DAY 15: Saturday June 16th - Pallon to Briancon:
Walk: 30k (make that 23.5k), 8hrs: Blue Skies, hot 18°C to 30°C
Accommodation: Gite La Ferme de La Tour near Briancon
In the valley of the Durance River
The fast flowing Durance River
Who you meet is always a surprise
Looking back to L'Argentiere
Steep track across gully saves 7k
It's 30°C - cooling down in icy water
Kayaking in the Durance
Washing up in the creek after lunch in the dog park
Heading for Briancon - at 1356m, it's the highest city in Europe
Sheep herding - road to Briancon
After three magnificent days in the Durance valley we're now in the real alps. Blue skies, a hot 30°C, herds of sheep on the road but best of all, Ian found a short-cut that saved us 2hrs and cut 7k off our day.
We wanted to start early as today was 30k, but it was so quiet, we slept in til 7am. After a shower, we’re packed and have a quick breakfast in the kitchenette of hot tea, yesterday’s bread re-heated, cheese and ham. Gaby, the caretaker greets us and I ask how much - 28Euro - for 2 or 1? He says 2 - that's cheap. Some places like Relais des Ecrins cost 118 Euro for the room, dinner (just OK) and dried bread and jam for breakfast. We’ve been spending about 150 Euro per day for two including room and breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner at a restaurant - that’s about $100 per day per person - no transport costs either!!!!
It's 8.30am when head to L'Argentiere (silver mines here in the middle ages). It's 7k down a country road often blocked by sheep. The town is spread along the valley and it's so quiet for a Saturday morning. We find an 8 to Huit store (open 8am til 8pm) and buy tomatoes, fresh bread, yoghurt for a second breakfast and Ian wanted honey for his tea. I also buy a box of Carte Noir coffee sachets – we’re running low. We sit in the park and Jet boil a coffee, with yoghurt and a chunk of fresh bread.
We walk to the spot where the road loops into a deep gully - 4k in and 4k out. But on Ian's IGN, he sees a black line leading off a tiny road between the houses down in the gully - it's worth a try to save 2hrs and 7k. Down the small road, we pick up the goat track then the half way up the other side we see a sign that says Prive and another sign Retour Accuel (Return to start). Bugger going back. The Private sign, we guessed, is to stop people getting to a large water pipeline crossing the Durance ravine but we'll be quick across the Prive section, so we continue up and eventually can see the road. Otherwise we would have had to have walked 7 to 8k along a main road and it would have been a 30k day in 30°C. Thanks Ian.
We take a detour through a mostly deserted village Villard Meyer, and see a spouting water pipe. We ask a man just leaving his house if the water is ok, and he gives us the thumbs up. The water is icy cold and we stop for a drink, fill our water bottles and soak our feet. We have a second morning coffee.
40 mins later, we are on the move heading to Prelles and soon spy a shady seat in a dog-training paddock. Standard lunch of fresh bread and cheese and dried ham. The sun creeps over our seat and it's hot - time to move. We pass by Prelles at 2.15pm and see Briancon at the back end of the valley where we will meet the GR5 on our way to Mont Blanc. We pass by another herd of sheep and a few minutes later we are on the edge of Briancon in the suburb of Villar Saint Pancrace where our hotel/gite, La Ferme de la Tour) is located. We see a sign to it and the host speaks English. The room is perfect - a large double bed (two singles pushed together), a balcony in the sun to dry washing, WiFi in the room, but the restaurant is full for tonight, probably because it's Saturday. So we'll be headed up to the pub later for a beer and pizza.
We have a shower, do the washing and hang it out - it's almost dry in 1hr in the mountain air, then catch up on emails and diary from our comfy bed. At 7pm, it's time to go to the pub. There's only two others. We have a beer and a red wine and plan the next few days. Put the maps away and drink more red wine. We must be good customers as when we order a pizza and a half carafe of red wine, he a whole bottle. The pizza is plain ham and cheese bread but nice.
We hear loud voices from the restaurant as we meander back to our room then read up on Montgenevre.- a town I've read about so much as its where famous leaders crossed the alps - Hannibal in the 218 BC with his elephants, Julius Caesar in 58 BC, Charlemagne 773 A.D., and Napoleon in 1796. Bed at 9pm.
The Shortcut - blue line is goat track between 2 orange main roads - Click to see the larger image