2022 Tor des Geants Italy

Thursday 25th August:  Weather: 5°C at Miserin but quickly rises to 24°C down the valley

Day 9 Rifugio Miserin to Pont Boset:  Walk 13.4k: 6hrs 30 mins from 8am to 2.30pm: 1 x 1hr 30 min stop

Ascent/Descent:  Ascent 365m, Descent 1,835m: Total up and Down 2,200m

Accommodation: BnB Borma di Pombo near Pont Boset

DAY 9 Highlight was not an ascent over a col but a long descent down to BnB Borma di Pomba arriving early enough to do our washing and have a rest.  Not much of a hightlight but we have spent the last 8 days in the Alps and today and tomorrow is a combined descent of over 3,000 metres down into the valley to Donnas and Pont St Martin.  A real change in weather from cool alps weather to hot and a bit humid in the valley.

We’re awake at 6.30 am after a terrible night - rocking double bunk, no rails, the bunk had a lean to it, noisy people coming in at 1am lights blazing - at least there were no snorers.  We were glad to get up, pack and go down to breakfast which was the usual bread and jam but at least the tea was really nice and hot, and Ian had some muesli and yoghurt that he’d carried all day.  Back to the dorm to finish packing and we leave at 8am on a cold 5°C morning.  

We’re descending fairly quickly from Rifugio Miserin at 2,581 metres, and not generating any heat, but within an hour the temperature has risen from 5°C to 20°C and as we pass the Rifugio Dondena, we’re stripping off.  It’s another 2 hrs of descent down gravel roads and paths to Chardonney, arriving at 11am.  The only animal life we saw was a bunch of cows blocking the path.  The little mini market t Chardonney is packed, but all we need is a few beers, cheese meat and bread to go with our other stuff for the night as BnB Borma di Pombo has a little kitchen.   

Sitting on a park bench near the mini market, having morning coffee, we spend an hour and a half of emailing, chatting to home and then we’re off down the AV2 path towards Pont Boset.  It becomes quite steep, and though it’s through the pine trees, it’s very warm and humid.  We leave the AV2 path to walk down the road as our home for the night BnB Borma di Pombo is a little off the track up a steep road.  There’s not much traffic as we hug the left hand side of the road, watching for up coming traffic.  There’s a few detours where the road passes into a dark tunnel, but eventually at 2.30pm we arrive at BnB Borma di Pombo to meet our host who communicates with us using Google translation.  The apartment is lovely with a view over the valley, but we share it with someone else coming later to a spare bedroom.  No problem as it has a lovely kitchen and dining table and best of all a clothes line on the balcony hanging in the sun. 

After lunch of bread meat and cheese with a cup of tea, we shower then wash everything which has accumulated 2 days of dust.  The basin water is black.  It’s so dry and warm outside  that the clothes dry in less than an hour. Sipping on a cold beer while blogging etc, it’s a relaxing afternoon.  Dinner at six is the same as lunch, but with another icy cold beer.  We tidy up and  bring the washing in and check the emails then early to bed at 8.30pm.