2022 Tor des Geants Italy

Sunday 21st August:  Weather: 5°C to 25°C: Very Cold in Bonne 

Day 5 Rifugio Delle Marmotte to Eaux Rousses:  Walk 12.5k: 7hrs from 8.30am to 3.30pm: 2 x 30min stops

Ascent/Descent:  Ascent 1,138m, Descent 1,602m: Total Up and Down 2,740m

Accommodation: Hostellerie du Paradis

Day 5 Highlight was reaching Col Entrelor at 3,007 metres, an ascent from Rifugio Delle Marmotte  of 928 metres in 2hrs 15 mins.  An absolutely stunning blue sky day in the alps.  The track up to the Col was good until the scramble up rocks for the last 100 metres ascent, but the descent into Eaux Rousses was rather gentle (thanks said Ian).

We’re up at 7am - a bit of a sleep in - and a rush to get to breakfast at 7.30am.  It’s freezing cold outside at 5°C, but warm in the breakfast room.  Breakfast is a basic continental style with breads and jams, and the coffee with hot milk is so nice. Time to pack, fold the blankets, and say goodbye and thank you to Guiseppi while Ian takes a photo of us.  It’s 8.30am when we leave on a stunning blue sky day, but very cold at 5°C.  I’m wearing gloves, beanie and a jacket and hope to warm up on the climb.

We’re moving fairly quickly on a well graded track towards the top, and I’m looking for the sun rising over the alps. The last 100 metres of ascent is rough and rocky with a choice of iron steps bolted into the rocks, or high steps of a shamble of rocks. We choose the rocks, doing away with the poles and pulling our way up with one hand .  Finally at 10.45 we reach the col Entrelor at 3007 metres, to find a few people already there.  It’s so beautiful we take a 30 minute coffee break with a few Italian sugar puff biscuits I’d bought yesterday.  

The walk down the other side is a 1,600 metres descent, but it’s so well graded it’s almost relaxing.  Time to enjoy the stunning scenery.  We stop every now and then to look for Ibex or Chamois, but there’s none today - just marmots.  After two and a half hours of descending, we’re looking for a place to have lunch.  The shed where we bought cheese from last time is closed, but just past it, is a small plateau where there are dozens of hikers having lunch, enjoying the spectacular view of Mont Blanc up the Valley.  We join them having a leisurely 30 minute lunch of bread and butter, cheese and ham with a swish of Mayonnaise.  

The last 400 metres descent through the pine forest is a well graded track with mountain bikers whizzing past - the ones we saw struggling up to the col as we were coming down earlier in the day.  It’s 3.30pm, our shortest day yet at 7 hrs, when we spy the Hosteller du Paradis and meet Arianne, with whom I had been communicating when booking our room.  She had been to Australia several years ago so we felt very welcome.  She shows us to our room with a beautiful view up the valley, and a sunny balcony - great for drying our clothes.  Straight away we have a shower and wash everything we own except for our night clothes, and hang it on the balcony.  The mountain air has no humidity so it will all dry very quickly.

Time to catch up on photos and some blogging before going down to a beer while waiting for dinner.    Our booking cost 85 our pp pn half pension - dinner bed and breakfast - which is pretty good in the rather exclusive village of Eaux Rousses.  Dinner at 7.30 is a 4 course meal.  Ham and salad for starters followed by pasta and chopped tomatoes, followed by a melted cheese round with a different salad, then a dessert of Mousse, gelato and cream.  With a red wine more like a pinot noir. 

Sitting in the lounge with a wood fire that’s not burning, we finish off a few emails and then bed.  Another big day up to Col Loson - a climb of about 1500 metres before dropping down to the Rifugio Vittorio Sella.