Monday 29th August: Weather: 18°C to 21°C: Mostly sunny, cool to start, warmer later, no rain
Day 13 Rifugio Barma to Neil La Gruba: 16.5k: 10hrs 7am to 5pm: 2 x 30min stops
Ascent/Descent: Ascent 1,490m, Descent 1,980m, Total up and down 3,470m
Accommodation: Relais du Gruba, Niel
Leaving Rifugio Barma at 7am with a majestic sunrise over the Alps
Col Marmontana at 2,358metre
Down from Marmontana
Coffee with the cows at Lake Chiaro at 2,096metres.
Boulder hopping on way up to Col Crenna Dou Lei at 2340 metres
Col Crenna Dou Lei at 2340 metres
Gressoney valley on the other side of Crenna Dou Lei
Ian on way down from Crenna Dou Lei window in the Alps
Gressoney Valley
Lunch at Col della Vecchia 2,184m
Beer after a brutal day at Neil
Day 13 highlight was just finishing the hardest day of the Tor des Geants climbing three cols for a Total Up and Down Day of 3,470 metres taking 10 hrs, with 9hrs of walking and 2 x 30 minute breaks. I thought it was challenging, Ian described it as brutal. We knew it was going to be a hard day so we arranged for an early 6.30am breakfast ready to leave at 7am. The weather was beautiful with the most amazing hazy sunrise of the Alps. We finally arrived at Gruba, Neil at 5pm.
We had the alarm set for 5.45am ready for an early start. No need. We were awake before then, and enjoyed an extra shower which we don’t normally have in a Rifugio, just to wake up for the long day ahead. We’re down at breakfast at 6.25am and it’s being being set out, and enjoy a muesli and yoghurt, cake, ham, cheese, bread - really nice considering everything is flown in by helicopter.
We’re out the door at 7am to the most amazing sunrise over the Alps and make good time crossing the boulders for an hour before starting an uphill zig zag climb to Col di Marmontana at 2,358 metres. It was relatively easy up the grassy zig zags and we arrived at 9am in good time. Then down the other side in a nicely graded track for a few hundred metres, but a bit rocky at times, until we reach the cows at Lake Chiaro at 2,036metres at 10am. Time for a coffee and left over tart.
Then another Col to conquer. There’s a lot of boulder hopping on the way up to Col Crenna Dou Lei at 2,340 metres, a tiny Col window in the Alps, and we arrive an hour later with standing room only for one person - me - while Ian takes a photo. It’s a steep descent on the other side as we look out on the Gressoney valley. The descent seems to go on forever and then there’s an ascent to Co della Vecchia and we have no idea where it is heading. It seems to go on forever. Looking up, there’s no obvious col ahead, when out of teh blue we turn a corner and arrive at Col dell Vecchia, a strange col with steep mountains on w=either side and a 4 way crossing of paths, probably from ancient times.
Crouching behind a large rock to avoid the mist arising from the neighbouring valley, we find a sti=one seat for lunch - dried very stale bread and old cheese followed by a cup of tea and spicy fruit roll. Then not through teh Col but there’s a path around teh side of teh mountain that looks like an old mule track. This looks good. But it soon turns into a steep undulating track down and down and down and we begin to wonder if we are on the AV1, teh Giants trail. It’s relentless a looks like we’re heading for Gaby, the Village at the bottom. We lose time checking the map and trying to out exactly which track we are on. After and hour we finally see ONE AV1 sign off to the right and know we are on the right track. But it’s still undulating through pine Forrests, up and down and round and round.
We had been making good time. We knew we were in for an 8 or 9 hour walking day, but hoped it would be sooner. It’s 4pm when we see signs to Neil, but no sign of teh village (0f about 4 houses). More down, until we see a sign that says 13 minutes to La Gruba Relais, Neil - that’s us. But it’s not 13 minutes, it’s 30 minutes when we finally arrive in the tiny hamlet to this magnificent newly renovated Camera/Bar/Ristorante where we check in from our booking.com pre book. Our room is great and there’s a tiny strip of sun on the balcony, so we wash first (socks and shirts mostly) then shower.
Time to celebrate with a beer in the upstairs bar which has a magnificent view of the mountains in all directions. Dinner is at 7pm, better than 7.30pm, and a our room only has BnB we order a set menu for dinner. For starters, I have a pasta with vegetables, Ian has spinach ricotta pie. For mains. I have roast pork and polenta, Ian has a platter of cheese. We share the pork and save the cheese for tomorrow’s lunch. Dessert is apple strudel and jam tart, why we also save for tomorrows morning tea. We’re sitting finishing off our wine when down from the hill comes a fox. Yes a fox. The fox has a history in this area as when we were in Alpenzu 8 years ago on the Tour de Monte Rosa, also our stopover tomorrow, the fox crept onto the balcony and stole our food supply for the next day which we had left outside in the cool of the night - butter, cheese, bread, ham, tomatoes etc. The bag had disappeared in the morning and when we told our host at Alpenzu what happened she said - THE FOX! So it was so strange to see this fox creeping down outside our restaurant window in La Gruba Neil tonight, bringing back memories of yesteryear.
We’ve ordered an early breakfast as we want an early start to our 19k day tomorrow - not as much ascent or descent but a long day before Alpenzu. Our washing isn’t quite dry but in this mountain air, it should be by morning. Time for bed. It’s almost 9pm.
Jan blogging in sunroom La Gruba