A capacious red backpack, clothing of all kinds, a pair of sturdy shoes, trekking poles and the ever-present camera. In my inside pocket was Nuto Revelli's 'Il mondo dei vinti' (The World of the Vanquished), a book that accompanied me from the very first stages of preparation for the walk and kept me company throughout the journey. Beside me were Manuela, a faithful companion of the Monviso Tour and an incredible woman and athlete, and Gabriele, Ga, a great mountaineer and filmmaker. Everything was ready to go!

But let's take a step back: how did I end up being part of this 'expedition'? One day, Manuela proposed to me a new walk in the same style as our adventure around the Stone King ( komoot.com/collection/1416498 ) the year before. That was how I found out about MigrAction, a route created thanks to an Interreg Alcotra cross-border cooperation project in which the Vinadio municipality (leader), the Fondazione Filatoio Rosso di Caraglio, the Fondazione Nuto Revelli Onlus, ACTI Teatro Indipendente and the Ville de Barcelonnette participated. I immediately documented myself and seeing my interest in the initiative, the programme managers asked me to test the route and help them promote it.

There I was on the nine stages of this route from Caraglio, in Italy, to Barcelonnette, in France, following in the footsteps of those who emigrated beyond the Alps in search of fortune throughout the 20th century and beyond. This was mostly seasonal migration, although it often became permanent. Nuto Revelli's 'Il mondo dei vinti' became my bible. Thanks to his interviews I was able to imagine the history. I was aware that many of the hamlets I would encounter, mentioned in the book, would turn out to be piles of rubble. Their history, however, went beyond the elements and, fixed in ink, was able to be cradled by time and passed from hand to hand, from generation to generation.

Gathering some testimonies along the way – which you can listen to in the videos at the end of each stage – I realised how much gratitude these people deserve. They had nothing but two cows and a stable where they could sleep and warm themselves. From nothing, they were able to rise up from two wars that had wiped out entire generations of young people and create a new future for themselves.

I wish you to experience this and to fully reflect on the theme of the journey. MigrAction is not only stories of abandonment and hardship, but a return to the mountains. Along the way, you come across those who have decided to stay in the mountains permanently, fighting every day against the uncertainty and difficulties that come with this choice. In this harsh landscape, many of the comforts that can be found in the cities are missing; in winter there are many metres of snow to shovel. But the peace, clean fresh air, sounds of nature and the sense of community are priceless.

It’s a demanding route, which requires good physical preparation. It can be walked approximately from the end of June to mid-September. Some stages end at refuges, others in small mountain villages where accommodation is limited. I advise you, therefore, to plan the itinerary in detail and book overnight stays well in advance.

You can reach the Filatoio Rosso di Caraglio by bus from Cuneo station, here are the timetables (in Italian): grandabus.it/files/orari/92.pdf. Cuneo is connected to Turin by direct trains. To return to Italy, however, the journey is more convoluted. The fastest but most expensive solution is to organise a private car transfer. Alternatively, you can reach Gap by bus and from there take a train to Turin.

I wish you a good journey. Here is a taster of what you can expect on the route.