Challenging tour, steep both uphill and downhill. Rough roads require an experienced guide. From Champoluc, it is recommended to take the cable car and reach the start of the hike to the Crest. As soon as you get off the cable car, take the dirt road to the village of Soussun. You will pass by the Hotel Crest Alpine Lodge and shortly afterwards, on the right, you will find the entrance to the road that leads to Alpe Saler. We must follow it.
It is very steep, so if you don't have an Ebike you will probably have to push your way up for the first stretch. This road immediately leads to the first lake, known to most as Lago delle Rane, on the maps it is called Lago Saler Inferiore. From this point the path becomes less steep and more scenic, climbing further up until you reach the Saler Alp (where there is the Baita Belvedere hut) and along the road you come to Lake Saler, the second lake on the tour. Here begins a descent where at the bottom you can immediately see Lake Contenery, which is beautiful but often dry. The trail continues towards the start of the Ciarcerio-Belvedere chairlift and continues to an alpine pasture where the ascent to Lake Ciarcerio begins. The climbs here are really demanding, but this is the last of the trip. After the exertion, you are rewarded by the peace and beauty of the lake, and then by the beautiful descent along the poderale that leads to Alpe Mandria. The track in fact descends and then crosses the plateau passing under the Mandria chairlift. Shortly afterwards the road from Frachey to the Bettaforca pass intersects, here we turn right and continue in this direction. After 50 metres of ascent, a beautiful descent leads to Lake Furchin, right next to the road. A very suggestive and fascinating passage. From here, we continue along the road until we reach the departure station of the Bettaforca chairlift. Just behind the building is the last lake on the tour, known as Lago della Forca Superiore.
From this point, the long descent begins, which will take us back to the valley. In fact, we must take the winter ski track and follow it to the end, to reach the start of the Mandria chairlift. From this point, the track continues down the valley in the forest to Crocetta and then to Frachey, from where we reach Champoluc to close the loop.
