CASERMA GRAN SERIN

The route starts from the ski resort of Frais and then reaches, via a former military road that is nearly all quite steep, the ridge separating the Susa valley from the Chisone valley. From the crossroads near the church (0 km), proceed left along Via Arguel. After a bend, where the tarred road ends, you reach the junction with Via Gran Serin where you keep to the right (0.57), taking a long hillside route. At 1.48km, make sure of leaving the road to Berg. Soubeirand on the left (no indication). You then reach the chalets and the small church of Alpe d'Arguel (4.98) and then arrive at two buildings of the modern alpine meadow (5.24). The larch forest travelled through to this point now gradually gives way to wide grassy areas. The view is very beautiful over the valley of Galambra, the peak of Quattro Denti, and the lower Val Cenischia. After passing a bar, you face the hairpins that develop along the border of the Gran Bosco Nature Park, reaching the basin that hosts Lake Grande (9.16). Just one more effort and here you meet the old road that connected the Colle delle Finestre with Assietta (9.63), used before the road was built at a lower level and parallel to the previous one, on the Chisone valley side. You soon arrive at the ruins of the great defensive barracks Gran Serin (9.79), built between 1884 and 1888 and able to accommodate up to 600 men. A wide and deep moat protected it on three sides while inside there are two large buildings, separated by a broad courtyard: one was to house the troops while the other consists of a central body on two levels like the other one but with two one-storey annexes, which was reserved for officers and service rooms including a huge, 100,000 litre water tank! In front of the barracks is a building erected in the early twentieth century that served as a stable and warehouse. Frais is returned to along the same route as before. Massimo Peverada http://www.mtbpiemonte.it/
Maximum altitude 2589m.