Alpe Devero – Refuge Margaroli

Alpe Devero 1634 m – Frazione Crampiolo 1773 m – Dighetta 1888 m –  Spigher 1901 – Lago di Pianboglio 1992 m – Alpe forno Inferiore 2213 m – Passo Scatta Minoia 2588m – Alpe Curzalma 2279 m – Rifugio Margaroli 2196 m

This itinerary allows you to discover the “great east” of Devero, a plateau about seven kilometers long on a slight slope at an altitude of two thousand metres: alpine meadows, high pastures, abandoned pastures and others still active, grazing herds, lakes and small lakes, fauna around the mountains of Devero. The itinerary, one of the most famous and popular, is also known as the “cheese route” because Bettelmat is produced in these mountain pastures, a fat cheese obtained by processing whole milk, which retains the scent of the precious mountain herbs

From Devero, hamlet of Ai Ponti 1634m, skirt the Devero stream following the historic path of the Via dell’Arbola which climbs through the woods up to the hamlet of Crampiolo (1773m). After the bridge over the Devero stream, follow the stream as far as near a small church where you take the path on the right that climbs along a dirt road that leads to the small lake (1888 m) of Lake Devero, continue along the dirt track that runs alongside the eastern shore of the lake, after passing a small spring, leave the track and take the crossroads for Bocchetta della Valle, continue on level ground, take the track again passing two bridges, until the end of the lake, continue on steep ramps on cemented boulders to arrive at an isolated house Spigher (1901 m) ignore the detour for Bocchetta d’Arbola but go up a little valley with a few turns, once you leave the little valley you face an almost flat stretch you arrive above Lake Pianboglio (1992 m) and resume the track you go up some steep hairpin bends that lead to a plateau and after a bridge you reach Alpe Forno Inferiore (2213 m) at 3.00 am where you meet the path of the classic Devero-Formazza traverse. Continue it flows over grassy bumps and wide high-altitude meadows until after a short steep stretch it enters the valley that leads to a basin below the Scatta Minoia pass. Here the environment becomes a continuous stony ground and with a last stretch halfway up the hill you reach the pass (2599 m) at 1.15 am, where the Ettore Conti bivouac is located. The descent is shorter and at the beginning you cross stony ground until you reach the basin of Alpe Curzalma (2279 m). Then with a hillside you descend along Lake Vannino and you soon reach the area of the dam and the Margaroli Hut (2196 m) at 6.00.