Fraction Maletto, Carema – Refuge Coda, Pollone

Maletto 1336 m – Alpe Druer 1760 m – Colle di Giassit 2026 m Colle della Lace 2121 – Rifugio Coda 2180 m

The hike crosses the pleasant wide valley of the Chiussuma, dotted with mountain pastures, and then the steep pastures of the upper Valle Elvo, with a few panoramic sections in the vicinity of the Monte Rosa and the Valle di Gressoney.

It is expedient to set off early in order to cross the section on the Biellese side in the morning, before fog ascends from the plain and to avoid the frequent afternoon showers.

From Maletto, follow the mule track to Trovinasse on level ground, across the meadows; after crossing a stream (Riai di Verna), in a beech forest you leave the mule track (before it begins to descend towards the Agnerezzo farmhouses) to go up on the left into the mixed birch forest, skirting the Riai di Verna (orographic left ). You then enter a steep forest track that climbs with several hairpin bends up to a cart track: you cross it (moving a few meters towards the west) and through the meadow next to the old mule track it goes up to a beautiful hut made of well-squared stones. The path now climbs up into the dense beech forest, exiting onto a panoramic ridge, from which the stupendous upper Chiussuma basin appears, dotted with mountain pastures and dominated by Morte Roux and Mombarone, 1.00 hour. You cross the valley halfway up the mountain pastures of Alpette 1689 m, Sapella della Brenga 1758 m and then go around a rocky ridge and go up to an upper shelf where the Druer pastures are: 0.45 hours. At Alpe Druer you are now at the end of the valley, dominated by the north-west side of Mombarone, on the opposite side of the river you can see Alpe Balmanegra, sheltered by a rock and not touched by the itinerary. Turn left (north) following the now less obvious path, which climbs up the alpine pasture until you reach the intake basin for the mountain pasture’s hydroelectric power station. The path is now lost and it is necessary to follow the signs on the stones, going up directly the slope. A little further up you can see Alpe Bechera 2004 m, towards which you can head without any more problems.

The stretch between Alpe Druer and Bechera requires considerable attention in case of fog and at the beginning of summer, when the grass is high as there are no herds on the mountain pastures yet.

Alpe Bechera is already in the Valle d’Aosta territory, like the nearby Colle di Giasit 2128 m, which opens onto the Gressoney Valley: the GTA path goes north and passes a few meters below the hill: a very short digression towards the wooden cross placed on the hill it is a must, for the excellent panorama that opens towards Monte Rosa. Returning to the path, go around the valley halfway up the valley, heading east towards Colle della Lace (the obvious notch between Monte Roux and the 2163 m altitude of the ridge that descends to Punta Tre Vescovi); the path goes slightly uphill among the rhododendrons, with some brief loss of altitude to cross some small valleys. Some steep bends finally lead to Colle della Lace 2121 m, from which you can overlook the mountains of the Biella area; 1.15 hours. The hill was very frequented by shepherds and pilgrims heading to the Sanctuary of Oropa.

From Colle della Lace it is possible to climb, following the watershed crest, to Punta Tre Vescovi and then to Colma di Mombarone 2371 m, which offers a wide panorama (at the beginning of the century, when the atmosphere was not polluted, it was possible to see the rising the sun from the Adriatic Sea). Just below the summit, in the Biella area, there is a private refuge with hotel service in the summer season.

From the hill you descend in a few minutes to the ruins of Alpe Lace del Vitton 2097 m (the alp, with two stone troughs dating back to 1847, is part of the municipality of Lillianes, despite being located on the Biella side). Passing between the huts you reach a mule track delimited by wooden posts: you go down a staircase, then continue on level ground, keeping to the left and, cutting across the slopes of Mone Roux, you quickly reach a grassy ridge: up to at this point we follow the old path of the Madonna followed every year by the Canavesans who went on pilgrimage to Oropa. You then continue on a recently traced path that descends for a short distance (about 200 meters as the crow flies), and then continues at high altitude under the eastern slope of Mount Bechit. (You can now observe the entire subsequent route northwards to the Coda Refuge and behind it Monte Mars 2600 m, with the Carisey ridge in the foreground, a popular rock climbing gym of the CAI of Biella and towards the north-east La Bocchetta del Lago 2026 m and Mount Mucrone 2335 m). You continue with an uphill section followed by a steep but short descent (steps) and thus you reach the lowest point of the crossing towards the Coda Refuge (about 2000 m). The well-trailed path then rises with steep turns until it reaches the watershed crest with the Aosta Valley, near Colle Carisey 2132 m; 1.15 hours.( The pass, characterized by a wooden cross, connects the Elvo Valley with the municipality of Fontainemore in the Gressoney Valley. The panorama opens up, grandiose, towards the nearby Monte Rosa, Cervino and, further away, Mont Blanc, Griveoa, Gran Paradiso).

You continue with a pleasant and panoramic stretch on the ridge, initially a little narrow, then wider and grassy until you reach the Refuge Delfo e Agostino Coda ai Carisey, Stopover in a very panoramic position, a few meters below the ridge, on the Biella side ( a little further down there is a clear lake); 0.30 hours.