Year: 2013

The breakfast this morning was formidable. We had different kinds of cornflakes, bread, cookies and coffee of course. The first hour we walked along a lake up to a small village “Ponte Chianale” where we were able to buy bread, cheese and sausage. Buying something in Italian language already works quite good – as long as no further questions result from the order  From here we climbed up about 700m to a pass. From here we saw Monviso one last time. We then followed a long long long road down to the next valley. Our plan for today was to walk to Rif. Meleze. When we arrived in the valley on the main road we still had 1 hour to walk. However, within the last 20 minutes the blue sky turned very dark. It was quite scary. On one side (where we didn’t want to go) the sky was blue. On the other side (of course where we wanted to go) the sky was closed by dark clouds. Somehow this situation reminded us of the day when we arrived in Usseglio – when the thunderstorm started. So we decided to walk to the direction where we actually didn’t want to go – to a small village named Chiesa. It was only a 15 minute walk. During this time we were overtaken by the dark clouds above our heads. When we realized before we were right on the boundary between blue sky and dark sky. So far there was no rain…just clouds. We even made some photos and some jokes about this weird situation – we will be safe in 15 minutes. “orage” the French word for thunderstorm is one of the first words we learnt in France at the beginning of our tour. So we created the word play “l’orage der Arsch” (“Arsch” is the German word for ass)  . We checked the weather reports to be sure (the Italian one, the German one and the Italian map for extreme weather). Everything was fine…and despite that it was just 1pm. Just seconds later a loud kaboom came from the dark clouds. Then a heavy rain started. We ran like idiots until we reached a mountain hut in the village nearby. We were quite glad that we again escaped the thunderstorm in the last second. Outside the heavy rain and thunder party started…and lasted only for 20 minutes. Then it was gone as fast as it came before. Unfortunately the mountain hut was already fully booked. So we had to find another accommodation for tonight – probably because it was Saturday. By phone we called another hut to make sure there is still a place left for us. This was difficult since the owner only spoke Italian and French. Actually no problem but via mobile phone and a bad connection the communication was quite exhausting. Anyway there was still a free room and so we walked to Chiazale about another hour. One thing to mention is that we passed another small village named “Celle” – actually the name of the village where I was born in Germany  Anyway…the room was ok and the dinner as well.After this experience with the weather we descided to split the path planned for tomorrow in two days. The weather forecast does not look so nice for tomorrow.

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Today we walked above 2500m for almost 5 hours. Our destination for today was Rifugio Martre where we reserved a room with shower The path today led us below the Monviso along a very huge area on 2600m. We passed multiple lakes an saw many different flowers. It is very nice to wake up at 2800m and just start to walk without any ascent on more or less the same altitude  The sun was again very strong up here – I think when we are back we will be close to black  Our accommodation for today was absolutely great. I think the owner was a star cook in his prior life. He served things I never heard before – which were absolutely great. The desert was a kind of cake with chocolate and cheese. This sounded strange but was wonderful. Tomorrow we continue to walk to the sea. The next two days we will need to pass over to the next mountain group. Hopefully the mobile signal will be better there. Then we can post some photos.

Our plan for today was to walk from Rif. Jervis to Rif. Giacoletti. We assumed to need about 7 hours. The weather forecast was quite good – just a few clouds in the afternoon. After a very good breakfast we started quarter past 7. The first 30 minutes of the path were just road on the same level. Then the road turned into a path and we climbed up to about 2400m where the next hut was located. On this path we found the “valley of mosquitos”. There were so many mosquitos even above 2000m – I did not expect this. But I guess this is already the effect of going further into the south. Not only the mosquitos are higher in the mountains – also the trees and the grass is much higher than where we started.
From the hut we continued further upwards to a pass on about 2650m. This pass was very interesting – on the one side completely blue sky on the other side completely fog. Unfortunately we had to descent to the side with fog. So for the next 4 hours we neither saw the sun nor the sky. We further followed the path to our destination. The last part was very steep and we walked through a big snow field. The hut was completely hidden in the fog – we saw it just 20 seconds before our arrival. Later the fog disappeared by magic and we had a great view on Monviso – which is 3841m height. Tomorrow our plan is to continue to Rif. Martre which is a quite new one. Lets see how far we come this time  Actually I just realized that we already completed 2/3 of our path to the sea. This is a great feeling 

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From Rif. Lago Verde we start early. A steep mountain path (personally I wouldn’t call this a path any more) led us upwards to a pass on about 2700m. Here we were the first this morning. An ibex stood right in front of us watching us curiously. We made some photos this time  The pass also is the border between Italy and France and so we continued the next part of today in France (actually most people on the last hut were from France). More or less we continued walking on the same altitude until we reached Bivaccio Soardi on 2620m. It lays directly behind the Col de Bouchet. Now we are back in Italy  We could not belive what we were seeing from up here. It was a very clear morning. Our current position was more or less at the eastern boundary of the western Alps. So we were able to see very very far into Italy from up here. It is hard to describe and it was also impossible for us to take a good photo of this view – but one should have seen once in life

We continued downwards for a few hours. Sometimes walking down is a pain but this time it was not because there were flowers everywhere… Finally we followed a road again upwards to Rif. Jervis on 1732m.

When we arrived we received our room – this time with 7 others. We took rest of the day off  I ordered two “Panasche” (this is beer with Sprite) in a row and lay down in the sun. After a few minutes I slept – almost until dinner  . For dinner we had to share the food with 6 people from France. A few times we had to remember them that the food is not just for them…not quite polite… Anyway.. the dinner was good – beside other things lots of pasta…and bacon with oil and parmigiano. Tomorrow we plan to go to Rif. Giacoletti on about 2700m.

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We slept very well in our hotel in Torino. The contrast between sharing a toilet and bedroom with others and having one for myself becomes very clear again – and again I am glad that I can effort a hotel if I want  We got up early again – breakfast is at 7am. We want to get the bus to Ghigo which leaves at 7:38 at Torino – according to the timetable (yes, there IS a timetable!  ). From Ghigo we want to start to the Monviso group – a quite famous and big group of mountains. The highest mountain in this group – what else can it be – is Monviso (about 3800m). Continuing our tour from Ghigo we are skipping two days of walking. We decided for this step since the weather is supposed to be very good and stable for the next three days – and for walking through the Monviso area we need very good weather.
Today, getting up at 6:30am from this great hotel bed is like a pain – at least for me…I think I could sleep another 2…3…4 hours  …but anyway our bus is leaving 7:38…and it is the only bus for the next hours – according to the great timetable. Under this time condition the very nice breakfast was also very short…sine our bus leaves at 7:38 from Torino (what does this actually mean? Torino…where in Torino? But this time the woman from the tourist office told us the truth, didn’t she?). I think I could sit here in this great breakfast room and drink one coffee after another…but…. At 7:30 we hurried out of the hotel door to the bus stop which was described to us by the woman at the Torino tourist information. At 7:35 we are there… We are looking at the great timetable again. One strange thing we noticed this morning is that for all bus connections the bus stop where the bus leaves is marked yellow. Only for our connection there is no specific bus stop name given – just Torino…and it is not marked yellow. Could this mean something? We were just waiting…10 minutes…20 minutes…some buses were leaving…but no bus with our destination. To make it short – our bus never left. The “timetable” was just for information that there is a connection – but one has to change the bus. This was not obvious to us from the timetable. When we realized that the bus we would have to take was already gone. And so we stood there on the main road waiting for the next bus to the destination where we had to change the bus. This was very annoying…after so many days in the mountains the noise of hundreds of cars and so many people all around was kind of horrible. We were quite glad when the next right bus finally arrived.

From Torino the bus went to Perosa. There we had to change to another bus. But…sounds simple…it took us about an hour to find the correct bus stop where the next bus was going to leave. It was interesting to walk through Perosa…and we were able to buy some food and some medcine before we left…but we were finally very glad when we also left the second bus to Ghigo.

From here we walked about 4:30 hours to our destination Rif. Lago Verde. Luckily the weather was very good and stable today – there was no single cloud on the sky. The Rifugio Lago Verde is very nice. They have a warm shower which is already included in the price. Tonight we share a room with only two others – very comfortable  Tomorrow we plan to go to Rif. Jervis. Forecast is very good…lets see