Vallone di S. Bruno Ring-route
Tour with snow rackets
- Trail Conditions: On foot
- Interest: Religion, Hystory
- Departure: Certosa di Pesio (850m)
- Duration: 4 hour/s
- Difficulty Level: intermediate
- Difference in height: 400m
The itinerary leaves from Certosa di Pesio. Follow the road signs to Baus D'Lula for about 2 km. Once you reach a junction near torrent S. Bruno, you can choose to turn left following the road signs to Cascina S. Michele or go right up to Gias del Baus D'Lula (2 hours). Here turn left following the road signs to S. Michele and cross the whole gully along a trail cut into the mountainside, up to Grangia certosina di S. Michele (1 hour).
From here, along the ridge, follow a downhill trail leading to Cascina S. Paolo and go back to the Certosa along the forest road.
Curiosities: The tour develops between Vallone del Cavallo and Vallone di S. Bruno, in the woodlands that for centuries have provided with timber and coal the Certosa and several parish churches in the area of Cuneo and where, over the centuries, the Carthusian monks have planned the agricultural, breeding, and forest activities with an excellent sensitivity and care for nature, as well as respect for the environment. The traces of these activities, like for instance the boundary stones marked by a cross and used for the division of the woodland estates, are still visible along the ridge lines all over Valle Pesio.
The tour leaves from the Certosa and follows, at the beginning, the nature trail. Then it follows the forest road of Vallone del Cavallo, crossing the wonderful broadleaf and silver fir woodlands where, during the winter, it is possible to sight the roe deer which, under the big firs, can find the necessary nourishment to spend the winter. It gets then to Gias del Baus D'Lula, within the artificial larch woodland planted during the twenty years of Fascism which 80 years ago (it seems impossible) was a big pastureland. The uphill trail ends here and gives way to a long trail cut into the mountainside, used in the past as connection among the several charcoal floors that were the only flat areas along the steep slope. The itinerary crosses the whole Vallone di S. Bruno, named after the founder of the Carthusian Order (be careful at the ford) and reaches, across a beautiful beech tree woodland, the clearing of "Prà da Turta". Here, going downhill along the ridge not far from the trail, you will find the boundary stones characterized by a red-painted cross leading to Grangia Certosina di S. Michele, situated on a large panoramic hillock dominating the whole valley. Following the ridge and being careful not to miss the trail markers, you will reach Cascina S. Paolo from where, on the left following the forest road and after crossing Vallone di S. Bruno, you will return to Certosa di Pesio.
Map of the route (PDF - 2.3Mb)
Information: Parco naturale Alta Valle Pesio e Tanaro - parcopesio@ruparpiemonte.it - Tel. 0171/734021
R. Lussignoli mobile 334/6246213
Snow rackets rental: Jeannot Sport - Tel. 0171/734177; Marguareis Sports Center - Matteo Musso mobile 335/5211456; Pian delle Gorre Mountain Hut - Osvaldo Castagna and Antonella Alberto Tel. 0171/738077 - mobile 333/2700314
