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The Grande Traversata delle Alpi (GTA) is a long-distance hiking trail in the Italian region of Piedmont. In about 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) and 55 day hikes, it runs through the arc formed by the western Alps from the Pennine Alps through the Graian and Cottian Alps to the Maritime and Ligurian Alps. There are a number of transverse valleys along the route. Day hikes typically connect high-lying valley communities with each other via historic pass routes.
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The GTA may be walked in either direction; the following direction is from north to south.
The trail begins in the Pennine Alps; the original plan to let the GTA start on Lago Maggiore has not been implemented due to the lack of suitable accommodations. The official start is at Molini di Calasca in Valle Anzasca; however, Forno in Valstrona is also used, and some walkers start at Valais, Switzerland.
The trail follows the north side of Valsesia to Alagna, near Monte Rosa. There the route bends south, avoiding the Aosta Valley (which is not part of the Piedmont). The trail passes Oropa and reaches Quincinetto, in the valley where the Dora Baltea breaks through from Aosta Valley into the lowlands of the Po. At 295 metres (968 ft), it is the lowest point of the GTA.
The GTA then enters the Graian Alps, leading (in six sections) west. It passes Gran Paradiso near the French border, where it continues south. After crossing the three valleys of Lanzo Torinese, the Susa Valley is reached after 26 sections. This is the approximate midpoint of the GTA, and the boundary between its northern and southern parts.
In the Cottian Alps, between the Susa and Varaita valleys, were several variants of the GTA. An eastern route, snow-free by early June, is neglected; the main, western route is well-maintained. The GTA runs south from the Susa Valley, crossing the Chisone, Germanasca, and Pellice Valleys. The Monte Viso bypass uses two huts belonging to the Club Alpino Italiano. The trail then crosses the Varaita, Maira, Grana, Stura di Demonte, Gesso, and Vermenagna Valleys. Near Monte Argentera, in the Maritime Alps, are several more Club Alpino Italiano huts. The GTA then enters the Ligurian Alps, ending at Viozene in Ormea. Trail extensions continue to the train stations at Ormea or Gerassio, cross to the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri or lead to the Mediterranean Sea (which can be reached in about three days from Ormea).
The GTA is usually snow-free at the end of June. A mountain trail, it has no technical difficulties; however, trail marking is irregular. The typical elevation difference is 600 to 1,200 metres (2,000 to 3,900 ft) per day. Especially in the northern part, some sections are lengthy.
The section between Forno and Viozene may be hiked without camping; accommodations are available (posto tappa, with a red-and-white GTA flag), usually with half board. Some accommodations are simple (for example, a dormitory with bunk beds in an old school house); others are in private homes.
The GTA runs partially along the Sentiero Italia and Via Alpina (red-blue trail). Trail markers are red and white, some with "GTA" or "SI" in black. As part of an EU-funded initiative, Via Alpina boards were set up for each section. However, the trail is difficult to find in large towns and few local residents are familiar with the GTA.
Maps published by the Turin Istituto Centrale Geografico (IGC) are unreliable; entries for trails outside the GTA may be outdated (the trails are overgrown, or blocked by landslides). During the 1990s, a French-Italian joint project published several cross-border 1:50,000-scale maps (with EU support) from the French National Geographic Institute; however, they are out of print. Local maps are sometimes available in scales ranging from 1:40,000 to 1:25,000; their quality varies. A two volume Italian guidebook has been published in 2011 (Southern part, Viozene to Susa) and 2016 (Northern part, Susa to Lago Maggiore).
The GTA is a subalpine, montane trail primarily traversing a previously cultivated, densely populated landscape. Traditional mountain farming largely collapsed during the 20th century; areas in the GTA valleys suffered a population decline of 80 percent between 1870 and 2000, and the upper valley communities lost between 90 and 95 percent. Some abandoned hamlets had populations of about 100; others have one or two older residents left. Some descendants of original residents, heirs to property, return to the hamlets during summer as a second home; however, most houses have fallen into disrepair.
The GTA often runs along old roads which formerly connected hamlets;[1] mulattieras (mule paths) traversed chestnut forests which were destroyed by a 19th-century blight. At higher altitudes, old agricultural terraces and boundary walls may still be seen.
The Alpine valleys were culturally independent, and had contact with neighboring areas in France, Switzerland and the Po Valley. The Valsesia has long been settled by the Walser. In the Lanzo Valleys, as in the Aosta Valley, Arpitan was spoken; in the lower Susa Valley, the language was Piedmontese. South of the Susa Valley, the Occitan language predominated. Only during World War I did a significant part of the population begin speakingItalian. During the second half of the 20th century, there was the decline in regional languages; however, some Occitan speakers still remain in remote valleys. The Waldensian Evangelical Church has a following in the region.
The GTA originated from a similar trail in France established about 1970, and is part of a network of European long-distance footpaths traversing the Alps. During the mid-1970s, a group of Turin mountain-hiking enthusiasts expanded the concept of a long-distance path following the Piedmontese Alpine arc around the Rivista della Montagna and libreria della Montagna. The volunteers later formed the Associazione GTA. The associated organized overnight accommodations and marked the trails, attracting public funds. From 1981 to 1989 a hiking guide was published in book form, and in 1982 a formal tour was organized to publicize the trail.[2]
The GTA experienced a boom in 1979, with up to 300 overnight hikers per section per season. After a few years interest by Italian hikers waned, and some posti tappa on the eastern route in the southern part closed. The GTA volunteer base shrank during the 1990s.[3]
Since 1985, the GTA has been promoted in the German-speaking area of Werner Bätzing as an example of environmentally friendly tourism. The association's hiking guide has been updated regularly since 1989; however, the number of hikers has decreased.[4]
Hikers walk the GTA predominantly from German-speaking regions. The average stay is a week, and there are many returning walkers. The exact number of overnight stays in individual sections is unavailable, but are typically 100 to 200 per season. An estimated 1,000 long-distance hikers walk the GTA each season.[5]
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