Early in the morning, we continued along the Grande Traversata delle Alpi in the direction of Alpe Baranca. The weather was once again excellent, with clear skies and hardly a cloud in sight. From Rimella, the route first followed the road downhill before entering a forest and descending to the river, which had to be crossed.
On the opposite side, the trail climbed steeply along an old, well-worn path, leading back up the mountainside. Partway up, we passed a remarkably isolated village that was still inhabited—despite its remote location, it was difficult to imagine how daily life and supplies reached this place.
The ascent continued toward a settlement on open meadows that was already visible from Rimella, and then climbed even higher. Once again, the route led through a quiet, almost abandoned village, passing a rifugio along the way. The old settlement was accessible only by footpath and a small material cable railway, yet the rifugio itself was surprisingly modern, even equipped with air conditioning.
From there, the trail crossed the ridge and descended on the far side of the mountain. At a solitary church along the way, I stopped for lunch, eating noodle soup and the sandwiches I had picked up in Rimella earlier that morning. After the break, the route continued under the blazing midday sun, descending once more to the river before climbing laboriously up the road toward the last village in the valley.
The heat was relentless, and the ascent after lunch felt particularly exhausting. The final stretch became even more demanding as the trail climbed steeply further up the valley. Initially, the path was newly constructed and exceptionally good; higher up, it transitioned into a well-preserved historic mule track, solidly built and still clearly defined.
By late afternoon, I finally reached Alpe Baranca, situated at around 1,600 meters of altitude. I was the only guest there, adding to the sense of isolation. I was offered tea on arrival and could freely choose a sleeping place in the upper level of the refuge. Before settling in, I took a long, much-needed shower—although the space was very small and could certainly have been better designed.