La Valle Pesio nel Parco Naturale del Marguareis
La Valle Pesio è la valle cuneese delle Alpi Liguri compresa tra la Valle Vermenagna e la Valle Ellero e fa parte del comune di Chiusa Pesio.
E' una valle particolarmente verde con una moltitudine di boschi ed una grande varietà di flora e fauna tanto che per proteggerli è stato istituito nel 1978 il Parco Naturale del Marguareis che comprende i due versanti opposti del
Marguareis, montagna che con i suoi 2651 metri domina la Valle Pesio.
La zona è caratterizzata da un importante sistema carsico con migliaia di grotte di forme e dimensioni diverse che si sviluppano per chilometri all'interno delle montagne dando vita al sistema delle Carsene.
Gli insediamenti umani sono sempre stati piuttosto limitati nell'antichità, legati sopratutto all'agricoltura e alla pastorizia fino a quando l'insediamento dei Padri Certosini e la conseguente costruzione della Certosa ha dato una spinta demografica.
Ed è proprio la Certosa di Pesio la prima attrazione da vedere se si visita per la prima volta la valle. Fondata nel 1173 dal monaco Ulderico la Certosa di Santa Maria di Pesio fu uno dei centri culturali e spirituali più importanti del Piemonte. Abbandonata con il passaggio delle truppe napoleoniche, fu trasformata in istituto idroterapico per ospiti illustri. Solo nel 1934 con l'arrivo dei Missionari della Consolata ritrovò la sua antica destinazione d'uso.
Dalla Certosa la strada asfaltata prosegue e, passando accanto al Cimitero Partigiano, una costruzione circolare con stele, arriva a Pian delle Gorre, pianoro situato a 1032 metri di altezza nel cuore del Parco Naturale del Marguareis.
E' consigliabile, sopratutto nelle domeniche affollate, lasciare l'auto nel parcheggio visino alla Certosa e raggiungere la piana a piedi attraverso il Percorso Naturalistico, un bel sentiero in mezzo al bosco che, con una piccola deviazione, conduce anche all'osservatorio faunistico delle Canavere, un recinto che ospita alcuni esemplari di cervi.
A Pian delle Gorre sorge l'omonimo rifugio, una tipica baita di montagna costruita con materiali naturali, meta di picnic e punto di partenza per numerose escursioni nella zona.
Già intorno al pianoro è possibile godere della bellezza naturalistica della valle. Intorno si è circondati da splendidi boschi di faggi, larici, abeti rossi e bianchi, mentre nel sottobosco, soprattutto a primavera, è possibile ammirare una grande varietà di fiori la cui crescita è favorite dal clima fresco e umido.
Gli amanti dei fiori possono trovare in valle due stazioni botaniche alpine, la stazione botanica Clarence Bicknell al Pian del Lupo e la stazione botanica Danilo Re, nei pressi del laghetto del Marguareis. Entrambe situate a circa 2000 metri d'altitudine, non lontano dal Rifugio Garelli, ospitano le specie vegetali alpine più comuni delle Alpi Liguri e Marittime ed anche un centinaio di esemplari rari.
Anche la fauna della Valle Pesio è piuttosto varia e conta le tipiche specie alpine come caprioli, cervi, stambecchi, camosci, marmotte, aquile, pernici bianche e circa una quarantina di gipeti reintrodotti tra il 1993 e il 2012.
Inoltre, a metà degli anni ’90, si reinsediato il lupo e almeno tre branchi di questo predatore frequentano il Parco Naturale del Marguareis.
A causa del fenomeno carsico il Massiccio del Marguareis non vede la presenza di importanti corsi d'acqua superficiali o laghi; l'acqua penetra nella roccia e scorre sotterranea fino ad uscire più a valle dando origine al Torrente Pesio.
In alcuni casi la parte terminale di questa corsa genera, all'inizio della primavera, suggestive cascate come il Pis de Pesio o le Cascate del Saut raggiungibili facilmente con un percorso ad anello.
Diverse sono le attività outdoor che è possibile effettuare in Valle Pesio. In inverno si presta bene per escursioni con le racchette da neve, per lo scialpinismo e, se l'innevamento è abbastanza consistente, per lo sci di fondo.
In estate la fitta rete di sentieri permette di compiere escursioni di differenti difficoltà o salite in mountain bike come quella al Passo del Duca.
La Valle Pesio, inoltre, rappresenta un vero paradiso per gli esperti di speleologia che nella Conca delle Carsene trovano i siti più interessanti da esplorare.
Tra gli itinerari di trekking più battuti ci sono la salita al Rifugio Garelli, con possibile giro ad anello, quella al Passo del Duca, l'escursione al Colle Vaccarile e alla Punta Mirauda ed il Giro del Marguareis, da effettuare a tappe.
Pesio Valley inside the Marguareis Natural Park
The Pesio Valley is one of Cuneo valley. It is placed in the Ligurian Alps between the Vermenagna Valley and the Valle Ellero and is included within the municipality of Chiusa Pesio.
It is a particularly green valley with a multitude of woods and a great variety of flora and fauna, so much so that to protect them, in 1978 was established the Marguareis Natural Park which includes the two opposite sides of the
Marguareis, a mountain that with its 2651 meters dominates the Pesio Valley.
The area is characterized by an important karst system with thousands of caves of different shapes and sizes that develop for kilometers within the mountains giving life to the Carsene system.
Human settlements have always been rather limited in antiquity, linked above all to agriculture and pastoralism until the installation of the Carthusian Fathers and the consequent construction of the Charterhouse gave a demographic boost.
And it is precisely the Pesio Chartreuse the first attraction to see if you visit the valley for the first time. Founded in 1173 by the monk Ulderico, the St. Mary of Pesio Chartreuse was one of the most important cultural and spiritual centers in Piedmont. Abandoned with the passage of the Napoleonic troops, it was transformed into a hydrotherapy institute for illustrious guests. Only in 1934 with the arrival of the Consolata Missionaries it found again its ancient intended use.
From the Chartreuse the asphalted road continues and, passing next to the Partisan Cemetery, a circular construction with stele, arrives at Pian delle Gorre, a plateau located at 1032 meters high in the heart of the Marguareis Natural Park.
It is advisable, especially on crowded Sundays, to leave the car in the parking lot near the Chartreuse and reach the plain on foot through the Naturalistic Path, a beautiful track in the middle of the wood which, with a small detour, also leads to the wildlife observatory of the Canavere, an enclosure that houses some specimens of deer.
In Pian delle Gorre stands the homonymous refuge, a typical mountain hut built with natural materials, a picnic destination and a starting point for numerous excursions in the area.
Around the plateau it is possible to enjoy the naturalistic beauty of the valley. Here you are surrounded by beautiful beech, larch, red and white fir woods, while in the undergrowth, especially in spring, you can admire a great variety of flowers whose growth is favored by the cool and humid climate.
Flower lovers can find two alpine botanical stations in the valley, the Clarence Bicknell botanical station at Pian del Lupo and the Danilo Re botanical station, near the Marguareis lake. Both located at about 2000 meters above sea level, not far from the Garelli Refuge, they host the most common alpine plant species of the Ligurian and Maritime Alps and also a hundred of rare specimens.
The fauna of the Pesio Valley is also quite varied and counts the typical alpine species such as roe deer, deer, ibex, chamois, marmots, eagles, ptarmigans and about forty bearded vultures reintroduced between 1993 and 2012.
Furthermore, in the mid-90s, the wolf resettled and at least three herds of this predator frequent the Marguareis Natural Park.
Due to the karst phenomenon the Marguareis Massif does not see the presence of important superficial watercourses or lakes; the water enters the rock and flows underground until it comes out further downstream, giving rise to the Pesio Torrent.
In some cases the terminal part of this run generates, at the beginning of spring, suggestive waterfalls such as the Pis del Pesio or the Saut waterfalls easily accessible with a ring route.
There are several outdoor activities that can be done in Pesio Valley. In winter it is well suited for excursions with snowshoes, for ski mountaineering and, if the snow is enough, for cross-country skiing.
In summer, the dense network of paths allows you to make excursions of different difficulty or go uphill paths by mountain bike, for example to Passo del Duca.
The Pesio Valley, moreover, represents a real paradise for speleology experts who in the Conca delle Carsene find the most interesting sites to explore.
Among the most popular trekking itineraries there are the ascent to the Garelli Refuge, with a possible ring tour, the one to the Passo del Duca, the excursion to Colle Vaccarile and Punta Mirauda and the Marguareis tour, that be carried out in stages.
The Pesio Valley is one of Cuneo valley. It is placed in the Ligurian Alps between the Vermenagna Valley and the Valle Ellero and is included within the municipality of Chiusa Pesio.
It is a particularly green valley with a multitude of woods and a great variety of flora and fauna, so much so that to protect them, in 1978 was established the Marguareis Natural Park which includes the two opposite sides of the
Marguareis, a mountain that with its 2651 meters dominates the Pesio Valley.
The area is characterized by an important karst system with thousands of caves of different shapes and sizes that develop for kilometers within the mountains giving life to the Carsene system.
Human settlements have always been rather limited in antiquity, linked above all to agriculture and pastoralism until the installation of the Carthusian Fathers and the consequent construction of the Charterhouse gave a demographic boost.
And it is precisely the Pesio Chartreuse the first attraction to see if you visit the valley for the first time. Founded in 1173 by the monk Ulderico, the St. Mary of Pesio Chartreuse was one of the most important cultural and spiritual centers in Piedmont. Abandoned with the passage of the Napoleonic troops, it was transformed into a hydrotherapy institute for illustrious guests. Only in 1934 with the arrival of the Consolata Missionaries it found again its ancient intended use.
From the Chartreuse the asphalted road continues and, passing next to the Partisan Cemetery, a circular construction with stele, arrives at Pian delle Gorre, a plateau located at 1032 meters high in the heart of the Marguareis Natural Park.
It is advisable, especially on crowded Sundays, to leave the car in the parking lot near the Chartreuse and reach the plain on foot through the Naturalistic Path, a beautiful track in the middle of the wood which, with a small detour, also leads to the wildlife observatory of the Canavere, an enclosure that houses some specimens of deer.
In Pian delle Gorre stands the homonymous refuge, a typical mountain hut built with natural materials, a picnic destination and a starting point for numerous excursions in the area.
Around the plateau it is possible to enjoy the naturalistic beauty of the valley. Here you are surrounded by beautiful beech, larch, red and white fir woods, while in the undergrowth, especially in spring, you can admire a great variety of flowers whose growth is favored by the cool and humid climate.
Flower lovers can find two alpine botanical stations in the valley, the Clarence Bicknell botanical station at Pian del Lupo and the Danilo Re botanical station, near the Marguareis lake. Both located at about 2000 meters above sea level, not far from the Garelli Refuge, they host the most common alpine plant species of the Ligurian and Maritime Alps and also a hundred of rare specimens.
The fauna of the Pesio Valley is also quite varied and counts the typical alpine species such as roe deer, deer, ibex, chamois, marmots, eagles, ptarmigans and about forty bearded vultures reintroduced between 1993 and 2012.
Furthermore, in the mid-90s, the wolf resettled and at least three herds of this predator frequent the Marguareis Natural Park.
Due to the karst phenomenon the Marguareis Massif does not see the presence of important superficial watercourses or lakes; the water enters the rock and flows underground until it comes out further downstream, giving rise to the Pesio Torrent.
In some cases the terminal part of this run generates, at the beginning of spring, suggestive waterfalls such as the Pis del Pesio or the Saut waterfalls easily accessible with a ring route.
There are several outdoor activities that can be done in Pesio Valley. In winter it is well suited for excursions with snowshoes, for ski mountaineering and, if the snow is enough, for cross-country skiing.
In summer, the dense network of paths allows you to make excursions of different difficulty or go uphill paths by mountain bike, for example to Passo del Duca.
The Pesio Valley, moreover, represents a real paradise for speleology experts who in the Conca delle Carsene find the most interesting sites to explore.
Among the most popular trekking itineraries there are the ascent to the Garelli Refuge, with a possible ring tour, the one to the Passo del Duca, the excursion to Colle Vaccarile and Punta Mirauda and the Marguareis tour, that be carried out in stages.
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