Cascina Sette Fontane, from Strada Alpetto

Access

Exit Carisio (if you're coming from Milan) or Santhià (if you're coming from Turin) of the Turin-Milan motorway and follow the state road as far as Biella; in Biella, follow the signs for the Santuario d'Oropa, which can be found everywhere. If, on the other hand, you are already in Pollone for a visit to the Burcina, you can climb directly to Favaro, taking a road to the north, before the entrance to the Burcina Park, to the right of a small chapel. The route is hairpin bends; once out of the woods and you reach the first houses of Favaro, descend to the right and then immediately turn left onto the Biella Oropa state road, near a bend; once at the shrine, pass in front of the gates and cross the next road, heading towards the Cemetery, along the road known as the 'tracciolino' (little path); continue for about 3 km, pass a group of residential houses, here the view opens out onto the Biellese plain, and continue for a couple of more km, until a large clear billboard appears at the top on the right, repeating television signals; immediately, again on the right, a small tarmac road branches off up to the mountain pastures, but the passage of which is forbidden to unauthorised persons; park on the right or left in the small car parks along the road (indicative billboard).

Introduction

This is one of the most visited and loved itineraries by the Biellese, frequented in all seasons of the year; even with snow, as long as it is not too much, and it can be travelled along the carriage road or by path. Its western exposure and the shelter from the wind offered by the avalanche barriers mean that it can also be used on very cold and windy days. The avalanche barriers are an authentic work of mountain architecture.

Description

Leaving the car (at an altitude of about 1150m), walk along the asphalt road which, with a steep hairpin bend and a subsequent traverse, leads out of the trees and continues towards the Mucrone; the path is marked [D41] and climbs from Pollone. We continue, leaving the road where possible and following the track through the pastures. On the way up we come across several farmsteads, still inhabited by shepherds in the summer. The most important, Alpetto Inferiore (1250m), Alpetto di mezzo (1400m), and Alpetto Superiore (1484m); in the area of Alpetto Inferiore, a sleeve indicates the direction of the wind for hang-gliders and paragliders, who climb up here and launch themselves to land below, on the meadows between Occhieppo Superiore and Pollone; just above, at a deviation in the path, a memorial stone commemorates a Biellese mountaineer, Paolo Bernascone, who died during an ascent in Nepal. Around it, colourful Nepalese flags wave. After about an hour or so, we are almost at Alpetto Superiore, where the asphalt road ends and the dirt road begins, circumventing the Muanda slopes to the west; the path is [D34], crossing almost level as far as the Muanda Alps (1463m), then gaining altitude with a couple of hairpin bends and continuing on to Sette Fontane, a large mountain pasture whose stone huts are protected by powerful avalanche guards (1537m, 1h30'). Both as we ascend and from the alpine pasture, our gaze sweeps over the surrounding mountains, Mucrone with its cross behind us, and Mombarone, Pian dal Turo, and the Bechits in front. We return along the ascent route; below us all the towns of the Biellese hills between Burcina and the Sanctuary of Graglia, far away, Lake Viverone and the Serra, and still beyond, the sharp pyramid of Monviso.