Day 39 : Locanda Galleria Rosazza to Rifugio Rivetti

The official route goes via Rifugio Selle/Madonna delle Neve, making for a rather short day if you stop there, following the Cicerone guide) or a long day (1770m ascent) if you follow the Rother guide and go there only for lunch. We opted for a shortcur by taking the asphalt road from Rosazza to Piedicavallo. The Rother guide does recommend the views from Selle di Rosazza.

Follow the road down from the Locanda, taking shortcuts where indicated, until you reach Sanctuario di San Giavanni, a more small-scale and rustic affair than Oropa! There is also a posto tappa and hotel-style accommodation here. After viewing the Sanctuario, go down the road, but soon turn off towards Campiglia Servo; at the chapel S Maria Maddalene, follow the shady path that runs parallel to the road. After crossing a small river, enter the hamlet of Gliondini and follow the road to the cute little town of Rosazza. From there, we simply took the road to Piedicavallo; traffic is light, so it is a fairly pleasant walk.

Walk through the town of Piedicavllo (1037m), following the main road up, until you reach the signs for the path to Rifigure Rivettti. The path starts with a pleasant but steep climb, passing some houses that can only be reached on foot and then continuous up. A clear path follows, almost leveling off for a while, before a last steep stretch to Rifugio Rivetti (2150m). Another atmospheric place where the gettore signs along with the radio in the kitchen when she is in a good mood!