Through the Italian Alps. Gillian Price

bus companies:

      Viani 0174 391161 operates the Imperia–Cuneo coach service via Ormea.

      Minazzo 0174 391503 does the Ormea–Viozene summer bus.

      Val Pesio 0171 734496 serves Val Pesio and covers the midsummer Terme di Valdieri run.

      Benese 0171 692929 means the Limonetto–Limone bus, the Entracque and Terme di Valdieri services, Acceglio in Valle Maira, all connecting to Cuneo.

      ATI ( 0171 67400 or 0175 43744 or www.atibus.it operates the year-round lines from Cuneo to Pontebernardo and Valle Stura, also lines from Saluzzo to Pontechianale and Paesana in Valle Po.

      Parola Viaggi 0171 940711 operates the Valle Varaita midsummer run serving S. Anna and other villages in Valle Varaita di Bellino, and extending to Casteldelfino.

      SAPAV 800 801901 or www.sapav.com does the Bobbio Pellice to Torre Pellice run as well as proceeding to Pinerolo and Usseaux. Moreover it operates from Perosa Argentina in Val Chisone to Ghigo di Prali in Val Germanasca, as well as the twice-weekly Perrero-Didiero and Balsiglia services in summer; it also covers Valle di Susa.

      SATTI 800 990097 or www.satti.it (click on ‘extraurbana’) does Usseglio to Lanzo (trains connections to Turin) as well as Valle Locana, namely Ceresole Reale via Noasca to Pont Canavese, and branch lines to Talosio, Ronco Canavese and Piamprato. It is also responsible for the Ivrea–Traversella run.

      SADEM 800 801600 www.sadem.it serves the Valle d’Aosta including Ivrea, Quincinetto and Aosta.

      ATAP 015 8408117 with runs from Biella to Oropa and Valle Cervo, also Varallo to Alagna Valsesia and Rimella, as well as to Rima and Carcoforo both via Rimasco.

      Comunità Montana Strona e Basso Toce 0323 87022 or www.vcoinbus.it is responsible for the Valstrona service from Forno to Omegna and the Novara–Domodossola railway line.

      Comazzi 800 011404 or www.vcoinbus.it connects Domodossola (on the Milan-Sempione railway line) with Molini di Calasca and Macugnaga on a daily basis.

      Bus tickets should usually be purchased beforehand – often from a café, newspaper kiosk or tobacconist in the vicinity of the bus stop, and stamped on board. Where this is not possible just get on and ask the driver, though you may be charged a modest surcharge.

      USEFUL TRAVEL AND TIMETABLE TERMINOLOGY

biglietto di andata (andata-ritorno)	single (return) ticket
cambio a	change at
coincidenza	connection
feriale	working days (ie Monday to Saturday)
festivo	Sundays and public holidays
giornaliero	daily
sciopero	strike
scolastico	schooldays
soppresso da… a…	no service from… to… (date)

How to use this Guide

      During the route description the term ‘track’ is used for a vehicle-width lane that is unsurfaced. A ‘path’ is narrow and means pedestrians only, whereas a ‘road’ is sealed and open to traffic. Directions include compass bearings (N, SW, NNW and so forth) in addition to right (R) and left (L). Useful landmarks are given in bold type with their altitude in metres, abbreviated as ‘m’ (100m = 328ft). The Route Summary at the end of the book is helpful for planning purposes and includes accommodation, grocery shops and local transport.

      Timing given in stage headings does not include extra time for resting, taking photographs, responding to the call of nature or indulging in picnics, so be flexible and always allow for extra when planning the day. Groups cannot expect to travel faster than the pace of their slowest member.

      Ascent/descent or height gain and loss, ie how much you climb and drop during the walk, is given in metres above sea level, and abbreviated as ‘m’. In the Alps overall metres ascended and descended in a given day is of much greater significance than distance as it indicates how strenuous the route is. On moderately steep terrain it takes 1hr on average to ascend 300m (approx 1000ft) or descend 500m.

      Distance is given in both kilometres and miles, intended only as a rough indicator of the length of each stage.

      Difficulty on a scale of 1–3 is given to grade the stages of the trek:

       Grade 1: a straightforward footpath with a moderate slope, suitable for all walkers.

       Grade 2: fairly strenuous but not especially difficult.

       Grade 3: requires experience on mountain terrain, can entail exposed stretches and require a head for heights, if not difficulty with orientation.

      In general the GTA rates mostly as Grade 2, the odd difficult part Grade 3, and the even rarer easy sections Grade 1.

Dos and Don’ts

      ‘When one starts early one hurries to gain all possible benefit from the shade, but a late start renders such haste futile; so we dawdled from the start’ enigmatic advice from W.M. Conway (1895)!

       Do start out as early as possible in the morning to allow for any necessary route detours due to landslips, flooded streams, damaged bridges and the like, not to mention getting lost, fatigue and so forth. Early starters also increase their chances of seeing wildlife, and decrease the likelihood of being caught out in storms which tend to come in the hottest part of the day, not to mention the disorienting fog which rolls in late morning.

       Do find time to get fit before embarking on the trek as it will maximise your enjoyment. It’s a pity if exhaustion interferes with appreciation of the wonderful scenery, and in any emergency healthy walkers will react better.

       Stick with your companions and never lose sight of them. Remember that a group’s rate is set by the slowest member.

       Don’t be overly ambitious; tackle stages suited to your capacity. Read the route description carefully before setting out.

       Don’t overload your rucksack. Weigh your pack on the bathroom scales (10kg absolute maximum). Don’t forget the extra weight of drinking water and food, and remember that as the afternoon wears on and the hut seems ever further away, your pack will inexplicably get heavier! Once you’ve packed the essentials, don’t be tempted to pop in anything that is not strictly indispensable. Your state of exhaustion in the evenings will almost definitely preclude reading – and therefore carrying – that paperback! Take lightweight gear, and transfer shampoo and so on to small plastic containers.

       Avoid walking in brand-new