Difficulty

Moderate

Elevation

819 m

Distance

9.8 km

Duration

4-5.5h

User Ratings

9.5 (19 reviews)

Physical DIFF

Technical DIFF

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Lagarot di Lourousa

Name: Lagarot di Lourousa
Rating: 9.5

Panoramic views from the Lagarot di Lourousa hike in Alpi Marittime National Park, Italy

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As you hike through the larch forest, the trail will switchback an awful lot, although it isn’t steep. The path was built at the end of the nineteenth century to allow King Vittorio Emanuele II to ride on horseback while hunting chamois and ibex.

Route Description for Lagarot di Lourousa

The trail to the Lagarot starts from the parking and then crosses the stream over a little bridge.

From there, it switchbacks through a larch wood, up to 1,800 m. Eventually, you’ll start to see the grasslands and the peaks around you.

The King’s path is soon visible. Bordered with stone walls, the low grade allowed the King to go up comfortably on his horse.

After a little over 1h, the larch forest thins and the rocky plain dominates the landscape. An ancient shepherd’s Rifugio remains as a vestige of past livestock activity, but nowadays you won’t find any sheep pasturing on these slopes.

Eventually you will reach the Lagarot, in the local dialect it means “little lakes”. In front of you is the impressive cliffs of the Corno Stella and the Canale di Lourousa, rich with geological and alpinist history. Their shape is in contrast with the soft landscape of the Lagarot.

The return is on the same path you came in on.

Insider Hints for Lagarot di Lourousa

From Lagarot you can continue to the Rifugio Morelli (2,351 m), and then to the Colle of Chiapous (2,533 m). From that point you can get off to the Chiotas Lake and reach the Rifugio Genova (2,009 m).
If you arrive from Torino, visit the nice town of Cuneo. There are lots of beautiful buildings in Cuneo. The churches and piazzas are a gorgeous as you would expect.
There are two great Rifugio’s in the area, if you’re looking for somewhere to stay, are the Rifugio Morelli or the Rifugio Genova. Rifugio Morelli has a good selection of wines; whereas Rifugio Genova is known for its polenta with sauces.

Getting to the Lagarot di Lourousa Trailhead

Make your way to Valdieri then drive 15.0 km to Terme di Valdieri, in the direction of the French Border. To reach the starting point, park the car in Terme di Valdieri, down to the left of the bridge. The path starts from the parking lot.

Route Information

When to do:
May to end of October
Backcountry Campsites:
Yes, on site or in Terme di Valdieri
Toilets:
Yes, in Terme di Valdieri
Family friendly:
No
Route Signage:
Average
Crowd Levels:
Moderate
Route Type:
Out and back