Alpe Veglia, Lago della Vecchia and the Mossy Cliff: Piedmont's 1,872 m Cirqueeasytravelpost #AlpeV
#easytravelpost
Alpe Veglia is a glacial basin in the Biellese Alps, reached from Piedicavallo (1,037 m) via the E50 mule track—2.5 hrs, 850 m gain, no tech scramble. Rifugio Lago della Vecchia (1,872 m, 22 beds, half-board ~50 EUR, June–Sept, book by phone 2–3 weeks ahead for August) sits on the shore. I drove Turin→Piedicavallo (1.5 hrs), started 08:00, hiked in with a daypack + overnight kit.
The mossy cliff is the north shore where the larch-and-fir wall seeps and the moss carpet runs to the waterline; the lake is small, cobalt, ringed by grass-and-rock. I slept at the rifugio, woke 06:30, and had the shore to myself with the Rosa crest lit pink. The Veglia plateau (30 min above the lake) is summer pasture with a 2,300 m rim walk.
Mistake: I wore trail runners in June and the E50 mule track had snow patches at 1,600 m—boots, even early season. Another: I assumed card payment at the rifugio and they took cash only; carry EUR. Would you hike in to Lago della Vecchia for one rifugio night and the dawn shore, or day-hike from Piedicavallo and add the Alpe Veglia plateau loop on the return?