Palanfré – Trinità

Palanfré 1379 m – Colle della Garbella 2182 – Trinità 1096 m

Another section that leads you closer to the group of the Argentera, moving from Val Grande di Vernante to the Vallone del Bousset, already in the valley of the Gesso. Above Palanfré, the grazing land of the Garbella is still very much used by the cattle in the pastures. From the higher zone the view is very wide, over the Ligurian and Maritime Alps and over the plain of Cuneo.

From Palanfré you retrace a short final stretch of the previous stage back up to the crossroads between the itineraries. L6 and L7 (fountain). Take path L6 on the right which goes up to the edge of the Palantré beech forest between pastures. After passing a first valley you enter the Garbella valley, at the head of which the white rocks of the peak of the same name stand out. Around 1600 m the trail becomes less evident. keeping in the south-west direction you go up without any difficulty and find it a hundred meters higher. You move on to Gias Garbella 1746 m and still following the path at the bottom of the valley you reach 2000 m, and then among rhododendrons you reach Costa di Pianard at around 2150 m, on the panoramic watershed ridge. Going north you soon reach Colle della Garbella 2182 m 3.00 hours.

Following the M4 path you descend on the opposite side, cutting through steep grassy slopes with thickets of rhododendrons and alders. Towards an altitude of 1840 some steps lead to a meadow collar 1818 m, located to the west of a characteristic tower, impressive seen from below, called Caire di Porcera. With further hairpin bends you descend into a wood of alders and beeches, and around 1300m you are at the bottom of a sunken gorge, crossed by a stream (if you encounter difficulty following the red signs, which cross the stream on the landslide and with a lot of vegetation, you can continue on the orographic left and pick up the path about a hundred meters further down). You soon reach Tetti Prer 1155 m and from here you follow the road up to the nearby town of Trinità 1096 m; 2.30 hours. Stopover place Locanda del Sorriso Hiking Refuge