Tuesday 28th August: Weather 7°C to 18°C at Benevelo: sunny all day
Rifugio Bezzi to Rifugio Benevelo DAY 9: 12.8k: 6hrs 30 mins: 8.30am to 3.00pm: Ascent 700m Descent 800m
Accommodation: Rifugio Benevelo at Altitude of 2285m
Cold start 7°C leaving Rifugio Bezzi
Broken bridges typical of Italy
Glaciers ahead
Cold start 7°C up to the col
Looking down valley to Bezzi
There’s a chamois up there
Picture perfect down valley
Panorama of Glacier Gliaretta
Mont Blanc visible from near col
Looing back to Mont Blanc
Trekking up beside Glacier Gliaretta
Trekking across snow
it’s crowded at Col Bassac Dere
Col Bassac Dere at 3082 metres
Morning tea at Col Bassac Dere
We made it to Col Bassac Dere
Picture perfect looking back to col
Steep down from col through rocks
Lunch by Lago di Goletta
Wild flowers
We can’t believe that every day so far has been a picture perfect day with blue skies, cool mornings and very little wind. Today’s highlight was climbing on the High Glaciale Route beside the glacier Ghiacciaio di Gliaretta to Col Bassac Dere at 3082 metres with views to Mont Blanc and then hiking down the other side to Lago di Goletta for lunch and finally on on the way down to Rifugio Benevelo, we saw Eidelweis.
We’re awake at 6.30am and find there’s hot water. So we both quickly rush up to have the hot shower we didn’t have last night. It’s just a drizzle of hot water but better than cold water or nothing. Breakfast at 7am is muesli and yoghurt with breads and jams and luke warm coffee. We finish packing and leave by 8.30am. It’s a cold 7°C as we head up the valley towards the hanging glacier.
There’s several groups going our way and we’re surprised that there’s so many through hikers on this High Glaciale Route compared to teh Alt Via 2 where they were mostly day trippers. And it’s also surprising that there’s so many from the UK. It’s only 700 metres ascent to Col Bassac Dere - I say only - as we’ve had several days with Ascents of around 1200 metres. Soon we are high enough to look back and see all the way to Mont Blanc.
For the first time this trip there sre several patches of snow to cross. Soon the track runs beside the glacier Gliaretta and then it’s a scramble over rocks and boulders to Col Bassac Dere at 3082 metres. It’s crowded at the top with hikers who have come from both sides. Some of them dump their packs and climb a further 300 metres to the Punta della Traversiere for even more spectacular views. We’re happy at this col thanks and after 3 hours of hiking it’s time for a cup of tea with a 4 day old jam tart rescued from a breakfast somewhere. There’s no rush as it’s only a 12.8k walk today and we’re already half way there. Time to sit and enjoy the magnificent scenery on another picture perfect day.
It’s a steep descent down the other side and after just one hour, we reach Lago di Goletta where there’s dozens of people sitting having lunch. We’re not exactly hungry as we’ve only had morning tea an hour ago, but it’s such a nice place, so we find a flat rock to enjoy the last of our bread, butter, cheese and tomato.
The hanging valley falls over the mountain edge to another steep track leading to Rifugio Benevelo and the French people from dinner last night told us to look out for Edelweiss on the way down. We’ve forgotten what it looks like, as it’s four years since we saw Edelweiss in the Vanoise national park whilst hiking the GR5 from Briancon to Geneva. But luckily there’s two old Italians dodering along and after I tell tham that’s what we’re looking for, they start looking themselves and 10 minutes later, point to several patches of Edelweiss. Another highlight in our day.
Down to the Rifugio Benevelo where there’s already dozens of hikers sunbaking on the grass and after checking in and buying our shower tokens, we're off for a 3 minute hot shower. Then time to wash our clothes. Our socks are filthy as the trek down this afternoon was really dusty and after washing several times, still the water is black. There’s a clothes line out the back that’s perfectly placed in the sun and breeze. In fact it’s a clothes line with the best view up the valley.
We’re sharing a small dorm with Fred, a French guide who is checking out the area for his next tour group. It’s a bit crowded in the room and the first time we’ve had to share. A bit of a bummer because we’ve been firing up our jet boil - very carefully - each morning to have a pre breakfast cup of tea. Oh well, we might learn something from Fred about other walks.
Down in the dining room waiting for dinner is at 7pm, ian has a beer he’s been waiting for all day - it’s one degree short of luke warm, not typical of Italian beers. For dinner, we have the choice of risotto or soup - risotto thanks: then meat and polenta or vegetarian: meat thanks - but the vegetarian - a big omelette with salad - looked really nice and much better than the half cooked wild boar: followed by Chocolate mousse - passable. Fred, the French guide sits with us and we have a very informative conversation about the Vanoise National Park, just over the border in France, where he lives and works as a summer guide and winter ski instructor.
More wild flowers
Edelweiss - a special find
Washing with a view