RIFUGIO EMILIO QUESTA (“Emilio Questa” Hut): Lago delle Portette, 12010 Valdieri (CN) – Italy
Manager: Marco Bassino (VAT Number 03910010044)
Direct phone: +39 0171 1988388 (only during the open season)
Mobile: +39 351 5835607 (SMS and WhatsApp available)
email: emilioquesta@gmail.com
facebook: @rifugioquesta
instagram: @rifugioquesta
In case of issues with the landline, please contact the hut via WhatsApp at the mobile number above, or by email.
The “Questa” Hut is located beside Lake Portette, at an altitude of 2,388 meters, above the Valasco Valley, in the heart of the Maritime Alps Natural Park.
The trail to the hut begins in Terme di Valdieri, a hamlet in the municipality of Valdieri, in the Province of Cuneo, Italy.
Pathway to the hut
From the car park at Terme di Valdieri, a one-hour walk along an unsurfaced road (closed to traffic) takes you to Piano del Valasco, a high plain where the former royal hunting lodge of the House of Savoy is located (now also a mountain hut).
From there, the route continues as a mule track up to around 2,000 meters in altitude, where a path branches off near a broken-topped larch tree, leading directly to the Questa Hut (3 hours from the car park; follow the white and red trail markers).
Alternatively, from the same larch tree, you can stay on the mule track, which is less steep and passes by Lago Inferiore di Valscura — in this case, the total walk takes about 4 hours.
More details about the trail on alpicuneesi.it (available in English as well)
GPS landmarks & hiking stage places
Coordinates UTM32/WGS84: 0357443, 4893729
GTA stage place
GTM stage place #10
Via Alpina stage place #141 of the red route
Download GPX track
Hut location on OpenStreetMap
Hut location on Google Maps
How to get to Terme di Valdieri
By car
If you’re coming from the north, take the A6 Torino–Savona motorway to the Fossano exit, then follow the SS 231 to Cuneo, and from there take the SS 20 to Borgo San Dalmazzo. Continue up the Gesso Valley, passing through Valdieri and on to Terme di Valdieri, where parking is available.
You’ll find designated parking areas for both cars and motorhomes in the hamlet of Terme.
If you’re coming from the south via the motorway, follow the A6 to the Mondovì exit, then head toward Cuneo and Borgo San Dalmazzo, and continue as described above.
If you’re coming from Nice or Ventimiglia, the best route is through the Roya Valley. Follow signs for the Colle di Tenda tunnel and take the SS 20 to Borgo San Dalmazzo.
By public transport
By train, get off at Cuneo or Borgo San Dalmazzo station, then take bus line 82 (operated by Autolinee Nuova Benese) to Terme di Valdieri.
Airports nearby: Turin International Airport – 160 km from Terme di Valdieri; Nice International Airport (France) – 150 km away; Genoa Airport – 170 km away; Cuneo Airport – 50 km away (note: Cuneo has limited flight options)