Chiappera – Ussolo

Chiappera 1661 m – Colle di Rui 2708 m – Madonna delle Grazie 1926 m – Grangia Ponza e quota 2000 – Gr. Serri superiore 1898 m  – Colle dei Seresin 2068 m – Ussolo 1337

This section is a bit long but with an interesting and varied itinerary (also in its altimetry), along sunny and very open mountain sides, with various groups of barns. You reach Ussolo, a small village with valuable rustic architecture (also frescos) and with remarkable traces of alpine religiosity, even pre-Christian.

Go up the Maurin valley for a short stretch, up to the crossroads from which a carriage road branches off to the right which goes up the side of the Castello-Provenzale group. Follow it up to a hundred meters after the second hairpin bend, to take a not too obvious path on the right, which after an initial short steep stretch softens and, through the pastures dominated by the southern slope of the Rocca Provenzale, joins the 1850 m on the old path coming from Chiappera. With it you continue towards Colle Greguri up to 2200 m altitude, where on the right you follow a path (initially grassy and then more evident) which goes up into the Cervet valley on the left side, passes under an abandoned barracks, passes Colletta 2550 m and reaches to Colle di Rui 2708 m; 3.00 hours. You descend on the opposite side until you reach the cart track of the Mollasco river valley: you cross it to descend a few meters further along a steep path that ends up on the road again. Follow it (completely or using the numerous shortcuts) up to the church of the Madonna delle Grazie 1926 m; 1.30 hours.

On a path beaten by cattle on the mountain pasture, you go up halfway up the slope through large pastures, cross a landslide area with little turf and reach a group of huts (some still in use) located on the limit between the pastures and the underlying cliff at the bottom of which the Mollasco river flows. After passing the huts, go down towards the Verzio stream and cross it on the wooden bridge. Immediately afterwards, after passing the Grangia Ponza 1980 m, you go up slightly and continue along one of the two irrigation canals for a good stretch. Continuing on a well-trodden path, you pass in front of the Grangia Du Razza Soprana 1773 m, (fountain); we then continue across large pastures, on flat ground and climbing up to the Serri Superiore grange 1898 m, with a splendid view of Acceglio, the Unerzio Valley and the marvelous mountain amphitheater in which, among other things, the peaks of Oronaye can be recognised. 3100 m and Sautron 3166 m. From here along cattle tracks you go up to a vast pasture and, moving slightly to the right, you reach (south of the Rocca di Ciarm) Colle del Seresin 2068 m; 1.15 hours. The name of the hill perhaps reminds us that this place was the scene of clashes between the Saracens and the local inhabitants. You descend across meadows for a short stretch to the right until you reach a small group of trees, from where you continue on less steep and somewhat wooded and bushy terrain, you pass next to a small spring and you reach a hilltop on which there is a cableway pylon. Now wider, the path continues to descend between trees and bushes until it crosses a small stream, and then climbs up for a very short stretch to reach the terminus of the dirt road of the Grange di Ussolo. You immediately pass the crossroads where a path (which you ignore) goes up to the Ussolo refuge 1850 m, and going down the road you reach the Chioligiera grange 1776 m. Continue along the road for about 1 km to reach the Grangia Passo 1707 m, and through a short steep shortcut to the Grange del Puy, where you take a small, steep path on the right that leads, between stones and bushes, to the first houses of Ussolo . We got off next to the parish house and the church (very interesting because the remains of an old church demolished in 1600 have been walled up, among which we can admire three magnificent capitals of almost certainly Celtic origin, which suggests the existence of ‘a very ancient and important building), you reach the square of the hamlet of Ussolo, 1337 m; 1.15 hours. Where the La Carlina Refuge Stopover is located

The houses of Ussolo, grouped in nuclei very close together, are of considerable size, built almost exclusively in stone and wood; you can admire old frescoes, small Gothic windows and stone arches arranged in a radial pattern.