PNGP hut at the Gran Piano, from the Fragno car park

Introduction

The former Royal Hunting Lodge (now the Casotto of the Gran Paradiso National Park and property of the PNGP) is a beautiful, long building at the centre of the plateau at the mouth of the Ciamosseretto valley, between the Punta di Ciamosseretto and the Becco dell'Alpetto.

Description

From the car park (1320m), take the lovely paved path that climbs into the forest. Passing just above the hamlet of Fragno (1441m), continue as far as the shrine before the hamlet of Varda (1525m, 0h20'), in a beautiful panoramic position overlooking the Noasca valley. Near the village, the signposted path for the Gran Piano branches off to the right. With a few steps, climb up to Crestet and among sparse woods, rocky blocks alternating with grassy slopes, you come out at the Muracci alpine pastures. Continuing across meadows and large boulders, you reach the two bridge-bridges over the Gran Piano stream (1816m, 1h25').

Across the stream, still among rocky landscapes, you go to the junction with the track that leads to the connection with the signpost for the Vallone di Noaschetta. Keeping to the left, climb in hairpin bends up the left orographic side of a tributary of the Gran Piano stream, approaching a beautiful waterfall several times. Further up, the mule track flattens out slightly and leads to the left across some landslides to a col near a wetland area. A very short descent among some mounded rocks and you reach the former Royal Hunting Lodge at Gran Piano (2222m, 2h45'), near a bucolic plateau. The return journey follows the same route as the outward journey: from the plateau, descend to the two bridge-bridges over the Gran Piano stream (1816 m, 1h05'), then to Varda (1525 m, 1h45') and finally to the car park (1370 m, 2h10') above Balmarossa di sopra.