Intermediate Full Monviso Trek

Thin morning air, a still lake beside the hut and the rock pyramid of Monviso set the tone for a proper mountain day. Two wild valleys connect over high passes and quiet alpine lakes, with a short crossing into the French Queyras before returning to Italy. The setting feels remote and high-alpine, though the trail remains clear and easy to follow.

A rocky path leaves the hut, follows the Bealera Funsa stream and climbs in steady zigzags toward Passo di Vallanta at 2,811 metres beneath the dark walls of Monviso and Viso di Vallanta. On the French side the trail drops through scree and grass to Lac Lestio and the young Guil before rising again toward Col Seilliere on the skyline.

After the second pass the route descends into upper Val Pellice with Monte Granero and Monte Manzol guarding the horizon. The trail reaches Lago Lungo, follows its quiet shore and climbs briefly to the refuge above the lake, where a warm meal and a peaceful mountain evening await.

Morning at Rifugio Granero begins in a quiet, rugged corner of the Alps, surrounded by rocky slopes and high ridgelines along the Italian–French border. The trail quickly drops away from the refuge, weaving through a landscape of alpine grass, scattered boulders and small streams that flow down from the surrounding peaks. As the path bends southward, wide views open across the upper valleys and toward the remote mountains that mark the frontier.

Further down, the terrain gradually softens. The rocky slopes give way to patches of forest and wider meadows, and the trail begins a series of steady switchbacks as it descends through larch trees and open clearings. Along the way the sound of water grows stronger as the path approaches the valley floor, where mountain streams cut through gravel beds and green pastures.

Eventually the route reaches the broad Conca del Prà, one of the most beautiful alpine plains in the region. Here the landscape suddenly opens into wide grasslands crossed by winding streams and dotted with small barns. In the middle of this peaceful valley stands Rifugio Willy Jervis, a lively refuge that welcomes hikers with warm food, friendly atmosphere and sweeping views of the surrounding mountains.

The day begins in the wide green plains of Conca del Prà, where Rifugio Willy Jervis sits among open meadows and small streams. The trail first crosses these peaceful grasslands, passing old stone barns and grazing animals while the Pellice River winds quietly through the valley.

Soon the route reaches the edge of the forest and begins climbing through larch trees. The path zigzags steadily upward, gaining height in a series of switchbacks while the valley floor slowly drops away below. Through breaks in the trees you can look back across the wide Conca del Prà and the mountains surrounding the valley.

Higher up the forest begins to thin and the landscape opens again into alpine slopes and rocky clearings. The final stretch crosses open terrain with wide views of the surrounding peaks before reaching Rifugio Barbara Lowrie, set on a sunny mountainside overlooking the valleys below.

From the quiet hollow around the hut the trail climbs out of the forest toward open alpine pastures beneath the cliffs of Rocca Nera and Punta Sea Bianca. Near the high point the landscape opens wide, revealing distant ridges and the green meadows of the upper Po valley ahead.

After reaching the shoulder between Rocca Nera (2,710 m) and Punta Sea Bianca (2,722 m), the path descends through rocky slopes and then gentler grassy tracks. Lower down it follows a farm road along the young Po River past hay meadows and stone barns, until the houses of Pian della Regina appear, marking the final steps of the trek around Monviso.