Overview
The Bessanese Tour (TB) is a high-altitude circular route (2,200–3,200 m a.s.l.) that runs along the border between Italyand France, circling Uja di Bessanese (3,604 m) and Croce Rossa (3,566 m) in the Southern Graian Alps.
With a total length of about 32 km, the Tour is divided into three stages. Although it does not present any particular mountaineering difficulties, the route is classified as EE (Experienced Hikers) due to the harsh high-mountain environment in which it takes place.
Proper equipment and a good level of physical fitness are therefore required to tackle it.
The tour can start from any of the three refuges along the route — Rifugio d’Averole, Rifugio Gastaldi, or Rifugio Cibrario — although it is recommended to follow it in a clockwise direction.
Stages
1
Stage 1: Gastaldi Refuge – Cibrario Refuge
Traversing high-altitude environments shaped by glaciers, this stage connects the Gastaldi Refuge to the Cibrario Refuge, crossing from Val d'Ala to the Viù Valley.
2
Stage 2: Cibrario Refuge – Avérole Refuge
This stage runs between the Rifugio Cibrario (Italy) and the Refuge d’Averole (France), crossing passes above 3,000 metres and ancient glacial basins such as those of Sulè and Autaret.
3
Stage 3: Avérole Refuge – Gastaldi Refuge
A high-altitude route in a harsh and spectacular setting, linking the Refuge d’Averole to the Rifugio Gastaldi via the Passo del Collerin, at the foot of imposing peaks such as Albaron and Uja di Bessanese.