The Morelli Buzzi Refuge and the Colle del Chiapous
Il Rifugio Morelli Buzzi
Il Rifugio Morelli Buzzi - Roberto Pockaj
Valdieri

The Morelli Buzzi Refuge and the Colle del Chiapous

Archeology and history
Fauna
Geology
Refuge
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A long climb up to the Colle del Chiapous, with a providential rest stop at the Morelli Buzzi Refuge. The last tract of the trail up to the Colle can be challenging due to the scree of boulders and rocks it passes through.

Beyond the Lagarot di Lourousa, the trail rises through ancient moraines, among sparse larches and detritic valleys. Small groups of Alpine ibex are frequently spotted in the environs of the Morelli Buzzi Refuge. The final tract of the itinerary, up to the pass, cuts through an untouched habitat of detritus and scree fields.

1 point of interest

  • Panorama dai pressi del Lagarot di Lourousa; sullo sfondo al centro il Canalone di Lourousa e, a destra, il Corno Stella
    Panorama dai pressi del Lagarot di Lourousa; sullo sfondo al centro il Canalone di Lourousa e, a destra, il Corno Stella - Roberto Pockaj
    Lake

    The Lagarot di Lourousa

    Springwater, welling up among meadows and larches, forms numerous limpid pools and streams; the water is at times turquoise, at times milky and at others perfectly transparent, making this a particularly striking location, perfect for a contemplative rest. The Canalone di Lourousa, bordered by Monte Stella and the Corno Stella and scoured by the Gelas di Lourousa, lies beyond the plateau of the same name, and a look over one's shoulder yields a view of the imposing outline of Monte Matto.


Description

From Terme di Valdieri (ca. 1353 m) the route leads to the pleasant bowl containing the Lagarot di Lourousa (1971 m, 2 hours and 5 minutes from Terme di Valdieri), along the same trails as for itinerary 18, "The Lagarot di Lourousa" {->18}.
The trail crosses the broad grassy depression, passing by two turnoffs along the valley floor: the first turns back towards the Lagarot, the second leads to the Varrone Bivuoac shelter.
The trail surmounts a morainic hillock with two traverses and comes to a decidedly detritic habitat, where only a few spindly larches can manage to grow in the most protected niches. The trail continues on through scree, sometimes paved with flagstones for brief stretches, sometimes on shingle. It rises over a last hump with several tight switchbacks and then snakes around large boulders until it reaches a spot directly under the refuge.
Deviating for the moment from the trail straight ahead for the Colle del Chiapous, a few dozen meters on the turnoff to the left brings hikers to the Morelli Buzzi Refuge (2351 m, 1 hour and 20 minutes from the Lagarot di Lourousa).
After returning to the main trail, the route follows it to the left(south-southwest). The trail climbs uphill with several turns, at first on a detritic base but in good condition and later decidedly more demanding, among large boulders and rubble(there are frequent rockslides in this tract, that sometimes obstruct the trail).
Before reaching the pass, the trail passes through a small bowl, on the orographic right, then finally comes to the Colle del Chiapous (2533 m, 45 minutes from the Morelli Buzzi Refuge).

  • Departure : Terme di Valdieri (1353 m)
  • Arrival : Colle del Chiapous (2538 m)
  • Towns crossed : Valdieri and Entracque

Altimetric profile


Recommandations

Is in the midst of the park
The national park is an unrestricted natural area but subjected to regulations which must be known by all visitors.

Transport

Nuova Benese service company - Regular line Cuneo, Valdieri, Entracque - Telephone: 00 39 (0) 171 69 29 29 - www.benese.it

SNCF line TER Provence Alpes-Côte d'Azur For travel in the PACA region and towards Cuneo www.ter-sncf.com/pac

Trenitalia for travel in the Piedmont region https://www.trenitalia.com/it.html

Access and parking

Drive from Borgo San Dalmazzo up the Valle Gesso. Pass by Valdieri and continue on to Terme. There is a parking fee in the summer season.

Parking :

Terme de Valdieri (1353 m)

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