Friday 19th August: Weather: 10°C to 15°C: Cold start from the Bivouac: Cool and Overcast rest of day
Day 3 Zappelli to Valgrisenche (Bonne): Walk 18.6k: 8am to 5.15pm: 9hrs15 m: 2 x 20min stops, 1 x 5min shop
Ascent/Descent: Ascent 1,222m, Descent 1,666m, Total up and down 2,888m
Accommodation: Grenier Barrel at Bonne, 2k uphill from Valgrisenche
Col de la Crosatie high up there somewhere
Zig Zags up to Col de la Crosatie
It’s getting very steep
Ian on the ropes to Crosatie
Day 3 highlight was climbing to the Col de la Crosatie at a height of 2,857m, up a very steep rocky incline, with 6 sets of ropes to help haul our way to the top. It’s so steep on both sides that sadly a Chinese Tor des Geants Ultra trail runner died in 2013 when he fell coming down from Crosatie in the dark over wet slippery rocks. We’re particularly careful, but it’s daylight for us and not raining. We don’t know how those ultra trail runners do it at night with a headlight in the rain. This 3rd day of the tor des Geants was a long tough day, passing by glaciers and through two beautiful valleys on our way to Valgrisenche.
We had a great night’s sleep in teh very warm Bivouac Cosimo Zappelli and try to be quiet while packing and having a cup of tea with a hunk of dry bread and butter, as our Italian friends are still asleep. It’s been raining through the night but had stopped by morning. We follow the AV2 signs down the valley but soon stop to rethink our direction as we know we shouldn’t be so far down that valley before turning up to the Col de la Crosatie. We back track to where we had seen some workers and one of them who speaks broken English that teh old Tor des Geants track did in fact go further down the valley but he had 5 workers there digging and re-routing a new short cut to link up with the official Tor des Geants track. This short cut was unsigned so we were glad we turned around or we would have gone miles out of our way. And we’ve already taken wrong turns twice in the past 2 days.
Looking up, it’s not obvious where the Col de la Crosatie is, there seems to be no track and no gap in the high Alps, but the workman was adamant that the short cut would link up to the track proper. And it did. The track zig zagged high up until it became very steep and rocky with stepping stones conveniently built into the path. After 2 hrs and 30 mins when we thought we had reached the top, around the next corner is a very steep 200 metre ascent, with six sets of ropes recently bolted to teh rocks, to assist on the way up. It was a bit hairy but finally we reach the top to find two other hikers there who had come up from the other side. They assured us that going down was a good even grade.
It’s 10°C at the top and cold and damp with a sprinkle of rain, but we find a sheltered spot at 11.30 for a cup of coffee and a few fig roll. Breakfast wasn’t much chop and we're hungry. Then it’s down 1,300 metres from Crosatie at 2,827m to Planaval at 1,500 metres. Thankfully the grade is much better than the way up - no ropes - and the misty rain has stoped. A few hundred metres down we come across a memorial to Yang Yuan, a Chinese Ultra Trail runner in the tor des Geants who fell coming down from Crosatie in the dark over wet slippery rocks. A reminder to be careful.
The descent is broken by a relatively flat walk across two high valleys before reaching a ledge and dropping down again. The views over Valgrisenche are stunning and its after 2pm when we arrive in Planaval. Firstly lunch - cheese and dry bread and tomato on seat near the church in Planaval- Then we need to contact our home for teh night at Grenier Barrel to let them know what time we’ll arrive. We’d been with phone or internet for two days. We estimate we’ll be there between 5 and 6pm as its about 8k still to go along a relatively flat track interspersed with a few road walks.
It’s 4.45pm when we roll into the small ski village of Valgrisenche. I had noted in my itinerary that there were two Alimentari shops (grocery stores) in the village but we could only find one, and it was a bit spartan in stock. We already have some left over ham, tomatoes and mace, so we only needed to buy a two beers, some cheese and butter, two yoghurts for breakfast and some bread - Italian bread is super crusty and light in side - nowhere near as nice as a French Baguette. And to be a bit indulgent we bought a tube of mayonnaise. The shopkeeper tells us his credit card isn’t working today but we suspect it doesn’t work any day so we pay in cash.
One set of ropes done, 5 sets to go
Finally at top of Crosatie, 2828m
Coffee at 11.30am at Crosatie
Memorial to Chinese runner died 8th Sept 2013 during Tor des Geants
On the way down to Planaval
Beautiful Val de Valgrisenche
Walking into Valgrisenche Valley
Grenier Barrel unit in Bonne
Ian checks his google maps with his phone, and we head up 2k to Bonne via a zig zag road with very little traffic. 30 minutes later we’re in Bonne, overlooking the huge Beauregard dam below in the valley. We’re not sure where the apartment Grenier Barrel is but as we wander through the street, we notice an older Italian lady standing outside, checking teh passers by and guessed that she was waiting for us as we had emailed via booking.com that we’d be there between 5 and 6pm, and it was now 5.20pm. She beckons us to follow her up a steep set of steps to a small apartment/flat on top of her own dwelling and it’s perfect for us - kitchenette, lounge and large double bed with ensuite. The building looks very old with a huge roughly hewn log as a supporting beam for teh roof. Inside is nicely lined with newer timber.
Time to shower and wash clothes before making a wonderful salad of mace, chopped onion, diced tomatoes with strips of ham, drizzled with mayonnaise. And the Italian bread was so much nicer when zapped in the microwave for 10secs. Topped off with a Moretti Beer which we’ve come to like. It’s 9.30 when we have time to blog, watch the Broncos play football (not me, Ian), and check the washing draped over the heater before bed.