leads to the wide expanse of grassland where the picturesque granges of the Montagne Seu 1771 m stand; 1.25 hours. arrival at the Daniele Arlaud Refuge