Hiking - Pelvo d'Elva loop 9aug21

Hiking - This loop starts from Colle della Bicocca (parking). The portion of unpaved road from Colle di Sampeyre is rough but doable with most passenger cars provided they have sufficient clearance from ground (not recommended for sport cars).
NOTE: such crest road is dubbed Strada dei Cannoni (Cannons' Road) and, since June 2021, is permanently banned to motor vehicles between Valmala and Colle di Sampeyre. It might be reopened in the future - check for such possibility.
Colle di Sampeyre can be reached either from Sampeyre in the Varaita Valley or from Stroppo in the Maira Valley. It must be taken into account that both twisty roads are paved but quite narrow, one-lane for the most part.
I rate this hike "difficult" only due to a couple of exposed aerial passages requiring pulling on your arms (sections with chains for aid) and for a few exposed portions of trail in proximity of the Pelvo summit.
Very panoramic hike.
After the Pelvo summit at 3064m (10,053 ft), descent and further small climb almost touching the Camoscere but on the safe side, as - as of August 2021 - a landslide is still active on the opposite side which is quite visible while going up the Pelvo. Then down to Lake Camoscere, a shallow pond half-surrounded - in August - by Eriophorum flowers. From here, the Bonfante bivouac is within a few minutes' walk past the ruins of a barrack building.
NOTE: Due to Covid emergency, the use of bivouacs is restricted for emergency only until further notice.
The loop then continues counter-clockwise back to the starting point with minor ups-and-downs.

Great day out with excellent weather.
At Pelvo, we were greeted by a group of six young ibex or (or steinbock, "stambecco" in Italian language). We saw more of these gentle mountain goats on the way down.