Thursday 23d August: Weather 5°C to 27°C: Cold at 2500 metres, warming up down the valley
Rifugio Peradze to Cogne DAY 4: 17.0 k walk: 9am to 4pm: 7hrs: 1200m Descent 200m Ascent
Accommodation: Ostello La Mine Villagio at altitude 1544m
Alps and blue skies 7am
Alps and blue skies in all directions
Rifugio Sogno di Berdze at Paradze
Entering the Gran Paradiso Park
Cows herded by friend from rifugio
Refilling with icy cold water
Patches of yellow flowers
Patches of Purple flowers
There’s a chamois up there
Loving every minute in the alps
Clearly marked tree line
Trail runner training for TDG
Morning tea in the forest
Rock slide above Lillaz
Cascades of Lillaz
Stunning view to Gran Paradiso from Cogne
A fantastic day descending from an altitude of 2500 metres at Peradza down the Urtier Valley into Cogne to be greeted by this absolutely amazing panorama up towards the Gran Paradiso National Park with a massive stand of snow covered alps at the end, including the 4000 metre Gran Paradiso mountain after which the Park is named.
We’re woken by the generator at 6.45am and Ian takes a stroll in the cold 5°C outside to take some early morning photos. A lazy breakfast at 8am before leaving at 9am. A cool stroll down the jeep track and soon we pass the sign indicating we have crossed into the Gran Paradiso National Park. Past small herds of cows being minded by the worker who stayed overnight at the rifugio and on down the valley, stopping to look up for any sign of ibex or chamois. Past pockets of flowers and stopping to fill my water bottle. High up on a rocky outcrop he’s there. A statue like chamois posing for Ian’s camera.
The track continues down past the 2000 metre mark distinguished by the tree line. There’s several waterfalls tumbling down. There’s many day hikers who have walked up from Lillaz and also a trail runner coming towards us - probably training for the TDG. By 11am we see a morning tea spot on some flat rocks in the cool of the pine trees. The temperature had jumped from a cold 5°C to above 20°C in less than 2 hours so shade is good for our morning tea of fruit and nut bun and butter with a cup of tea.
By 1pm, we emerge from the pine trees and can see the village of Lillaz below us, almost overshadowed by a huge rock fall of years gone by. Time for lunch on a bench before heading off to Cogne. No rush, we have all afternoon to walk 4k. We notice the signs back to the Cascata di Lillaz, and decide to take a detour, climbing 200 metres to see the River Urtier tumbling 150 metres down 3 sets of cascades, watched by dozens of tourists.
Back into Lillaz and following the signs to Cogne, we seem to be in the midst of a crowd of day trippers who have walked the 4k from Cogne to Lillaz and are now returning along the cool forest path. In 30 minutes we’re in the very touristy village Cogne looking for a supermarket to buy a few essentials like bread, cheese and milk, when we stumble into the main square with a throng of tourists admiring the amazing view up the valley to a massive stand of snow covered alps, the tallest mountain being the 4000m Gran Paradiso after which the park is named. It's a stunning sight, and we’re excited that we’ll be heading up that way tomorrow to the Rifugio Vittorio Sella.
On to the supermarket Rey to buy some honey cheese bread and condensed milk before returning to the main square to have a cup of tea while admiring the view. Then Ian sets his phone to the Ostello La Mine, our home for the night, and soon we’re trudging 1k uphill to the restored hostel for the mine workers of Cogne 100 years ago. The hostel is new, and clean, and more like a university college with basic beds, a wardrobe and desk. Suits us fine. And the bathroom is up the corridor. Suits us fine too.
The trip down had been very dusty, and everything needs washing and hanging in the room before we go the the pub attached to the Hostel 50 metres down the road. The beer is icy cold. And soon we’re back in our room having dinner of ham and cheese sandwich. We didn’t need another late banquet like last night’s dinner.