The best walks and hikes around Giaglione

This bivouac crosses the border between Italy and France. It sleeps 7. We recommend arriving by lunchtime, as it's very popular (especially on weekends; we were once in a group of 15). There's minimal heating and some light thanks to solar panels.

Rock outcrop with panoramic views of the entire Clarea, Niblè and Ambin valleys, up to Col Clapier

This cross-border bivouac is located on Italian soil near Col Clapier, near the French border. The easiest way to reach it is from the Piccolo Moncenisio pass, and after Lake Savine, it's another half-hour's trail.

The Marzo granges, now in ruins, mark the end (or beginning, depending on the direction of travel) of the remarkable former military trail that connected the granges to Bar Cenisio. This trail, with its very regular layout, is one of the many testaments to the construction skills of the military "engineers" in the years between the two world wars and, despite the lack of maintenance, remains passable (even fun downhill on a mountain bike, S1-S2 with a couple of trickier sections). Following the trail uphill, just before reaching the granges, you'll notice the signpost, which seems to appear out of nowhere... shortly after, you'll come across a spectacular balcony, which offers a glimpse of the Mont Cenis and the entire ridge that leads from Lamet to Rocciamelone. To the right, you'll see the lower Susa Valley. It's an ideal place for a break, if it's not too windy; the only drawback is that there's no water. Following the signs for the Avanzà refuge and allowing about twenty minutes, you'll reach the center of a beautiful valley crossed by a stream. The descent to Pra Piano is steep but not difficult. Be careful only in case of thunderstorms, as this section is exposed to lightning!

The Clarea mills can be reached from the Ramats hamlet of Chiomonte, walking in about an hour along the panoramic path that begins at the western end of the town (with a beautiful view of Rocciamelone) and continuing always halfway up the hill and slightly downhill, until the path, gradually bending to the left, enters the Clarea valley. On the terraces that can be seen along the mountain, chestnut trees and vines were once grown!

This site, now besieged by brambles, was once (we are talking about 1700...) a very active place for grinding both chestnuts, which here represented a precious source of sustenance, and walnuts, from which oil was obtained. Of the six millstones listed in those years, two currently survive, one of the "vertical" type (with the millstones arranged vertically and rotating around a common axis) and one of the "horizontal" type, of a much more primitive design, with the millstone arranged flat and connected directly to a blade turbine (still in place) that made it turn with the force of the water. It can be difficult to reach the site, but it is still worth both a visit and a reflection to understand how, once upon a time, the economy of this portion of the valley "turned" (literally!)!

Colle Clapier, located in the Cottian Alps, is a historic Alpine pass that connects Italy and France. At 2,491 meters above sea level, it offers breathtaking views and a route full of history, considered by some scholars to be one of the possible passages crossed by Hannibal during his famous crossing of the Alps.

Under the trees, the trail is paved in many places. Don’t be impressed by the prickly brambles grown up to the trail from time to time, it is never too long…