Strepeis – Sambuco

Strepeis 1281 m – Besmorello 1451 m – Colletto 2241 m – Sambuco 1184 m

This section is a little tiring, but rewarding. The most interesting part is the descent through the fir wood in Valle Stura. There is a wonderful view over the mountains of Alta Valle Stura and over the deep valleys that you crossed in the previous sections.

From Strepeis (which means outside the town, away from Bagni) take a small path that goes up to a bend in the road from Bagni, where you follow the road itself up to Besmorello 1451 m, a beautiful village that you pass to cross over a bridge in wood the Ischiator river 1445 m. From here you go up to the small village of Luca 1550 m, now downgraded to a summer pasture with renovations in stone and wood (once the roofs were covered with straw). You go up north along a mule track in the shade of large ash trees, which is sometimes difficult due to the stones that block it. At 1650 m you leave the wide meadows of the mountain pastures, cross a stream twice, while the beech vegetation ceases and a long series of short hairpin bends begins on a very sunny rocky ridge. You enter a beautiful fir forest, you find a beautiful spring, you cross a mountain pine reforestation with a flat route and you reach the large and grassy Colletto 2241 m, characterized by the presence of numerous military barracks, now completely in ruins; 3.30 hours. From the ridge just before the Colletto you can enjoy an excellent view of the valleys that go from Ischiator to the Bravaria Pass. You descend halfway up the slope into a large natural amphitheater, leaving the few ruins of an abandoned mountain pasture below, 2165 m, in an area populated by numerous marmots. You soon reach a ridge (ruins of barracks located a little higher up), from which the path descends to a series of stony plateaus, where a steep descent begins among isolated rhododendrons and larches. After a pasture area, you enter a very sparse larch forest and then an increasingly thicker fir forest, continuing through an alternation of thick forest and large clearings, and stretches on a slight slope and short descents. At 1517 m there is drinking water at a spring recently tapped with a large outlet, and immediately afterwards you reach a more obvious path (be careful if you are coming in the opposite direction: you have to leave the most popular path, which continues almost flat towards right, to take the small path that branches off to the left towards the large outlet). Going around the scree immediately after the stony ground in a clearing, descending for a short distance, you continue up to an asphalt road, which you cross to enter a splendid silver fir forest, rich in undergrowth especially in the clearings, on a good path (a few tufts of lavender ). Once you have found the road again, follow it for about 50 meters towards Pontebernardo on the left, go down to cross the bridge over the Stura, reach the state road at the junction with the Sambuco road and follow the latter. You pass the small cemetery surrounding the small church of San Giacomo (13th century), cross meadows, complete two hairpin bends and reach the small square of Sambuco 1184 m; 2.30 hours. Sambuco is located on the soft meadow slopes at the foot of the dolomite walls of Mt. Bersaio. In addition to a walk in the capital (fountains, sundials, some houses with thatched roofs), it is advisable to visit the other two villages, located a little lower: Clausio 1147 m which preserves the beautiful bell tower of S. Bartolomeo from the 14th century century, and Villetta 1131 m, located beyond the Rio della Madonna, the stopping place is at the Hotel della Pace.