On the Bocchetta di Altare, where the Alps begin
The Bocchetta di Altare, 459 m above sea level, connects the Alpine and Apennine mountain ranges. Known for many years as Colle di Cadibona, recently the correct historical denomination has been once again attributed to this pass, Bocchetta di Altare, from the name of the town it is located in. The proposed itinerary is an easy loop on the southern side of the pass during which three fortifications can be visited and which crosses luxuriant beech woods. Also suitable for mountain bikers, this route is particularly beautiful in early autumn because of the gorgeous colours of the woodlands. The first part of the route follows the tinerary of the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri, the ridge route (over 400 km) that joins Ventimiglia to Sarzana, marked by the white and red road sign with the acronym AV. Bocchetta di Altare, dominated by the imposing Forte Teggia (Teggia Fortress) which rises directly over the state road, is reached from Altare. On the Po side of the pass, take the path which cuts into the woods in the direction of the ridge. Once the asphalted road is crossed, take the small, slightly uphill road that leads to Monte Burotto the long way around, where a fort bearing the same name, and built in the last years of the 19th century, rises. Continue the more or less flat trail along the watershed in a southerly direction, observing Vado Ligure and the sea to the left, and the Val Bormida to the right. In a short time, you will reach Mt. Baraccone (821 m), on which we find the Baraccone battery fortifications which also date to the end of the 19th century. Continuing to the south, there is a steep decline along the wooded ridge which borders on the Po slope in certain stretches, until an evident hill is reached, called the ?Colle del Baraccone? for the presence of an old barracks, where you meet a cart-road coming from Roviasca. The old border between the territory of Genoa and the Kingdom of Sardinia passed from the Colle del Baraccone. Continuing on, after a short distance, you reach the Colle del Termine, characterised by lovely, shaded clearings, where you will meet a cart-road coming from Altare. There are two alternatives for the return route. On warm summer days, we suggest returning to Altare on the cart-road which runs along the Po side and is shadier and cooler. The path is slightly downhill all the way and reaches the village of San Lorenzo, from there it leads to the asphalted road and the starting point of the route. Instead, in winter, it is better to return to the Colle del Baraccone and take the cart-road to the east in the direction of Roviasca. Just before the village of Nocette, at about 500 m of altitude, there is an evident fork in the road; take the little road to the north, cutting through the Bosco Grande, to reach the beginning of the route a little before the Forte Teggia.
Altare is easy to reach from both the Ligurian and the Po sides thanks to the numerous roadways: the main road from Savona to Ceva, the Savona-San Giuseppe di Cairo-Acqui railway line and the Savona-Turin Motorway.
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Length: ?
Difficulty: T
Difference in level: 600 m
Dirt road: yes
Time necessary: 5 hours
Recommended season: Autumn
Ospitality in this area:
Stages of other paths