THE OLD SEA ROUTE VARIANT - STAGE 5
From Selvapiana (AL) to Capanne di Cosola (AL)
WAYMARKS:
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Long stretches marked by red-white paint waymarks.
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From Selvapiana hamlet, we walk down the asphalted road for 150 meters toward Forotondo, then we turn left onto a climbing dirt track flanking the cemetery. The path continues climbing in the wood until we reach Pian dei Laghi (995 mt sl), a plateau with a picnic area, a source and a little wooden bivouac.
Head straight climbing the dirt track, we will find a pinewood and then a beautiful beech wood until Pian della Mora prairies (1380 mt sl), where we cross the Old Way of Salt (Via del Sale) starting from the town of Varzi, and a bivouac.
We go straight ahead onto a wide dirt track towards south until we reach Monte Boglelio (1492 mt sl) and Monte Bagnolo (1550 mt sl), an amazing viewpoint over the nearer valleys with a little bivouac.
Head straight climbing the dirt track, we will find a pinewood and then a beautiful beech wood until Pian della Mora prairies (1380 mt sl), where we cross the Old Way of Salt (Via del Sale) starting from the town of Varzi, and a bivouac.
We go straight ahead onto a wide dirt track towards south until we reach Monte Boglelio (1492 mt sl) and Monte Bagnolo (1550 mt sl), an amazing viewpoint over the nearer valleys with a little bivouac.
We head straight the dirt track until we find Colle della Seppa (1485 mt sl), crossing other hiking trails downhill towards Curone and Staffora valleys. We move southwards towards Monte Garave (1547 mt sl), skirt Monte Rotondo (1568 mt sl) and after a steep climb we will reach Monte Chiappo peak (1701 mt sl), where there are a statue of Saint Joseph and a refuge with a chairlift connected to Pian del Poggio ski area (1320 mt sl). This wonderful viewpoint with its 360-degree views of Po Valley, Alps and Ligurian Sea is the meeting point of three regions: Piedmont, Lombardy and Emilia Romagna. Following the ridge southwards, we walk downhill among the prairies until we reach in about 30 minutes Capanne di Cosola hamlet.
