Lago Paschiet, Valli di Lanzo

27-09-2015

Solo walk.
Today I took a nice and easy 2.30hrs walk on a nice trail. I went up in my books and attempted some barefoot hiking coming down - not strictly all the way down for the top part was quite littered by treacherous sharp stones, and I had to come down in a bit of a hurry to avoid the rising fog, so I preferred wearing my boots for the first part of the descent.

Autumn is coming

The colours of the Autumn are starting to show and the scenery is really beautiful. At the lake is all peace and quiet - you just hear the soft ripple of the water and a bird chirping in the distance. I didn't meet anyone else on this trail, nor at the lake, making it all the more enjoyable.

refreshing the feet

As soon as I reached the lake I put my feet in it, refreshing them in the icy water after the 2.30 hrs they had been constrained in closed shoes; I spread-out my sweaty clothing and put on a clean T-shirt and a light fleece jumper for the air was quite brisk at 2000m and I wanted to rest and enjoy my apple for a bit.

I started on my way back down pretty soon though, as there were clouds coming in from the peaks above the lake, and some coming up from the bottom of the valley, and I didn't want to be stuck in the middle.

After a couple of hours of descent, from a slightly different (and worse) trail than that I used to come up, I reached the village I started from still in time for a spot of lunch, then I waited for Rosie to come back from her Mountaineering School teaching lesson.

Good job I always have a book with me ;-)

more pictures here

Freissinières, France

19-09-2015

The Freissinières Valley

Nice walk today in a spectacular French Valley... or forest, rather. I went with my wife and a couple of friends to a large selection of climbing walls overlooking the valley - I don't personally climb for I don't really like it, but I belayed them on their ways up and down, to the great satisfaction of them all, apparently ;-)

 

The place is really idillic - pine forests with their typical lovely smell, lavender shrubs, a nice path all around and lots of walls to climb on, for all difficulties. There's also a Via Ferrata of which we didn't know about, otherwise I'd have brought my kit... as much as I don't like free climbing, I love Via Ferratas!

I enjoyed my belaying role treading barefoot on the ground, whilst I used my sandals to move from one wall section to another - there were too many small sharp stones about to just ditch the shoes altogether. Anyhow, I think I didn't do too bad for a trainee barefoot hiker  ;-)

Barefoot training

The day went on smoothly, we had lots of fun, and we thoroughly enjoyed the sunny late summer day - even if I ended up with a cranked neck for the unusual looking-up position... nothing that a good night rest, with some ointment and a fleece buff on my neck didn't cure...  ;-)
A truly perfect day!!!







as usual, a few more pictures here.

Vallonetto Bivouac, Susa Valley, Italy

12-09-2015

Quite a view from the top

This morning we started bright and early (6.00am) an headed to the High Susa Valley, direction Exilles, Rochemolles. Past the Scarfiotti Refuge, we still went a bit further on in our cars, then we started the steep ascent towards the Fourneaux Pass (3139m). After reaching the Pass, we bore right, and still up, to pass the Galambra hut then further on to the Vallonetto Bivouac (3212m).

Galambra hut - a break on the way up

The day was mostly overcast with foggy patches - I guess we would have had spectacular views otherwise!

Vallonetto Bivouac

There was quite a few people there, and we went up with a bunch of friends, for the bivouac (a tiny hole, really) has just been repaired and has been entitled to a fellow mountaineer who perished on his beloved mountains. I didn't know him personally, but a few of my own friends did, so we thought it was a nice excuse to take a walk...

I obviously ended up with a splitting headache, as per usual when I make a great effort... these mountains are really quite too steep for my likings, for I prefer some milder uphills. Still, I had a nice time, like always when I finally manage to get these feet moving!  :-)

Satisfied, after all  ;-p

Strudel-galore after the hike

more pix of the hike, here: https://goo.gl/photos/By1uTjR3TVio6K4r9