Thursday 14 August 2008 - An Italian Border Route (IBR) - Day 51 - The Matterhorn: Hello and Goodbye

Roadworks on the Tour of Monte Rosa at Colle Sup. delle Cima Bianche, 2982 metres

Plan: Day 52 - Lago del Piano sup to Lago Goillet - 14 km, 600 metres ascent, 6 hours.

Actual: Wild camp near Bivouac Manenti to wild camp at 2700 metres, beyond Colle superior delle Cime Bianche:
18 km, 1300 metres ascent, 8.1 hours including 2.3 hours breaks.

Best bit: At last, The Matterhorn, close up.

The prediction of UK weather spreading south dictated a crack of dawn start, so we were away by 7.45 and in the warming sunshine by 8 o'clock.

We passed the Very Small bivouac hut. Two people were using it. It was hardly bigger than our tent, and they were having to cook outside. Glad we didn't stop there!

The descent was through an area of rock scenery and fine waterfalls. Goats scrabbled amongst tussocks in the rocks - we had heard the gentle tinkle of their bells last night. We passed a smelly overhang where they must shelter when it rains.

Pipits and a dipper hunted for food around a good spot for camping at 2570 metres.

The phone crackled into life after we'd spent the night 'out of range'. Notchy's News came bounding in. It seems that Georgia is trying to get revenge over Russia via a beach volleyball contest. But are they playing fair?

As you can see, we have both hands on the carotid artery when it comes to world news!

The marmots were of course fully conversant with this news. They had been listening carefully, but as we strolled on they resumed their happy play in an area at 2500 metres just made for people with big tents, or field kitchens.

At the Cignana col, 2441 metres, we'd expected a view of the Matterhorn. A panoply of peaks and glaciers was revealed, but no Matterhorn. Just an eagle floating in the distance, and black vanilla orchids at our feet.

Two fishermen passed by - the first of many people that we would encounter on our paths today.

Over a rise - this had to be a view of the Matterhorn. A bank of cloud and some rude Italians blocking the path was all that greeted us.

Frequent boot stops were needed for Sue, who removed some more leather from the troublesome clog, and resolved to go on a shopping expedition with Alan Sloman next time I escape to the hills.

Suddenly the mist dissolved and the big mountain appeared.

It was magnificent.

The tip of one of Sue's walking poles broke in surprise.

We duly reported the big mountain's presence.

Path 107 to Breuil-Cervinia is for 'Expert Excursionists'. We strolled along very professionally, as we are indeed 'EE's, vying for position on the path with push chairs and gents in smart slacks, and joining those users in dodging the flying mountain bikes.

The Italian signposting of paths can be bizarre, as in this instance. We have encountered no small degree of interference from the Health and Safety police, and it's hard to judge whether the warnings are justified. Was yesterday's path 16 really impassable, for example - someone had torn down the tape intended to deny entry...

We took no photos of Breuil-Cervinia. It's basically a ski resort, and looks like any other ski resort. Though not as bad as the awful place in Andorra that we passed through on our HRP trip.

Our new path 16 was however very well signposted from the town centre - very commendable as this is where we most commonly get lost. It even took us past a sports shop. They shook their heads gloomily when presented with Sue's broken walking pole.
'I'll go shopping with Alan next time' pronounced Sue, 'he'd let me explore all the shops', she paused, 'and he'd buy me a beer!'
Some counselling was then necessary, and a reminder that as 'banker' on this trip she can buy a beer whenever she likes!

Shopping done, we sought a post box and some water. We found neither. So I am still carrying the final batch of unposted cards, and a bar in the town is still looking at its cloudy tap water, regretting that it can't even be given away.

At least we had enough for our lunchtime brew. We drank it whilst admiring the Matterhorn from a grassy meadow that we decided had very recently been vacated by a herd of cows.

The cheese and ham and ciabatta were all delicious.

Path 16 to Colle superior delle Cime Bianche basically ascended an ugly ski piste. This was the sort of terrain we had dodged around Sestriere by taking the GTA route. We could have dodged this by continuing along AV1, but that would have deprived us of the excellent Valcornera area, and of our spectacular views of the Matterhorn.

The 2982 metre Colle is a wide one, and the ugliest by far that we have seen. A traffic sign and warnings of explosives directed us around earthworks so extensive that the JCBs looked like Matchbox toys. Ho hum. At least the alpine toadflax seemed to like it!

At the col we joined our final 'named route' of the trip - the Tour of Monte Rosa. We could follow this all the way to Saas Fee. But we won't - it doesn't seem to us to be an entirely attractive route.

The other side of the giant colle was different. A well trod path led gently down to an azure coloured lake - Gran Lago in Vallone di Courtod. Wooded hillsides graced distant slopes. Glaciers lurked above us to the north east. Grass gradually took over from the rocky landscape as we descended to a fine choice of camping spots. We chose this one, at 2700 metres, close to a mountain stream, but not too noisy.

We are enjoying a lazy evening in the tent. At 5pm, an hour after we'd arrived, the first evidence of that 'low pressure centred over Britain' arrived, since when we have gradually been enveloped in cloud, with intermittent rain.

More is forecast for tomorrow - a wet day - so will we finally have a day in the rain? Probably.

A cunning plan is called for!

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The Matterhorn

Not a masterpiece, I know.

A bout of bad weather created by 'Low over Britain' is fast approaching, so we may not see much of it!

This is our first view of the big mountain since we were in the Monte Viso area.

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Wednesday 13 August 2008 - An Italian Border Route (IBR) - Day 50 - Another Day, Another 3000 Metre Col

A staircase on the way to Col di Valcornera

Plan: Day 51 - Dzovenno to Lago del Piano sup - 22 km, 1700 metres ascent, 8.5 hours.

Actual: http://www.campinglaclexert.it/ in Dzovenno to wild camp at 2800 metres near Biv Manenti, very close to planned stop:
25 km, 1800 metres ascent, 9.3 hours including 2 hours breaks.
Best bit: The stunning turquoise of Lago di Place Moulin under a deep blue sky, and the brilliantly clear mountain views.

Whilst it 'chucked it down' outside last night, we enjoyed an excellent meal in the Lac Lexert restaurant. It was almost full both nights we were there. It is the only restaurant in the vicinity, so it has no competition. But it has a good chef. We couldn't help comparing it with the very average place in Rhêmes St Georges. Lac Lexert's restaurant won on all counts, including price. We admired Patrick Favre's display of trophies, and his Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic equipment. His camp site, apart from the hard core deterrent to campers, is a very good place. We commend it.

The rain bounced off the Nallo tent for most of the night, but the morning dawned fine and clear, so after breakfast in the tent, followed by breakfast in the bar, we set off in t-shirts and shorts, under a blue sky, in search of path number 16. Here's the message we sent at the time. This was the path that according to a board outside the camp site would take us all the way to the Place Moulin barrage (dam).

We found the path, back down the road. It led down into a gorge with a huge mare's tail waterfall across the valley. A minor navigational error had us briefly in the wrong direction, but that was remedied and we enjoyed a descent into pleasant woodland along a path marked for snow shoeing. Lots of snow making equipment remained silent as we passed by. We weren't concerned, we had no snow shoes. We would have welcomed some frost though - the dew/rain from last night on the grass soon had our feet wet.

Why do Asolo manufacture their (still comfy!) boots from blotting paper?

After an hour and a half on this path (not marked on our map - but a good one) we had just about got back to the height at which we had set off. Now we joined the path that Was marked on our map.

A large sign confronted us. The path was closed due to a landslide caused by the bad weather in May.

The road was fairly quiet and got us past lots of tall thistles, etc to the barrage, despite an elderly Italian trying to persuade Sue to take another route.

Lots of cars were parked here. We joined the throngs to enjoy the stroll alongside the shining turquoise Lac di Place Moulin, with the freshly snow covered peak of Dent d'Herens lording the head of the valley under a blue sky.

Shortly before Rifugio Prarayer we enjoyed our usual alfresco lunch, supplemented today by a hunk of fontina cheese from a kiosk at the barrage. This lunch stop had one of the finest of our many fine lunchtime views. There was a drying breeze for our tent and socks. And this change has been gradual but was very noticeable today - no flies. Flies have blighted some of our lunch spots and our wild camps; today they have been absent from duty at both venues.

We were a bit concerned about the time it was taking to make progress - we hadn't expected path 16 to descend so far, or then to be closed (the road took us a long way round). The sign to our col suggested another three and a half hours as we passed Rif Prarayer at 2.15. And it was marked 'EE'. I sometimes have trouble with vertigo on these 'experts only' paths. But we continued on our merry way.

The views were immaculate. Crystal clear snowy peaks dribbling glaciers down rocky coires under a deep blue sky. Here's a message with a picture, saved at the time for a cloudy day.
Black redstarts chattered at us beside the well constructed old path.

This is an unnamed route on our map - just path no 12, so we didn't really expect to see anyone. But it turns out to be Alta Via No 3, and that has some customers - we met about a dozen descending. There were no vertigo inducing difficulties, just a few steps, an easy chain and some steep scree, so we easily beat the signposted time and were perched up on Col di Valcornera (3066 metres) by 5.15.

More stunning views, but the 4000 metre summits to the north were either obscured by closer peaks or engulfed in cloud. The Matterhorn remains elusive.

Less than 30 minutes from the col a rifugio (Rif Vuitiermoz-Perucca) stood enticingly in a landscape of rocks. Not a patch of grass to be seen. We went down steep scree and across snow patches to reach this haven, quite a busy looking place. Now the view down did reveal a few patches of green, so we took the risk and continued. A wild camp beckoned, we hadn't had one for a while.

This patch of grass next to a spring at 2800 metres soon appeared, just before we reached a bivouac hut. It's flat, and in a secluded little basin, though a 5 metre stroll brings us into sight of the Rifugio.

My chef hasn't done much cheffing for a while, so is eagerly concocting some fine camp grub, to round off an excellent day, during which we seem to have flown across a fair section of our penultimate map.

There's no phone signal though, so both our readers will have to wait.

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Leaving Lac Lexert

Low pressure centred over Britain threatens to wreck our 'walking in the rain' statistics.

Meanwhile our final 8 day section to Saas Fee starts on this sunny morning from the Lac Lexert camp site - where we spent much of yesterday holed up in this building.

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Tuesday 12 August 2008 - An Italian Border Route (IBR) - Day 49 - First Wet Day

Lac Lexert campsite building in the rain

Plan: (Day 50) Rest Day based at Dzovenno (Lac Lexert)

Actual: Sheltering from the rain.

Best bit: Being very lazy. Just for a change, you have to understand. This is our final rest day, after all!

Cumulative to date (planned in brackets):
721 km (679), 51700 metres ascent (51000), 258 hours (roughly!) walking (275).
No of summits visited: 11
No of cols or passes visited: 79
Highest point: Rocciamelone - 3528 metres
Hours waterproofs worn: 3
No of English encountered whilst walking: 0 (12 not walking)

Messages:

We've had very few messages since Courmayeur, so assume everyone is bored, on holiday themselves, or just has nothing to say.

But wait, I've logged on again to find a lovely message from Enrico, one of the kind motorists who have helped us out in time of need, and also a mountaineer. We hope you are enjoying your holiday, Enrico, and many more happy days in the mountains this summer.

And our mothers are listening, so the blog goes on.

We also have a message from Gillian, intended for when we get home but available to us now thanks to this little gadget. Thank you Gillian, we'll be in touch in a couple of weeks if we survive the final 8 days to Saas Fee.

It's a short walk across the grassy hard core to the café, restaurant, alimentari, shower, washing and drying machines, etc building. The shop is well stocked so we enjoyed an excellent lunch in the tent, but we will re-test the restaurant tonight, from its proper menu. Though having walked about 100 metres all day, I doubt we will be as hungry as yesterday.

It's raining, by the way. Has been most of the day.

Our first wet day!

We tried to keep our readers awake with this message about Field Gentians.

Anyone wishing to view our summary and detailed itineraries, or our kit lists, should use the link to the Phreerunner blog - An Italian Border Route (GTA) from the home page of http://www.topwalks.com/

You can also contact us directly by email using the 'Contact us' button on that home page. It would be great to hear from you.

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Gentians (2)

This is a clump of field gentians (Gentianella campestris).

Strictly 'Gentianella' rather than 'Gentiana', to which the spring gentian belongs.

They were strangely absent from the early part of our trip but have made up for that recently.

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Monday 11 August 2008 - An Italian Border Route (IBR) - Day 48 - French Friends

Lunch at the unexpected table on the way to Col Breuson, with the Bogniers - the only walkers seen today

Plan: Day 49 - Rif Champillon to Dzovenno - 16 km, 1400 metres ascent, 8 hours.

Actual: Exactly as planned to http://www.campinglaclexert.it/ at 1600 metres in Dzovenno:
17 km, 1400 metres ascent, 8 hours including 1.6 hours breaks.
Best bit: This afternoon's balcony path above Valpelline.

We enjoyed last night's dinner with Paul and Stephanie from Paris and Elisabeth from The Netherlands. The pasta, soup, polenta and sausages, followed by tiramisu, all went down very well, as we chatted about our route and about the TDC (Tour des Combins). They are doing the TDC in opposite directions, and enjoying the experience.

It was an enjoyable, convivial evening, during which the two German cyclists, for whom dinner had been delayed, eventually arrived. The rifugio staff showed concern rather than annoyance, fed them well, then the shattered pair went to bed.

Last night Luigina and her daughter Marina had been distracted by five surprise diners who they knew, and by the late arrivals. This morning they were more attentive, serving us excellent coffee, with plenty in the jug for second and third cups. The Parisians, Paul and Stephanie had tea. Shouldn't that be the other way around?

Sue was chattering incoherently about her dreams/nightmares, in one of which she married a woman with a felt hat.

Marina and Luigina showed interest in our route, which we could trace almost to its conclusion on the wall map in the rifugio.

It's a fairly new rifugio, having opened on 18 July 2005. It has had only a handful of English visitors, according to the hut book. A new book was started a couple of days ago, so we were pleased to be some of the first entries. It's an excellent place, and €30 cheaper than Bonatti, for the two of us. Surprisingly, it's on our 1:50000 map, unlike this camp site.

We left at 8 am, under a blue sky, armed with a postcard for M and L's friends at our planned destination. Red and yellow balloons hung lazily over the mountains across the Aosta valley.

As we regained reception and Notchy's News poured in, the bleeping phone was imitated by chattering tits in the pines below the tree line. These had dark helmets and were bigger than blue tits but smaller than great tits; willow tits?

The easy path led down to a watercourse at Champillon. Following it would take you to the car park that we found anyway, having missed the path down. It was a minor error with a bonus. Sue had been about to use the trowel, but she now spotted a thunder box surrounded by broken planks - straight out of a wild west movie. Amazingly it had some loo paper in it!

Then through dew laden meadows before a steep, slippery section with nettles led to the welcome security of the pine needles of a deserted woodland path that took us down past a single AV3 sign (who knows where that path goes?) to the small village of Rey.

Many of the buildings here have the traditional roofs we have observed throughout the trip, but they are more 'chalet style' in construction than further south. We walked down the road to Ollomont along a pavement lined with freshly planted shrubs. There was an air of affluence to the place. A small alimentari next to a bar was literally overflowing with people - we had not expected one here so had no need to stop, but others following in our steps could include it on their 'shop crawl'!

Following the AV1 signs we headed steeply up from our low point at 1350 metres, along a gravel track through meadows littered with snow making machines, then into shady woods for the rest of the ascent to Alp Berrio at around 1930 metres. Fountains around here meant that we needn't have carted water all the way up.

I lazed in the sun under our patch of blue sky whilst Sue removed more leather from her troublesome boot. Rif Champillon had disappeared into the cloud, and 'weather' was building up all around us.

A contouring path past copious clumps of eyebright, yellow rattle and lady's mantle led to a wide shelf with fine views across the valley. Old foundations indicated a former use. Wartime defences perhaps?

We'd planned to lunch on the col at 2500 metres, but at noon, 300 metres below that, we came upon a superb picnic bench constructed from huge logs. It halted our upward progress. As we set up the stove the Bognier family, husband and wife, from Chambery, appeared, the only other walkers we saw all day. We chatted at length with this jolly couple - on a seven day trip along AV1 - not far from their home. We recalled our visit to Chambery, with its huge elephant fountain, last year after a hutting trip to the Vanoise. They told us of the polenta and jam for breakfast at their excellent 'agriturismo' (farmhouse B+B) accommodation at La Renardiere in Bionaz.

Continuing upwards, zigzagging up the ancient narrow terraces built into the hillside (erosion control? - they seemed too narrow for any agricultural use) the warm cloud billowed around us at around 2400 metres. As Showell Styles said 'It's for the heat!'

So, the view from Col Breuson? We thought the elusive shape of The Matterhorn might reveal itself here, but whilst the sun beat down from the blue sky above, we were engulfed in a muggy cloud.

Down past more huge clumps of eyebright, and the rarely seen large-flowered (yellow) houseleeks, the closer mountains soon came back into view. So did big black clouds from the south.

We sent a message with a picture of Spring Gentians, to keep those back at home entertained.

We passed a small barn. It was full of cows. Sheltering. Ominous!

Steaming on to the safety of the valley, we slithered down steep sections of the woodland path, teeming with bird life. But most of this path comprised a superb belvedere above the Valpelline valley, the highlight of today's itinerary.

It went very calm and quiet. The grasshoppers must have been sheltering with the cows. The black cloud moved slowly towards us up the affluent looking valley, a sheen of rain at its vanguard.

We reached a lane. 3.30, only a mile or two to camp. Spots of rain.

We lost the race.

It was just a short walk along the main road up the valley to reach the new Lac Lexert camp site, set up by biathlon champion Patrick Favre and his family.

The bar/café was full of refugees from the rain. A screen quietly revealed the dramas of olympic swimming races to those with any interest. Most people just dripped into their cappuccinos.

It's worthy of mention that we have not yet indulged in hot chocolate on this trip - thanks to the hot weather - last night we recalled with Paul and Stephanie how different it was from August in the Alps three years ago!

Eventually we braved the rain and got the tent up. Once we were installed - not so easy, as Mr Favre, in his wisdom, decided to sow his nice grass directly onto hard core, rather than provide his camping customers with any topsoil - the rain of course stopped.

Then we showered - Sue did anyway, I pushed my shower token irretrievably down the wrong orifice.

Then we ate at the restaurant. Sue had seen the menu and was dribbling with expectancy as we entered. But somehow she contrived to inform them that we were staying half board at a nearby hotel to whom the restaurant provides a set meal.

It was fine, but not quite what Sue had in mind in her dribbles....

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Gentians (1)

We have encountered all manner of gentians on this trip. These spring gentians are some of the commonest.

(They are white. The colour is the reflection from the sky. They always appear like this!)

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Sunday 10 August 2008 - An Italian Border Route (IBR) - Day 47 - No 22, A Path With a View

Rifugio Champillon with Grand Combin behind

Plan: Day 48 - Etroubles to Rif Champillon - 10 km, 900 metres ascent (way out - I think I got today and tomorrow mixed up!), 4.5 hours.

Actual: Almost exactly as planned:
12 km, 1500 metres ascent, 6.3 hours including 2 hours breaks and 30 minutes on the wrong path.

Best bit: The (now) traditional Sunday Lunch.

Having skirmished with Alta Via della Valle d'Aosta No 2 (AV2 - a fine route previously unknown to us) for a number of days, yesterday we joined Alta Via della Valle d'Aosta No 1 (AV1) from Rif W Bonatti, leaving it in the narrow streets of Cuchepache in favour of the excitement of the Valle del Gran San Bernardo.

Today we continued along AV1 to another private rifugio after reaching that path via an excellent route from Etroubles, along path number 22.

We started slowly. There was no hurry. Last night's celebrations in town had slightly affected our sleep. And today was always going to be a short one.

But back to last night. We enjoyed another lovely alfresco camp site meal, thanks to Etroubles' well stocked 'market' (supermarket) - lots of salad, ham and cheese goes down well, before returning to the narrow cobbled streets where the festival of traditional crafts and farming techniques was just getting going. Something seemed to be happening on every corner, down every alley, and through most doorways.
A sheep was being shorn with what appeared to be a large pair of scissors; the wool was being 'carded' by a woman using a couple of large hair brushes, then another lady was nonchalantly spinning the wool onto a reel whilst chatting to passers by.
A brass quartet played in the street; a pharmacist in a bow tie dispensed peculiar potions from a set of glassware that would have made any chemistry teacher proud (lots of coloured boiling liquids emitting coloured vapours).
A duo with peculiar wind up instruments played as a wood carver chiselled his work.
Huge intricate traditional dresses hung from balconies.
Tubs of polenta bubbled lazily (here is one doing just that) (€1.50 a bowl), whilst huge slabs of steak fizzed on hot plates nearby.
Home made jams, honey, jewellery, and other crafty items adorned numerous stalls.
There were lumberjacks with big muscles and felt hats, lumberjacking.
I dragged Sue, kicking and screaming, away from this ugly spectacle to where a whole building seemed to be full of 'pan ner' (€4), piled high on wooden frames like the ones we saw in the bread kitchen at Fenestrelle Fort.
The car parks were full in this, the last small town before the Swiss border on a main artery.
People milled around in increasing numbers. We returned to camp after a while - 10 pm was a late night for us.

The sound from the revellers died away sometime after 2 am.

So we earned a slow start today. But 9 am isn't too bad!

Goodbyes to the friendly camp site lady were followed by a visit to the bakery, 50 metres away - and rated by my chef as one of the best. A convenient Bancomat (cash dispenser) put us back in funds. All in all Etroubles was an excellent place to visit.

We left along marked paths but made only our second navigation error of the trip, mistaking an arrow slanting downwards for a turn we shouldn't have made. By the time we realised our (my) error we'd risen 70 metres and Sue had consumed several handfuls of raspberries and strawberries whilst I had obtained some good images of the valley and listened to some squawking jays. The valley view all the way back to Mont Blanc was recorded in this message.

We enjoyed the bed of pine needles on rarely walked path 22. It was deserted apart from the flying insects dancing in the shafts of light filtering through the trees. Or was it?

We were soon beyond the ruined buildings that had featured along the path, and the traffic noise had long gone. A red deer, oblivious to our presence until very close, leapt off, barking in surprise.

Stopping for a second breakfast of tea and cake, I dumped my rucksack on some wet grass. We enjoyed the brew; Mont Blanc had just appeared on the western horizon.

Picking up the rucksack, I discovered we were not alone. Another family lived here. Their children were all over my rucksack. They had many children. They were a family of slugs.

Rain is forecast for tomorrow. I'm sure that will make me less slimy!

I disturbed a grouse. Instead of the familiar 'habayler habayler' this bird went 'whichoo whichoo'. I wonder what type it was? [Red-legged partridge]

Lovely path 22 rounded a couple of gullies, then thrutched up past field gentians and fat grasshoppers to negotiate another gully, before contouring lazily up to join the AV1 path at around 2300 metres. The views across to Mont Blanc and Grandes Jorasses, under a deep blue sky, were wonderful.

We enjoyed a luxurious Sunday lunch at 2350 metres, with this view, undisturbed by flies or slugs. Departure was delayed by the spectacle of two fighting hawks, and an urgent need to utilise part of our washing line to replace one of my boot laces.

Col de Champillon, 2708 metres, revealed a new view - the mass of Grand Combin, and Mont Gele both being prominent in that view. We are on three routes here:
Path 22
AV1
TDC - we'd wondered what this was. Now we know - Tour des Combins - an easy walk around the Grand Combin massif.

The col is easily accessible from the east, and a short walk past sunbathers and other afternoon strollers soon found us outside Rifugio Champillon (3.20) where we spent a pleasant afternoon.
A golden eagle appeared for a while. We watched this whilst others outside the refuge found the marmots more interesting.

There's hardly anyone staying here. Just as well as they say they have no record of the phone call Nick made on 30 July, booking us in tonight. Dinner at 6.30 has been delayed due to late arrivals. 'That must be us' we keep telling them!

Roman may be right about the power of Bonatti's name. This place should be as good, but.....
It's cheaper!

That's all for now, socialising must not be subrogated to blogging.

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Another Sunday Lunch

Looking back to yesterday's route, with Mont Blanc and Grandes Jorasses behind.

Where would you prefer to be?

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Saturday 9 August 2008 - An Italian Border Route (IBR) - Day 46 - Turning The Corner

Sue and Guilia at 'OMG' Base Camp

Plan: Day 47 - Rif W Bonatti to Etroubles - 20 km, 1000 metres ascent, 6.5 hours.

Actual: As planned, to Camping Tunnel in Etroubles:
21 km, 1000 metres ascent, 8 hours including 2 hours breaks.

Best bit: The traditional craft festival in Etroubles.

Chris, Beverley, Sean and Rebecca were doing the TMB clockwise - against the grain, so to speak. They hadn't met anyone on consecutive nights, and their paths hadn't been too crowded. Nor had the refuges - they were not booking ahead by more than a day, and they were also using camp sites. They had a few issues with Kev Reynolds' guide book, which has replaced the one we used in 2000. That surprised us.

They were having a good holiday, and we enjoyed their company last night. Hello folks! We have now encountered 12 English people on the entire trip.

The clear dawn brought fine views of Grandes Jorasses. The buffet style breakfast was the best we've had in a rifugio. Roman infers that anything to do with Walter Bonatti is bound to be top class. Perhaps so, but this is a smart purpose built private refuge with a good guardian. Its name is irrelevant. Here's the message I sent from the breakfast table.

We got away into the crisp (5C) mountain air by 8 am. There was a bit of ground frost, so walking conditions were excellent. This led to a quick 900 metre ascent past purple gentians and black vanilla orchids up to the distinct notch of Col Malatrà. Notchy would love this spot, so we sent him this message.

Two French athletes joined us for our last close view of Mont Blanc, gleaming white under the blue sky.

Then came our long descent to Etroubles, with more big mountains gleaming to the east, and with the Swiss border to the north, confirming that we had well and truly turned the corner and were heading away from France.

The narrow path down steep scree on the initial descent into Comba di Merdeux wasn't the best place to meet about 50 Italian children, some carting huge rucksacks, others nothing. We stepped aside to let the ascending horde pass, as did the friendly French athletes. We were glad to have left the col before they arrived - there was barely room for a handful of people up there.

Down we went, slowly, through yellow and blue meadows, Monte Rosa in the distance, a bit of high cloud melting away.

More youngsters ascending! These had Himalayan style packs - metal frames with straps - and Himalayan style loads - building bricks. Small wooden signs directed them to 'OMG', a building site hidden to view.

We continued down past swooping martins to reach a large barn at the head of a track at around 2300 metres. Cows milled around outside, but part of this barn was occupied by the OMG 'base camp and field kitchen'.

Guilia, one of the students at 'base camp', plied us with tea and explained the €1.6 million project. A 60 bed posto tappa style rifugio is being built up by a small lake higher up the valley. It's being funded by the local community and any profits from its operations will go to help deprived people in South America. Every day about 15 to 20 students are giving up their time to haul loads from the road head to the building site. This will save a fortune in helicopter charges. But won't it cost a fortune to feed everyone? We were offered lunch - a massive (metre long!) pan of frying pork chops and another one of sausages made that very tempting. However, we had our own pantry and didn't want to linger for too long, so reluctantly bade a fond farewell to the philanthropic students and moved on down the grassy AV2 path that has replaced the deep earthy groove of the TMB.

An idyllic spot for lunch was followed by a pleasant stroll through small villages decked with red geraniums. There is clearly a Swiss influence here. There are also signs of affluence beside the narrow cobbled streets.

Beech woodland with poppies and huge pale bellflowers led us on this hot afternoon (30+C) past two camp sites to the relative suburbia of Etroubles and 'Camping Tunnel', which is very close to town. That was our plan today, as we wanted to visit the traditional craft festival here.

I'll write about that tomorrow.

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One for Notchy

Mont Blanc from Col de Malatra - 2925 metres.

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View from the Breakfast Table

Grandes Jorasses

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Friday 8 August 2008 - An Italian Border Route (IBR) - Day 45 - A Brush with the TMB

Outside Hotel Aigle with Alessandro, my new porter (in his dreams - he was very jealous of our trip)

Plan: Day 46 - Courmayeur to Rif W Bonatti - 13 km, 1600 metres ascent, 7 hours.

Actual: Entrèves to Rif W Bonatti via Leuché and Rif Bertone, then Mont de la Saxe, Col Sapin and Pas d'Entre deux Sauts:
18 km, 1600 metres ascent, 6.8 hours including 1.8 hours breaks.

Best bit: A fine traverse ending in a great rifugio, where our bedroom window looks out to the Grandes Jorasses, gleaming in the evening sun.

We were strolling along Mont de la Saxe before Nicholas's warning came to mind.
'You'll find yourselves in a string of ants - a daily procession between the huts.'
True - the ridge ahead did give that impression, but in truth we probably saw fewer people today than we may have done in the Lake District. It wasn't a problem.

We had started at 9.20 after much hugging and handshaking with our excellent host - hello Alessandro - the Hotel Aigle had been a great place to visit and we do hope to return.

Breakfast had been special - home made marmalade for the first time since we left home. Alessandro's creation, as was the tasty proscuitio.

Morning showers were predicted but we have grown immune to such gloomy messages and set off confidently in t-shirts and shorts, as usual.

Our luck with the weather had been brought home by a tale from Alessandro about a friend of his who after leaving college took time out to walk from Ventimiglia to Trieste (roughly our ultimate aim). It took him 80 days, on 40 of which it rained. I hope he didn't use Asolo boots!

We took Alessandro's advice and headed off up Val Ferret, soon joining path 32 and winding up through pleasant woodland with harebells and mushrooms to join the TMB clockwise path to Rif Bertone. We were moving quickly after all the 'carbs' we had infused over the previous 36 hours. My ascent monitor even crept up to 13 metres/minute! 7 is the norm. Having just dispatched a kilogram of maps etc home, and not wishing to acquire any of the pantry, I quickly slowed to match my porter's pace!

I paused to send a message showing the traditional roofs we have encountered during the entire route.

Fuelled with fanta and coffee, we launched ourselves from Bertone, imitating the swooping swifts as we passed a rude French group of day walkers who declined to acknowledge our existence. Most folk move aside when we lumber up behind them, greetings are exchanged, often we have a chat with them (in a rudimentary sort of way). This lot were like a slow juggernaut hogging a motorway.

No matter, we found a lovely spot underlooking Grandes Jorasses, for a lunch involving fig and nut bread - a new one on me, but tasty.

Then it was on along the pleasant crest with the fine views and 'marching ants' to our 11th summit - Tête della Tronche (2584 metres) - for more fine views, though sadly today the Mont Blanc massif did have a bit of cloud on it.

Other than a few metres in the Monte Viso area, this section from the Bertone to the Bonatti rifugios is the only part of our entire route that we have walked before. That was in the lovely September of 2000. Today compared well, if not being quite up to that wonderful September day when there was just a handful of people rattling around Rifugio Bonatti.

After the little summit and a stroll down to Col Sapin, we left most of the TMB brigade to take the Armina route to Bonatti, whilst we continued over another col to descend by the Malatrà valley. Snow finches, ravens, and a flock of several hundred chirruping choughs all failed to disturb a fat old chamois lazing nearby.

The Malatrà valley was home to clumps of yellow mountain saxifrage, which soon gave way to meadows full of purple gentians.

Then it was the relaxed and friendly environment of Rifugio W Bonatti, where we have enjoyed another excellent meal, in the company of new friends.

Here's a message I sent earlier from here.

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A Mountain Hotel

This is Rifugio Walter Bonatti - 2025 metres, only 10 years old.

What a contrast with manic Deffeyes.

The lady guardian here speaks little English but is most welcoming.

The veranda is sunny and warm.

The tea and chocolate truffle biscuits here are delicious.

There are no screaming children.

We were immediately given shower tokens.

We have a room for two.

Sue has been issued with very comfy red felt slippers.

Dinner is at 7.15, and there will be space for us!

The binoculars are useful here. We look up to Mont Blanc and across Val Ferret to the Grandes Jorasses.

Avalanches boom from that direction.

This must be one of the best places anywhere to enjoy a night in the mountains.

Where would you prefer to be tonight?

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Traditional slate roofs

For virtually our entire journey we have enjoyed the sight of these skilfully crafted traditional roofs.

The old skills have been retained, there being a significant amount of refurbishment and replacement of old roofs along the course of our route, by skilled craftsmen.

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Thursday 7 August 2008 - An Italian Border Route (IBR) - Day 44 - An Epicurian Adventure

Courmayeur

Plan: (Day 45) Rest Day based at http://www.hotelaigle.it/

Actual: Usual rest day stuff, plus our first internet café.
6 km, 80 metres ascent, 1 hour (linking Courmayeur centre with the Hotel Aigle in Entrèves).

Best bit: Will be tonight's meal. And I had the pleasure of posting a message showing some of our favourite flowers - houseleeks - it's here.

Cumulative to date (planned in brackets):
653 km (620), 46200 metres ascent (46100), 236 hours (roughly!) walking (249).
No of summits visited: 10
No of cols or passes visited: 74
Highest point: Rocciamelone - 3528 metres
Hours waterproofs worn: 2.5
No of English encountered whilst walking: 0

Logging into our comments on the blog today brought us great pleasure and surprise. We are chuffed that Gillian Price has 'found us' and very disappointed to have missed her by two days at Terme di Valdieri. We have a lot to thank Gillian for - not to mention her kind comments. We would not be here on this wonderful route had she not written her GTA book, and we would also like to thank her for the route ideas she has supplied in the past for our numerous trips to the Dolomites.

Gillian - it would be great if you could contact us through the 'topwalks' website (see below) so that when we get home we can provide any further information that may be helpful. It's interesting how little things can affect places, eg:
Campo Base - you rate it highly, but this year a disinterested junior assistant has blighted the place.
In contrast, the enthusiasm of a junior assistant at Malinvern has rubbed off on the guardian.
Obviously these places change from year to year and no guide book can keep up - these were the two most striking changes we noticed. Please do maintain this 'human (and goat!) element' in your guide books - it adds a dimension that we and the Germans we encountered very much enjoyed.
Incidentally, we haven't used any other guide book, just what I could glean from Kev Reynolds' 'Walking in the Alps' tome. It's not clear from that whether some routes need an ice axe, and we still aren't sure whether our original plan - Chivasso to Benevolo to Bezzi - would have worked without axes. Certainly an axe each would have turned the tricky Passo di Planaval crossing into a doddle!
Maybe we'll have to buy your Gran Paradiso book to find out.

I'm not sure what epicurian (or is it epicurean?) actually means. Perhaps Alan will explain. He's usually correct, so I assume we are having such an adventure. On the basis that it either involves choosing pleasures of the mind over pleasures of the body, or the pleasure of consuming good food, I think that both criteria will be met today. We are currently salivating over the following menu for tonight's meal. There's no choice - you have to eat it all.

Giovedì 7 Agosto - menù del giorno:

Trancio di pizza
Zuppa montanara di legumi
Coniglio alla cacciatora con purè di patate
Insalata mista
Strudel di mele

Plus a drop or two of vino, I suspect...

Messages:

Gayle - I know only the few words of Italian that Sue taught me during the TGO Challenge - I got some rather blank looks when greeting people 'buongiorno'! Sue bought a BBC 'teach yourself' CD and has managed fine. Go on, buy Gillian's book!
The Asolo boots are so, so comfy. I'm annoyed with myself for not bringing sealskinz socks. The boots have exactly the same defect as Mick's though, so I'll take them back when we get home. Watch this space!
My Tilley is already a replacement - it has lasted about 3 years. Good job for Tilley's sake that I'm getting old and decrepit!
(Hope we can meet you and Mick for a stroll in South Cheshire or Staffs when we get back.)

Nick - the pot cosy is indeed a clever piece of kit for this sort of trip. It saves a lot of laborious stirring, as well as gas. Our gas cylinders are lasting over a week.

Notchy - thanks for the News. Enjoy the beach volleyball.

We are soon back to the pleasures of camping, and the ever helpful Tourist Information staff - in this case Daniela at Courmayeur - have established that we don't need to book the next two camp sites. The people in the guides café were also very helpful - the café houses the only internet computer available to the public in Courmayeur, and that took some considerable time to 'fire up'. Spam has now been deleted - difficult from this phone - so there is space for many more blog comments - copies of which go to the webmail.

Today we walked to and fro from Courmayeur, 3 km away, which compensates for us not carrying our rucksacks and allows us to continue our journey from here tomorrow.

That's it. We have the rest of our 'rest day' and a fine meal to enjoy.

A beer awaits.

Ciao.

Anyone wishing to view our summary and detailed itineraries, or our kit lists, should use the link to the Phreerunner blog - An Italian Border Route (GTA) from the home page of http://www.topwalks.com/

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Sempervivum montanum

Houseleeks have accompanied us for most of our journey.

They are our friends.

They come in different colours and sizes. The picture above is of Mountain Houseleek (with a very appropriate scientific name) and was the image sent by phone on 7 August. We also saw much Common Houseleek (Sempervivum tectorum) - they grow side by side - and the yellow Large-flowered Houseleek (Sempervivum grandiflorum).

Here they are:

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Wednesday 6 August 2008 - An Italian Border Route (IBR) - Day 43 - To The Fleshpots of Courmayeur (Or Not)

Looking across to the Mont Blanc massif

Plan: Day 44 - Rif A Deffeyes to Courmayeur - 23 km, 1200 metres ascent, 7.5 hours.

Actual: Exactly as planned to Courmayeur (1200 metres), then by bus to the Hotel Aigle in Entrèves:
24 km, 1200 metres ascent, 9.5 hours including 1.8 hours breaks.

Best bit: Superb early morning 'oil painting' views of Mont Blanc. Here's the message I sent.

Last night's meal was fine, and really piping hot. Sergio, the guardian at Deffeyes, is hampered by having 72 beds but only 40 chairs downstairs. So I suppose it was fair enough to eat later, and the food was good. But it was an impersonal place last night, with everyone tending to their own affairs.

Wandering around outside the rifugio on the warm evening, I noticed a small chapel a few hundred metres away. Some older children were outside, being addressed by a priest in long flowing white robes. After the service they ran noisily back along the frog laden path for their meal.

Outside the rifugio was the usual array of yellow signposts, plus a large one in four languages that we hadn't seen before:

'WARNING
It is Impossible to get through the Planaval Pass without using Ice-axe Crampons and Rope'

We had apparently achieved the impossible, but nobody was interested.
(More likely, the sign was erected by a gang of Italian health and safety people running amok!)

There was a lovely sunset, with alpenglow.

Today we were up and away, full of stale bread with jam, and poorly constructed coffee, before the main rush for breakfast. This rifugio would be the high point for most of the it's occupants, who would have all day to return to the valley. We met many day walkers as we came down.

The clear morning brought superb views of Mont Blanc before it clouded over as we approached la Thuile. Here, after our pleasant walk down the AV2 path, we found a good café and a shop for lunch provisions before heading off up path 13, past a big adder, towards Col d'Arp.

The long ascent was gentle and well graded, but obviously not in many walks books. We saw just two walkers, not on our path, and a few farmers.

Willow-leaved gentians with bright blue flowers made a first appearance for us, and small yellow foxgloves reappeared in profusion. The view back to la Thuile was marred for a while by huge power cables.

Moths, butterflies and grasshoppers flapped and hopped along with us as we gently ascended a deserted tarmac lane edged by a plethora of colourful meadow flowers.

After leaving the tarmac we continued up easily to a good lunch spot which afforded us fine views back to the Rutor Glacier beside which we had walked yesterday. The valley seemed grey and it had spotted with rain that had strayed from a shower in France. We weren't fooled this time - no waterproofs were needed and soon the sun tan cream was back in demand.

Lunchtime had also featured some news bulletins from Notchy, who it seems is marooned at home with only beach volleyball for entertainment until his dentist returns from holiday.

Col d'Arp was a fine viewpoint. We had our own private patch of blue sky, cloud having infiltrated elsewhere. We lingered amongst the alpine fleabane and snow gentians whilst a golden eagle soared above us. The shrieking marmots went very quiet! Views towards the Mont Blanc massif, and our ongoing route close to the Swiss border, were excellent despite the cloud cover.

After a while on the well graded descent on path 1a we got our first sight of the metropolis of Courmayeur, the biggest town we will pass through on our entire trip. It looked Big. Great yellow gentians and then succulent strawberries and enticing looking mushrooms distracted us as we wound our way slowly down through pleasant woods. We recalled our descent on the Tour of Mont Blanc (TMB) in 2000. That was an unpleasant affair, partly down a ski piste. This deserted path was much better.

The pretty village of Dolonne was reached at 4.40 but it took more than a further hour to get to this nice hotel in Entrèves that Nick had so cleverly located for us.

Alessandro greeted us warmly and generously provided large pieces of chocolate cake to go with my large Moretti and Sue's English Breakfast tea.

We enjoyed dinner next to two English couples who had spotted the menu whilst out for a walk. 'The best meal we've had in ten days in the area', they enthused.

It was indeed an excellent way to conclude another fine day in the mountains.

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Mont Blanc

At 7.30 this morning

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Tuesday 5 August 2008 - An Italian Border Route (IBR) - Day 42 - Another 'Red Dot' Adventure

The Rutor Glacier at dusk from Rif A Deffeyes

Plan: Day 43 - Planaval to Rif A Deffeyes - 14 km, 1600 metres ascent, 6 hours.

Actual: Exactly as planned to Rif Deffeyes (2494 metres):
14 km, 1500 metres ascent, 7.6 hours including 1.7 hours breaks.

Best bit: Reaching Passo di Planaval - 3016 metres, and enjoying the views and a mug of tea.

'You should be ok' said Pascale, the mountain guide, 'but I didn't tell you that', he had added, ominously, not being willing to accept any blame if things went wrong.

He was talking about the route over Passo di Planaval, the shorter but trickier of our two options for today. The path was indicated by small red dots on our map, but with both Kev Reynolds and Pascale backing this shorter option we felt confident.

Ada and Nadira at the Hotel Paramont had done us proud, providing us with a very comfortable day's rest and some excellent meals, so we were raring to start up our 1500 metre ascent.

A lady from Pascale's group, abandoned here with a poorly knee, looked a sorry sight. But she should surely be enjoying her stay at the nice hotel!

The warmth of the morning was tempered by a welcome cool breeze, but it was still a sweaty ascent up to 2000 metres, by which time we had curved around above Planaval.

A man had flown past early on, descending quickly. Where did he come from?

We passed two ladies with a pot of yellow paint, meticulously painting AV2 signs and arrows. So the wardens who had told Nicholas the signs that he had failed to find would be 'painted tomorrow' had probably been correct!
The ladies were very tanned - I hope they enjoy their work!

We entered a 'purple gentian' zone - the flowers were prolific in a fairly small area. It was the first time we had noticed them on this trip.

A helicopter landed nearby, whilst I tried to dispatch a blog picture on this sunny morning. Here it is. The entire contents of a cabin full of gear and workmen were being moved to the valley. Last to go (bar the workmen) was the cabin - an amusing sight as it flew through the air down the valley.

Newly constructed wooden bridges across the busy streams full of glacier melt provided evidence of the travails of these workmen.

Four French descended past us. A family anxious to get home. A reluctant 'bonjour'. They own the path. We were brushed aside. I'm afraid one of them has a walking pole imprint on his shoe.

They were the last people we saw today until this busy rifugio.

We soon left the main AV2 route to follow the alternative 'path 21' over the one hard high pass, as opposed to the two easier passes adopted by the main route.

Frequent yellow arrows and an occasional AV2 sign directed us up towards a steep snow filled coire. Creamy water from a nearby glacier lubricated our boots. (Sue is back in her boots today, emergency repairs having employed gaffer tape and a surplus pan scourer.)

Wide views down the Aosta valley led to the snow clad bulks of The Matterhorn and Monte Rosa, both wearing cloudy hats today.

Soon our concentration turned to our own route. After meandering up an increasingly rocky valley, with crevices filled by adenostyles, leopardsbane, birdsfoot trefoil and moon daisies, etc, the going steepened.

We stopped for a sandwich at 2750 metres. Then, as predicted by Pascale, the yellow markers expired. We had to pick our way through loose rock, then over steep snow where old prints could be seen. The final 250 metres took an hour - the other side of the snow was also loose and steep, and a hairy scree gully was crossed. Much care was required.

Eventually we reached the pass and enjoyed a brew and a cheese sandwich at 3016 metres, with wide ranging views and only the distant peaks in cloud. Rockfall could be heard to our left. It was 1.50 pm.

Grey glaciers lay ahead, but fortunately the descent was much easier, being at a gentler gradient despite more loose rocks. The yellow arrows made a welcome reappearance. We had excellent views of the Mont Blanc massif, despite the summit being in cloud.

Our path was narrow, following the ridges of the huge Rutor glacier's lateral moraine. Chains aided us past a protruding band of rock. Below, the snout of the glacier had formed a cave where large pieces had broken off. Higher up, grey crevasses crossed the ice, and below us were grey glacial lakes with icebergs floating in them.

This area is dotted with lakes. We passed a pretty one just before reaching the refuge at 4 pm.

Lots of people were sitting outside in the sun up here at 2494 metres. Unusually for a refuge, rucksacks are left in an outhouse and boxes are used for items required overnight in the dormitories. There is a 'no torsos' rule in the wash rooms! We have beds in a smallish room, to which we've been banished whilst tables are laid for the 'first sitting' for dinner. Because we did a full day's walk and arrived here late (4 pm), we have to wait (in our dorm, or outside) until 8.15 for our meal.

We are hungry.

Perhaps we should have gone shopping yesterday and wild camped today!

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Ye Olde Blogger

Here I am this morning, with our route ahead behind me. It's a 1500 metre ascent.

I'm glad our mobile home is being carried by my chef!

That's all for now, a helicopter has landed just in front of us!

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Monday 4 August 2008 - An Italian Border Route (IBR) - Day 41 - The Lazy English

A 'fountain' in Planaval - we encountered these throughout the IBR route

Plan: (Day 42) Rest Day

Actual: Nothing.

Best bit: Doing nothing.

Cumulative to date (planned in brackets):
609 km (583), 43400 metres ascent (43300), 221 hours (roughly!) walking (235).
No of summits visited: 10
No of cols or passes visited: 72
Highest point: Rocciamelone - 3528 metres
Hours waterproofs worn: 2.5

Messages:

Nick - Thanks for doing a fine job as our booking agent over the past week. Very helpful indeed. And we hope the interview went well.

Grandad Mark - Congratulations!

Gayle - Go buy it, you won't regret it.

Notchy with the cricked neck - Sorry about that, and thanks for the News. BTW, how about some 8 am rendezvous in September, ending with pub lunches?

Alan - No shops here. Just a bar. You would love it.
Hic!

Roman - Your request is noted. Actually I think I was in one of the recent photos. More may follow if I can persuade my chef to extend her role!

This morning we waved goodbye to Nicholas, who was heading east on AV2. He will find it much quieter than the Tour of Mont Blanc (TMB), the line of people from which he has just escaped. In fact he found yesterday just a bit too quiet, having lost the AV2 path with nobody else around. Sensibly, he retraced his steps, got a lift with some mountain wardens, and bussed it to Planaval. We will try to do the reverse of his 'failed' route tomorrow, or (after chatting to Pascale, the helpful French guide) we may take a shorter route referred to by Kev Reynolds.

The TMB sounds a dire place to be in August.

There is no alimentari in the bijou village of Planaval, so restocking would involve a bus trip up the valley. Easier, for The Lazy English, to go full board for today and order a packed lunch for tomorrow.

The Paramont Hotel is excellent. Lunch was delightful (it triggered the BTW to Notchy), and it's a good day to spend an afternoon slumbering in a deck chair in the Alps, outside a well stocked bar.

French language note:
I was critical yesterday of the greetings in French in this part of Italy. I was unaware then of the Special Statute of 26 February 1948, granting (inter alia) equal importance to the French and Italian languages in the Aosta Valley. Please accept my apologies if I offended anyone.

Kit News:

Failures:
Sue's boots - she's now mainly in trainers.
Sue's Leki Ultralight walking poles - a handle came unstuck - gaffer tape now secures it.
FreeLoader - one of the solar panels has a mind of its own and works only intermittently.
Asolo Fugitive boots (new for the trip) - leak like sieves and the laces will need replacing.
Coleman gas cylinders - increasingly unreliable - they can exhibit great reluctance in releasing their contents.
Tilley hat - should just about last the trip but is trying hard to separate into two pieces.
Toilet paper - it ran out.

Unsung heroes:
Leki Makalu Classic walking poles - bought 12 years ago as an antidote to a cruciate ligament failure, these are still going strong, albeit on their third tips.
Rucksacks - GoLite Quest - excellent, very comfy, durability not yet proven; Karrimor Jaguar - goes on for ever, despite an annoying squeak.
Pot cosy and windshield - both excellent - our thanks go to Podcast Bob for supplying the materials.

Anyone wishing to view our summary and detailed itineraries, or our kit lists, should use the link to the Phreerunner blog - An Italian Border Route (GTA) from the home page of http://www.topwalks.com/

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Sunday 3 August 2008 - An Italian Border Route (IBR) - Day 40 - In View of Mont Blanc

Planaval, with our hotel in the foreground

Plan: Day 41 - Rif M Bezzi to Planaval - 24 km, 700 metres ascent, 6.5 hours.

Actual: Val di Rhêmes Camping at Rhêmes-Saint-Georges - bus to Rhêmes-Notre-Dame - then AV2 to the Hotel Paramont in Planaval (1625 metres):
20 km, 1300 metres ascent, 8.4 hours including 1.7 hours breaks.

Best bit: Vermillion skies all day.

We nearly had to use our thumbs again after repeating our habit of standing in the wrong place for the bus, and it was after 9 am when we eventually set off in the sunshine from Rhêmes-Notre-Dame.

The sky was as deep a blue as we've seen it. Grasshoppers clicked and whirred as we strolled through alpine meadows, the houses and the bustle of the Sunday market soon looking like a model village far below. I paused to send this message to those enduring the wet English summer.

Putting one foot in front of the other up the steep hillside, I cogitated on Enrico's comments yesterday:
'Italian Border Route - yes, it would be great to continue beyond Macugnaga and Saas Fee.'
Good man, Enrico, though I think your suggestion that we could finish in Trieste 'next year' may be just a little optimistic!

The climb up to Col Fenêtre - 2840 metres - was steep. There was a sprinkling of other folk, mostly French. The French are easily identified - they generally can't say 'buongiorno', replying 'bonjour' to any such greeting, if not remaining silent. But Christian and Maryse were very chatty in their strange accents; we should have asked them where they come from in France. Hello C and M, it was a pleasure to meet you.

Also on the way up we bumped into a Scottish lady - the first person from the UK that we had encountered 'on the hill' in over 200 hours of walking.

This was our steepest ascent yet - a real test for the calf muscles. One of Sue's failed the test.

The reward was a fine view back to Gran Paradiso, where descending summiteers seemed to have made a huge wide groove in the snow, and ahead to the massive white dome of Mont Blanc. We hope Don and Liz have chosen a day like this for their attempt on that summit.

The wide meadows of the Epée valley lay before us, and we easily found a superb lunch spot at 2600 metres beside a busy stream. The air was warm and dry, so we gave the tent a good airing as it won't be used for a while, and it looks to have a few spots of mildew from its hot sweaty days in my porter's rucksack.

From this idyllic lunch spot it was an easy stroll to the bustle of Rifugio Chalet de l'Epée, where about 100 chatty Italians were enjoying their own frenzied lunches.

We loaded up with water and moved rapidly on (here's my porter/chef, steaming along the path towards Valgrisenche), following the yellow triangles with a number 2 that signify the AV2 route. It soon left the line shown on our map and descended in silence through cooler pine woods to the pretty village of Valgrisenche.

Only a buzzing helicopter and huge numbers of Italian children at Summer Camp interfered with our peaceful Sunday afternoon.

It was hot. 30C+. We were tiring, in need of a rest. A range of Ritter Sport yogurt flavoured chocolate was employed to revive my porter.

AV2 signs, some placed in obscure positions, guided us on. The sky remained brilliantly blue. A huge waterfall below the hidden glaciers to the west disappeared into the mountain - stolen for some nefarious purpose - leaving just a trickle to reach the valley.

Hotel Paramont is actually marked on the map, but would it be in the position shown? A reassuring sign showed 600 metres to go, and 'Piatti Tipici' - that was a good sign, and accurate.

So here we are, in the luxurious Hotel Paramont, enjoying 'Piatti Tipici' with Nicholas, a retired linguist from Constance. (Another German who seeks to avoid both Germans and large groups whilst trekking.)

On the next table is a large French guided group. (Nicholas has failed!)

Our clothes are washed and on the line, thanks to the most helpful proprietor of this fine establishment. The beer has been drunk and the wine is on the table.

The sky is blue.

My porter's stomach has been replenished.

As has mine!

All is well with the world.

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Chef and Pantry

Don't leave home without them!

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Blue Skies

We have had our fair share of Blue Skies.

Today's views, this one up Val Rhêmes, are some of the very best.

Today's weather is immaculate.

Where would you prefer to be!?

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Saturday 2 August 2008 - An Italian Border Route (IBR) - Day 39 - A Stroll in the Park

The tunnel above Pont

Plan: Day 40 - Rif Benevolo to Rif M Bezzi - 10 km, 800 metres ascent, 5 hours.

Actual: Camping Pont Breuil to Rhêmes-Notre-Dame, then by thumb to Val di Rhêmes Camping at Rhêmes-Saint-Georges (1200 metres):
18 km, 1300 metres ascent, 8.5 hours including 2.5 hours breaks.

Best bit: Clear views of Gran Paradiso and its glaciers.

The blue sky returned today to provide us with another wonderful day in the mountains.

We were unsure how to start. Our 1:50000 map showed a faint path to link us with an Alta Via route, but Mark and Richard's 1:25000 map was blank. We had three options - up, down or blank.

Being simple people with limited faculties we chose (you guessed it) the 'blank on the map' route. Anyway, it wasn't blank on OUR map.

The path was deserted apart from an elderly couple. It went through a tunnel that could have accommodated two way traffic. It then contoured up to 2760 metres on a gradient so easy that it was positively lazy.

On the way we enjoyed a rare morning brew with a fine view of climbers descending from their exertions on Gran Paradiso. (Here's the message we sent from the col above here.)

The descent on a brilliant path to a small lake saw our first encounters of the day - a French group, as usual in Gran Paradiso. The French seem to have a monopoly of this Park, and the Germans have all but disappeared.

Today we enjoyed a grand resurgence of flowers and birds. It was a gentian and chough day, and much more.

By the lake we joined the Alta Via della Valle d'Aosta No 2 (AV2) for the first time. It led us easily up to Lac Noir, a very pretty spot full of fish with reddish fins, for lunch.

AV2 then whisked us up to a 3000 metre pass - Col di Entrelor (here's the message we sent with the new view) before depositing us in the Rhêmes valley. On the way down we met two men bombing up the path. The leader appeared to be dressed only in loose underpants, his vitals flapping in the breeze. They soon flew past again, utilising gravity whilst we paused to watch a herd of 30 or so chamois lazing in the valley below. It was a hot day. Alessandro (hello) and his friend were training for a Tour of Mont Blanc race at the end of the month. He hopes to do it in 29 hours. It took us nearly two weeks! Let us know how you get on, Alessandro!

Reaching the valley at 5pm, we secured essential provisions in the nice little village of Rhêmes-Notre-Dame before plodding off to the camp site we had booked from Torre Pellice.

It closed three years ago!

The booking data was retrieved from the depths of my rucksack. It was the Vulpot/Usseglio problem in reverse - we were booked into another camp site about 12 km down the valley.

Next bus - 6.45.

We hadn't thought we'd need our thumbs again, and feared the worst after Silvano had told us 'you have been very lucky, Italians are afraid to stop to give strangers lifts'.

It took a while for the first car to pass us that had any space in it. We jumped eagerly into the back of Enrico's Fiat and chatted to him about our journey as we sped down the valley. Another friendly and considerate Italian, this gent being from near Milan.

Grazie mille, Enrico. And 'hello'.

We like Italians.

The 'Camp Reception' was expecting us and greeted us warmly. We have a nice pitch on the full site, directions to a restaurant, and a bus stop for the morning, hot showers, etc.

The camp site appears to be a distant suburb of Amsterdam. It's noticeable how different nationalities seem to flock together - Germans on the GTA, French in Gran Paradiso, Dutch in Val di Rhêmes Camp Site.

A 'quick turnaround' got us to 'Le Solitaire', just in time to get a table (after a little confusion) and a meal from the small menu. It was fine, but this restaurant has an easy customer base (the camp site) and lacks a competitor, and it shows.

Then we strolled around the pretty village, bumped into Alessandro, now smartly clothed, and went to bed.

Next Day
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