The ‘Cammino del Deserto’ covers around 86 km, plus 48 km for those who wish to reach the seaside at Finale Ligure: 134 km in all for seven days of walking.
The stages are also seven, some easy and accessible to most people, others more challenging and requiring good training, both because of the elevation gains to be tackled and because the towns are often quite isolated from each other and it is not possible to make intermediate stops.
The best time to go is from early spring to late fall, at least as long as the weather holds and there are enough hours of sunshine to cover many kilometers on foot. Avoid winter as the route may have snowy or icy conditions.
Here are the details of stages and kilometers:
- Castagnole delle Lanze – Santo Stefano Belbo (15,8 Km)
- Santo Stefano Belbo – Castino (14 Km)
- Castino – Prunetto (22,1 Km)
- Prunetto – Cengio or Millesimo (24 or 28,3 Km)
- Millesimo – Santuario del Deserto – Murialdo (6+7 Km)
- Murialdo – Bormida (18,1 Km)
- Bormida – Finale Ligure (23,5 Km)
The ‘Cammino del Deserto’ is an amateur initiative by a private individual and therefore does not yet have official trail markers.
The route is practicable through the gps tracks that the author sends FOR FREE to those who request them from the “Contacts” section, and consists of an interconnected system of already existing trails that partially include large sections of the Gran Traversata delle Langhe in Piedmont (Gtl) and the Via dei Feudi Carretteschi in Liguria (see photos below). For detailed information on these two itineraries, please refer to the information available online.
It is also recommended to always carry with you the traditional paper maps (and especially to know how to consult them) in case the technology gives you any problems (you never know). If you do not have one, each stage of the trek in the Italian section of the website indicates a link to the available commercially paper maps.
In order to avoid unpleasant surprises, it is highly recommended to plan your trip by contacting all accommodations and book them in advance before your departure (see the Italian section of the website).
For all other aspects of the route, please refer to the description of the individual stages (see the Italian section of the website), considering that the author relies above all on the COMMON SENSE of the pilgrims.