Monte Gregorio, from the Caudano car park
Edited by:
Massimo Martini
Updated at: 26/04/2026
Access
Road Navigation
Leave the Ivrea motorway junction on the . At the first roundabout take the second exit and continue for 300m (0.57km). At the second roundabout take the third exit and take the junction for the in the direction of Cuorgnè/Castellamonte/Valchiusella. Continue on the for 1.5km (2.42km) to a third roundabout, then take the second exit to continue on the . After 5.1km (7.52km) turn right onto Via Provinciale/ following the signs for Valchiusella/Strambinello/Quagliuzzo. After 400m (7.94km) turn slightly left onto Statale Valchiusella/. Follow for 7.5km (15.44km) to Val di Chy, then turn left onto Via B. Filippi remaining on . Continue for 1.8km (17.24km) to Brosso. In the centre of Brosso, turn right and continue for 3.2km (20.44km), then continue on Via Provinciale for 450m (20.89km). Keep left onto Via Roma for 350m (21.24km), turn left to stay on Via Roma for 70m (21.31km), then turn left onto Via Garibaldi for 57m (21.37km). Turn right onto Via Acquarossa and walk 850m (22.22km) to the car park, on the left after a further 150m (22.37km).
Parking
Around Via Acquarossa there is a car park 🅿️ on the side of the road, the starting point of the itinerary.
Access by public transport
Brosso can be reached by public transport 🚌 but the starting point on Via Acquarossa is not directly served. To reach the car park, a private vehicle is required or you can walk from the village centre.
Distance and travel time
🕒 travel time: 29 minutes
📏 distance: 22.4km
GPS navigation
Information note
The information provided has been verified as of the date of the survey of the itinerary. Before departure, it is recommended to check possible changes in the route or road conditions. Please consult Google Maps or Apple Maps for the latest information.
.Introduction
A round trip route that climbs the orographic left side of the Chiusella Valley from the locality of Caudano to Monte Gregorio (1,933m), the extreme offshoot of the valley towards the Canavese plain, with a panorama of the western Alps. The trail crosses different environments: from the chestnut grove of the lower belt, with the Grange Merletto marking the upper limit of the forest, it climbs to the open pastures of Bardansan and the Alpuccio alpine pasture, still in use, before gaining the summit ridge through scree and high meadows. From the summit, the panorama sweeps over Monte Rosa and the Matterhorn to the northwest, with the Valchiusella valley descending to the plain to the south. Two elements negatively characterise the intermediate section: a high-voltage power line that follows the ridge and, above all, the asphalt road to Colle Pian dei Muli - closed to vehicles, but not pleasant to walk on. The historic path that once climbed directly from the valley floor is now overgrown with grass and has largely disappeared. The best time of year is from late spring to late autumn, avoiding the months in which the exposure of the summit section favours the formation of ice. The route is for hikers up to the alpine pasture; the final stretch from the Grange Riali to the summit requires orienteering skills in open terrain, with signposts reduced to red paint and the trail not very clear: in foggy or poor visibility, the progression becomes problematic.
.Description
[0h00'T1] 0.00km From the bridge over the Assa stream in Caudano (815m), follow the tarmac road uphill to a sharp bend to the left, where there is a bar prohibiting unauthorised vehicles. Leave the tarmac road and immediately turn right onto trail 722, a paved mule track that enters the mixed woodland and climbs steadily uphill.
[0h30'T2] 1.18km After passing through the thicker woodland, the trail reaches Grange Merletto (1,070m), a group of abandoned cottages on the upper edge of the chestnut grove. Continue in a north-north-westerly direction along the path, which, after a short flat section, begins to climb again in the chestnut (Castanea sativa) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) forest, until it reaches the Bardansan pastures near the Grange Rat (1.233m), where the vegetation thins out and the forest gives way to open meadows.
[0h55'T2] 1.84km Cross the Bardansan pastures, where the path crosses a dirt road. Neglect it and continue on path 722 in the direction of the Pian dei Muli pass, now clearly visible on the ridge. The slope gradually increases on a mixed ground of grass and compact soil. The path re-enters shrubby vegetation - mainly rhododendron (Rhododendron ferrugineum) and bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) - and, with one last climb on a steeper track, reaches the tarmac road just below the pass. Follow the road to the right for a few tens of metres to Colle Pian dei Muli (1,431m), a take-off point for paragliders, equipped with a signpost.
[1h30'T2] 3.59km From the pass, ignore the diversions to the right to Monte Cavallaria (1,464m) and follow the dirt track to the left in the direction of the Alpuccio mountain pasture, already visible on the plateau above. Follow the road that descends briefly on the northern slope and then ascends with a wide curve towards the alpine pasture. Reach Alpe Alpuccio (1,511m), the last stable building on the route, a watering place for livestock.
[1h50'T2] 4.44km From the alpine pasture, follow the red-painted signs on a grassy path that climbs to the right in an east-northeast direction, ascending a rocky ridge. Once over the ridge, the path continues on a north-north-westerly slope in the direction of the Grange Riali (1,686m), reaching the ruins of the grange on a grassy plateau.
[2h20'T3] 5.44km From the Grange Riali, take the scarcely visible red-painted footpath signs on the left, climbing westwards towards Col Naverano through alternating pastures and scree. The terrain is open and the route relies on reading the terrain: in poor visibility conditions, orientation is difficult. Climb with a sustained gradient to Col Naverano (~1,900m), an indentation on the main ridge between Monte Gregorio and the peaks to the northeast.
[2h45'T3] 6.31km From the col, turn left south following the scarcely marked ridge that leads to the summit of Monte Gregorio (1,933m) [3h00'T3] 6.66km . From the summit, there is a circular view of the western Alps, with Monte Rosa and the Matterhorn in a prominent position to the north-west, and Valchiusella and the Canavese plain to the south.
The return journey is along the same route followed during the ascent. The descent from the summit to Col Naverano takes place along the grassy ridge; pay attention to the slippery ground in wet weather. From Col Naverano towards the Grange Riali follow the paint marks carefully as the route is not obvious [2h15'T2] 6.66km .