Sue and Martin in Mallorca 2019
On the Archduke's Path in Mallorca
Saturday, 11 July 2009
"Skis are for Puffs" Richard lives to fight another day
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Friday, 10 July 2009
Friday 10 July 2009 - Day 6 - Edelweiss guesthouse, Limonetto to Locanda del Parco, Palanfré (1379 metres) [pictured]
Another great day out, albeit in cloudier weather.
The forgoing postcards give an overview of the day, and a web page covering the whole trip will be posted in due course.
This posto tappa is, as ever, very friendly and has fed us well. We are the 11 Inglese - nobody else is here. It's strange not to have encountered any Germans on the GTA, as we saw quite a few of them last year, but absolutely no English.
The summit book at Monte Ciotto Mieu (2378 metres - high point of the trip - visited by Sue, Jenny and me) was empty, as last year, and the scrap of paper we put in it last year was the freshest on view. So we updated it....
.....boring English .... the only people who can be bothered to visit this god-forsaken place. Together with a rare specimen of Tyrolean Fritillary - what a thrill!
The descent to Palanfré was quite fun as well.
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Richard gets caught out on the Ciotto Mieu Icefall
Were those his last words?
Will he be seen again?
Or will there be another 'Headstone Incident'?
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Alpine Rockrose - Helianthemum oelandicum
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On the Piste
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Passo Ciotto del Mieu - 2274 metres
We dallied whilst partaking another 'light snack'.
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Day 6 Brew Stop
After a clear start, the cloud has arrived early today. But it's very warm and Richard appears to be dribbling....
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The Edelweiss Guesthouse and Thursday 9 July 2009 - Day 5 - Rifugio Don Barbera to Edelweiss guesthouse, Limonetto (1200 metres)
The following entry failed to transmit at the time and was added later:
Thursday 9 July 2009 - Day 5 - Rifugio Don Barbera to Edelweiss guesthouse, Limonetto (1200 metres)
Stats: 17km, 800 metres ascent, 8.5 hrs including 1.5 hours stops.
Today's entry will be brief due to an excess of socialising, if that's possible.
Most of the day was spent in splendid Karst scenery - limestone riddled with caves and strewn with green meadowy bits amongst the late to thaw snowfields.
Splendid scenery indeed.
We were on the border, consistently above 2000 metres until the descent to Limonetto.
Marmots were sunbathing and anxious wheatears tracked our progress along the well graded paths.
Our magnificent brew stop at 2200 metres was marred only by the discovery that one of my pan handles had been lost. This means that great care and technique is required to dispense tea and avoid bringing the first aid kit into action!
The diversion up Cima di Pepin was a delight, a botanist's paradise. Fort Pepin, pictured, lies just below the summit, overlooking France. This C19th fort is surrounded by a 'ditch' so without much effort it is impregnable to tourists like us. It has a commanding position over the Tende area of France, which may once have been in Italy, but these splendid forts date back further than any 20th Century boundary adjustments.
We made our way back to the main ridge, and enjoyed the sharp descent to the huge Fort Central where Andrew was waiting. The path down to Limonetto past some World War barracks was easy enough, if waymarked rather poorly for the final section.
The search for the Edelweiss guesthouse - "down the Roman Road" according to its website - nearly saw Andrew's demise. He wasn't expecting to have to carry on a further 2km from Limonetto, from where we followed the old Roman road to where it meets the new road at bend number 6. Not a building in sight; which way shall we turn? Andrew slumped into a heap beside the road after we were innocently misdirected by two passing ladies. Eventually a "we are lost at turn 6" call to the guesthouse saw us pointed in the correct direction (uphill to the right), and a few minutes later (quite a few in Andrew's case) we were cheerfully knocking back some beers in celebration of locating these luxurious quarters.
The Fox's and the 'Yorkshires' are also here, having made it from Rif Garelli today.
They have their own stories to tell!
So 11 happy 'Inglese' are holed up here, much to the delight of the staff, who have fed us up with a selection of antipasta, then crêpes with spinach or pasta with tomato and sausage, followed by pork or trout with courgettes and sauté potatoes, finishing with a choice of 4 tasty desserts. The wine went down well and everyone is happy.
Even Andrew, who seems to have cloned himself - maybe as a result of his earlier snacking - into three for this evening's merriment.
Thursday, 9 July 2009
Edelweiss - Leontopodium alpinum
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Cima de Pepin - 2344 metres
(Honest, we didn't push him.)
Meanwhile the intrepid quartet pushed on up to Cima de Pepin, slightly off route, but the highest point we have reached so far.
This narrow summit has a small cairn but no visitor's book. Instead, this tin cat nods sagely at its visitors. It's well secured but does nod in the breeze.
Both novel and cute!
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Lunch Time
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Another Sunny Day in Karst Country
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A Backpackers Dinner
1. Salad
2. Pasta
3. Soup
4. Pork and Peas (pictured)
5. Creme Caramel
6. Coffee, etc
Washed down with Cantina Clavesana's Barbera d'Alba - and very nice it was too.
We hope yours was as good, John. Sorry we couldn't join you.
We were too busy backpacking!
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Wednesday, 8 July 2009
Wednesday 8 July 2009 - Day 4 - Rifugio Mongioie to Rifugio Don Barbera (2070 metres)
After settling our pleasantly modest bill - €195 for half board plus drinks and all other extras - we ambled back along the flowerful path towards the destroyed bridge. All bar Andrew visited the Grotta delle Vene. We were followed in by the quartet from Yorkshire. Two of them were met at the point at which we turned round - a junction where there was a big puddle. These Yorkshire husbands disappeared with an ominous splash, and were not seen again.
Outside the cave, one of some 700 in this area, martins were nesting and the cloud was already beginning to build.
Our route led past the oncoming curious German couple who seem to have got a day behind, and away from the GTA route that the Yorkshires were following (NB Gillian Price's GTA book is abundant around here at present, she may be pleased to hear!).
We descended gently to the 'Inferior' and the 'Superior' hamlets of Carnino, where some reconstruction work is in progress. We saw nobody, but we gather that ancient architectural features are preserved here in the stone houses built in the 'enclosed roof' (tetti racchiusi) style.
Our long brew stop in the sunshine soon followed. The increasing cloud on these alpine days doesn't really block the sun for long as it comes and goes, and the absence of any significant wind ensures a warm passage for the intrepid hiker.
Higher up the valley the woods gave way first to ungrazed meadows inundated with yellow rattle, then to a buttercup meadow beside a babbling brook. Here, four of us lunched in luxury (Andrew being on his upward dash) and discovered England's poor start in the first Ashes test. We are bemused by the fact that it seems to be taking place in Wales!
The final stretch to Rif Don Barbera was over the gently rising ground of the rock and turf of the Karst limestone of this area. Half a dozen hikers were descending in high spirits, and mountain and trail bikers could be seen above us on the 4WD tracks that adorn the French/Italian border around here.
There's plenty of room for everyone.
The five Italians we met in Rif Garelli are here (we also saw them last night), and we have the company of a few mountain bikers.
The chef is busy and the prospect of a tasty meal looks high.
The rifugio is just on the Italian side of the border with France - the image is taken from Colle Lago dei Signori - on the border.
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Hot Chocolate
Jenny was soon to be found spooning into a cup of rather viscous hot chocolate.
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Brew Stop with a View
It's just a little noisy, with no 'phone signal, but a fine place for four of us to linger.
Andrew has already set off, he's like a greyhound out of its blocks chasing a rabbit to his next place of rest. That's why we appear sometimes to be short on numbers!
John - no, we are afraid we won't make the dinner tonight! Say hello to everyone! Cheers...
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Ritual Mid Morning Brew Stop
Paul scores 5/5 for observation.
Happy Days!
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