High Route 1 — Stage 3: Rifugio Coda → Rifugio Barma

Leaving Rifugio Coda, stage three follows a high-level traverse that holds above two thousand metres for most of its length. The trail tracks east along the edge of the Mont Mars Reserve, crossing alpine wetlands — blanket bogs, sedge meadows and patches of cotton grass — a fragile habitat protected under European biodiversity directives. The path rises and falls with the ridge's undulating profile: nothing technical, but a sustained leg workout that catches walkers off-guard if they expect a simple transfer stage. The day's high point is Col Lasoney, which opens northwest to the full length of the Lys valley and, on clear days, frames Monte Rosa from base to summit. The descent to the Barma Lakes delivers one of the Alta Via's most intimate landscapes: glacially carved basins reflecting the sky, rimmed by smooth granite slabs and end-of-summer bilberry red. Rifugio Barma (2191 m) sits at the lake's edge, a small family-run hut with a kitchen rooted in the cooking traditions of the Gaby valley. It is the ideal place to stop and hear stories from the mountain farmers and hunters who still frequent these pastures.