Amprimo Refuge, from Cortavetto
Edited by:
Massimo Martini
Updated at: 26/04/2026
Access
Road navigation
Leave the motorway at the Bussoleno-Chianocco junction. Go straight ahead to the roundabout and take the third exit to go back east, passing under the motorway bridge to the junction. Turn left onto the in the direction of San Giorio di Susa and drive 1.7km. At the main crossroads of the village, turn right and follow the signs for the Balma / Pognant / Città / Rifugi GEAT Val Gravio / Amprimo / Toesca villages. Take Via Carlo Trattenero, then Via Balma, and continue uphill through the hamlets of Pognant and Grangia for 9.0km (10.7km). Reach Frazione Città (1,075m), the winter starting point.
Parking
In Frazione Città there is a free car park 🅿️ on a clearing on the right-hand side of the road, opposite the entrance to the road that continues towards Cortavetto. In winter, it is compulsory to leave your vehicle in this hamlet, as the upper road is not cleared of snow.
Access by public transport
In July and August (Mondays and Thursdays) the Autoservizi AMC Canuto line operates a service between Bussoleno (railway station) and the hamlets of San Giorio di Susa - Balma - Martinetti - Pognant - Adret, with a stop near Frazione Città. To check updated timetables, please contact the operator directly.
Distance and travel time
🕒 Travel time: 19 minutes
📏 Distance: 10.6km
GPS navigation
Information note
The information provided has been verified as of the date of the survey of the itinerary. Before departure, it is recommended to check possible changes in the route or road conditions. Please consult Google Maps or Apple Maps for the latest information.
.Introduction
A round trip in the Orsiera Rocciavré Nature Park, on the Valsusino side above San Giorio di Susa, linking the Cortavetto car park to the Onelio Amprimo Refuge in the Rio Secco locality, at an altitude of 1,385 metres. The trail develops entirely in a wooded environment, on a well-marked path, alternating short stretches on the valley floor with ascents in the beech forest with a connection to the Sentiero dei Franchi (trail marker 513).
The starting point is down at Cortavetto, near the two small lakes known as the Paradise of the Frogs: small stretches of water where the alpine frog (Rana temporaria) lives, accompanied by an area equipped with illustrated panels on the biology of these amphibians. Once past the lake area, the path climbs up into the forest and joins the Sentiero dei Franchi, reaching the Basin mountain pasture (1,338m) before arriving at the hut. Amprimo is one of the five refuges in the park, managed by the UGET section of the CAI of Turin: built in 1937, it was destroyed in a fire set by the Nazi-Fascists in 1944 and rebuilt the following year. It overlooks a large grassy clearing, and is a reference point for families and those who walk the Orsiera Tour. Those who wish to extend the excursion can reach the Pian Cervetto plateau in a few minutes, which offers an open view of the Rocciamelone group.
The route is accessible from June to September without any particular conditions to be considered; in winter the road section between Borgata Citta' and Cortavetto is closed to traffic, and it is necessary to start out on foot from the village, adding about 25 minutes of walking. The difficulty is T2, with moderate differences in altitude and easy orientation throughout the route.
.Description
[0h00'T1] 0.00km From the car park in Cortavetto (1,265m), take the path signposted for Rifugio Toesca, heading right. Follow the path bordered by a dry-stone wall that descends towards the bottom of the valley. You will soon reach the first Frogs' Paradise Lake (1,265m) and continue to the picnic area near the second Frogs' Paradise Lake (1,252m). Tackle the first uphill section in the forest and reach the junction with the Sentiero dei Franchi (1,290m). Turn right and walk along the wide, level path through a grassy clearing to reach the Basin pastureland (1,338m).
[0h25'T2] 1.05km Leaving the Basin mountain pasture, continue slightly uphill through the woods in a southerly direction, pass another small clearing and reach the Amprimo refuge (1.385m) in the Rio Secco [0h50'T2] 1.95km .
The return journey is along the same route as the outward journey, descending again towards the Sentiero dei Franchi and then to the Cortavetto car park [0h40'T2] 1.95km .