ALAGNA – Rifugio Pastore – Capanna Gugliermina

To reach the beginning of the itinerary, one must follow the road from the village of Alagna to the Wold square, 1278m, where one can park the car. (In the summer months you can use the Wold – Acqua Bianca shuttle service for a fee).

Those who proceed on foot, either by choice or during the periods when there is no shuttle service, follow the paved road not open to traffic and, a little further on, can choose between two options: take the path on the left bank of the Sesia, No. 206 which arrives behind the Pastore Refuge in about 1h, or continue always on the paved road until reaching the Acqua Bianca Waterfall in about 45min (arrival of the summer shuttle), from where first a mule track and then a steep staircase starts to reach the Alpe Pile, from where you then follow the path that descends to the left, crossing a pretty wooden bridge that leads to the Pastore Refuge.

Turning your back to the Refuge, follow trail 206 to the left, which flanks the Sesia River at a distance, touches Alpe Casera Lunga (Zam Lange Gode) and reaches the bridge over the Rio Bors, 1700m. We leave trail 210 (which goes up the Vallone di Bors towards Bocchetta delle Pisse) on the left, and continue our route following trail 206, which climbs the valley floor of the Sesia among large alluvial and moraine blocks and lush vegetation.

It then continues downstream from Alpe Muflicat and arrives at the ford of the stream that descends from the Piode Glacier: in summer, the volume of water can cause significant crossing difficulties, especially in the afternoon.

Past the stream, the trail continues almost level and then faces the steep slope where the trail becomes more uncertain and climbs to on the steep moraine ridge. It crosses to the right over large scree and points to the rocks of Parrot Point.

You ascend the rocks facilitated by a series of artificial equipment and with some easy climbing reach the Gugliermina Hut (ex Valsesia), 3212m (total about 5 hours), always open and unattended. The Hut was designed by Brothers Giovan Battista and Giuseppe Fortunato Gugliermina to facilitate ascents from the southern slope of Monte Rosa.

The Hut is a starting point for important and challenging climbs: Punta Parrot, 4436m; Ludwigshohe, 4342m; Corno Nero, 4322m; Piramide Vincent, 4215m; and Punta Giordani, 4046m.