GTA: Stage 16 Alpe Laghetto - Cheggio | Biella Valsesia Vercelli

Highlights and tour details

From Alpe Laghetto you descend again towards the Vallaro basin at an altitude of 1820 metres and, following the signs, climb slightly diagonally along the hillside over pastureland areas to Alpe Campo (1890 m). You then cross the whole basin and after having crossed the Straciugo stream that descends from the homonymous Pizzo, climb up briefly to go around a ridge at the base, and on a flat slope proceed to a large boulder with signs. Here the path becomes less visible and proceeds halfway up the hillside among the abandoned pastures until it reaches the Alpe Preia plain at an altitude of 2044 metres. You then pass to the left of the huts and climb up to the pass above the alp where you continue along a watershed to passo della Preia (2327 m). Having left the path of the high variant to Passo del Busin and Rifugio Andolla on the right, you go down from the pass to Alpe La Preia (2100 m), then descend under the alpine pasture on the left until you cross the stream below to reach Alpe Teste Superiore at about 2000 metres. A stretch in the middle of the alders and sparse larches leads to Alpe Teste inferiore. Leaving the path on the right here that descends towards Alpe Gabi, you go along an exposed aerial halfway up the left hydrographic slope that looms over Lago dei Cavalli below. You walk in the sparse larch wood and in grazing areas paying attention to the sometimes not very marked path, which is slippery on the grassy parts when wet. Then cross Vallone Pasquale and meet the fork in the path that branches off to the left towards the Bocchetta dei Pianei. Continue straight on and you will soon reach Alpe Bisi. From here a last short downhill stretch leads to the cableway for Rifugio Andolla and to the village of Cheggio, a small cluster of ancient houses near the Oratory of San Bernardo. In the years of 1928/30, the area underwent a considerable modification of the landscape, with the addition of the gravity dam which blocked the Loranco stream, forming the basin of Lago dei Cavalli.