Punta Serena – spartiacque bassa Valle di Lanzo e Valle Tesso
Nice route between lower Lanzo Valley and Tesso Valley.
Start at Lanzo and climb up St. Ignatius street to then take beautiful dirt road of old St. Ignatius road (watch out for vipers!) with nice narrow sections through vegetation and then asphalt again to Tortore. Resume trail to La Balma and Ferla and then falsopiano to final erta, traguarded with a bit of spintage and then portage.
The views are superb, from Monviso to Bessanese, from nearby Uja di Mondrone with Ciamarella behind.
The descent is fantastic: stones in the first section, then roots and switchbacks and gullies carved out! This is trail 352 to Ovairo and then some more dirt sections on ovairock. Nice 3-hour round trip. The natives say that going up from Chiaves as well as longer is challenging uphill and downhill as well. Water point: silver fountain, before Tortore uphill and at the end of ovairock downhill, is a historic fountain dating back to 1600.
Nice fall ride with Elena and Gigi.
Cartography: Fraternali Editore 1:25000 n.9 Basse Valli di Lanzo