SI E08

A long stage with significant elevation change that takes the Sentiero Italia into the heart of the Maritime Alps National Park, an area declared as a Natural Park in 1980 that includes the historic royal hunting reserve of King Vittorio Emanuele II of Savoy. From Trinità di Entracque, you descend towards the Bousset stream, and after crossing it, you ascend through the Serra dei Castagni, turning right towards the northwest and continuing on to Tetto Airetta. Here, you veer left towards the southwest to reach several hamlets and climb to Caire della Tuccia, from where you enter the homonymous valley and descend into the Vallone del Gesso della Barra just upstream of the artificial basin of Piastra. The path continues along the right side of the Gesso della Barra until you reach the San Giacomo hamlet of Entracque, remaining parallel to the road that connects this hamlet to Entracque, which is located on the left side of the stream. In the village of San Giacomo, you will find the Bar Ristorante Baita Monte Gelas and the adjacent Refugio Escursionistico San Giacomo, from where you continue along the convenient natural track to reach the Piazzale dei Cannoni next to the Gias della Siula. From here, the path continues steadily upward towards the Piano del Praiet, dominated by the Rifugio Soria Ellena.