A long but easy stage, without noteworthy differences in height, with great views and historical insights.
The route offers us wonderful and varied landscapes, from the distant glaciers of the Alps to the Mediterranean: a unique stage for its kind, one of the most beautiful of the entire Alta Via dei Monti Liguri.
You cross areas populated by vipers: pay attention and, every now and then, hit the ground with the stick to warn them of your presence.
The AVML signage tends to be good, however, it mysteriously disappears in some decisive crossroads: good to monitor the GPS.
We take the road and, overcome the Rifugio Pratorotondo, we take the wide path that goes around Cima Frattin from the south, soon becoming a real balcony over the sea: the landscape is a real pleasure. Along the way, we meet the Casa Miniera, an austere shelter equipped with a table and benches.
We then enter the bushes, the path becomes narrower: in continuous ups and downs, we alternate parts in the woods and wide lawns. We pass the Cima del Pozzo shelter (equipped with benches, table, and stove) and from Passo Crocetta we start a very panoramic ridge that runs alongside Rocca Vaccaria. Shortly after, with a short and comfortable descent (approximately 100 m drop), we arrive at the Hotel La Nuvola sul Mare.
The path proceeds in ups and downs in the woods (pay attention to the trail signs, so as not to get lost) and we intersect the road several times. Finally, having reached the western side of Bric del Dente, we take the short but decisive climb, with a view that is always open: to the south-east, we can see Genoa (with its commercial port, its airport). Instead of climbing to the top, we take the hillside path. Then we go down to a wide pass, before going up a little towards Monte Gallo, even in this case without reaching its summit.
We lose altitude again and, along the state road, we head towards Forte Geremia, a unique place for its beauty and atmosphere, overlooking the sea and the great Alps.
The nearby Passo del Turchino was the site of a Nazi massacre: the SS shot 59 Italian civilians (many of them very young) in retaliation for an attack carried out by the partisans at the Cinema Odeon in Genoa, during which 4 German soldiers had perished.
The person responsible for the massacre was the Nazi officer Siegfried Engel, the "Executioner of Genoa": despite being sentenced to life in prison in absentia in 1999, he died without serving a single day in prison, due to the German government's failure to extradite.
Fort Geremia was built in 1855, well camouflaged by a grass-covered embankment that merges with the top of the mountain, from where you can enjoy a splendid view of the nearby Ligurian coast.
It was built with the aim of controlling the Turchino Pass and the adjacent valleys. After the Second World War, it was abandoned but at the end of the 20th century, the Municipality of Masone implemented a recovery project.
Today it is a mountain lodge, the first in Italy created from a military fort: a very welcoming structure thanks to the work of the manager Stefano Podestà (archaeologist and helicopter pilot).
Special note: inside there is an underground tank with 70,000 liters of.....freezing water!
The revzora is a small focaccia, typical of Campo Ligure in the Stura Valley: the name derives from ravezö, which in the local dialect indicates the sieved bran which in times of misery replaced white flour in the dough.
This focaccia is now prepared by mixing white flour and cornflour with oil, water, salt, and yeast: you get a thick and golden dough, which is then baked in the oven, in a pan. After cooking, the small focaccias are crumbly and decidedly tasty, excellent when accompanied by cold cuts, for example, the testa in cassetta (pork offal cooked for a long time in salted and spiced water), for a particularly tasty combination.
Albergo La Nuvola sul Mare, not far from the Faiallo Pass. Tel. +39 348 882 9978
Rifugio Forte Geremia, on the top of Bric Geremia. Tel. +39 346 323 5839
Starting point reachable by car.
Departure point NOT reachable by bus.
The nearest town reachable by bus is Alpicella, starting from the city of Savona with a change in Varazze.
Here the LINK to check the timetables.
Starting point NOT reachable by train.
Va' Sentiero is a grassroot project, thanks to the spontaneous contribution oft housands of people.
Even the most complicated dream, a 7,000km uphill dream,
can be achieved... together.
Grazie!
