5. Giro del Marguareis, stage 05: from Refuge Don Barbera to Refuge Pian delle Gorre

From the Don Barbera Refuge (2079 m) you go up to the nearby Signori Pass (2107 m) and take on the right the old grass-covered mule track that winds up and down to the north among white limestone rocks. We reach the pass for the Col de Tende and we drive to the right for about 700 meters.
Arrived in the karstic basin of Plan Ambreuge (Pian Ambrogi, 2107 m, 0h40 from Don Barbera refuge) turn right into the meadows (post).
We leave on the right the path for the Col de Scarason, we turn to the left and we cross a deep bend. Now going west, we arrive at a fork near the ruins of a barracks, where we climb to the right, near the depression of the Colla Piana de Malaberga (2219 m, 1h05 of Plan Ambreuge)
After the pass the mule track is divided in two: the two branches meet, but it is better to choose the one on the left, which passes near the Cabane Morgantini (2219 m).
The mule track goes down to the edges of the Cuvette des Carsene, then, by a long semi-circle from left to right, goes around the pasture basin of the Gias de l'Ortica (1860 m).
On the left we leave two paths, respectively for the Col du Carbone and for the Col de Baban, and then, the ascent started, we ignore on the right the trace for the Col Scarason also and we arrive at the Col du Duc (1989 m, 1h45 of the Colla Piana de Malaberga), the narrow notch which gives access to the Pesio Valley.
After the pass a steep path goes down to the next fork, where you stay on the right to reach the Col du Prel supérieur (1926 m). Here, we ignore the fork on the right for the Vallon du Marguareis and we go down on the left, along the steep path that leads to the layout of an old ex-military road.
We descend into the Vallon des Arpi by very long bends and, now in the forest, we arrive at the Gias des Arpi (1435 m, 1h15 from the Col du Duc, fountain).
The fork on the left for the ignored Gias Fontana, a long descent on a gentle slope bypasses a ridge and leads to the thalweg of the Vallon du Saut. We cross the Torrent du Saut on a wooden footbridge, then another branch of the torrent using the wooden bridge on the right.
We quickly reach the esplanade where the dirt road coming from Pian delle Gorre ends. We leave on the right the path for the Refuge Garelli and we go down on the road until the clearing of Pian delle Gorre (1032 m, 1h05 from Gias des Arpi).