Day 6 - St Veran to Molines via Col de Longet

Distance: 11.5miles
Ascent:  850m
Weather: clear blue skies, cold wind

We followed the same track as yesterday up passed the shrine of St Antoine and turned left at the sign to the observatory. It was very clear, not a cloud in the sky all day, but quite chilly. According to the lady in the gite it was about minus 17 deg this morning.

The path along the valley gains height gently to begin with, the snow very crunchy. As we turned away from the valley it got quite a bit warmer, we stopped for a break and saw some chamois running across the rocks and snow in the distance. I got blurry photographic evidence.

Up through the pass was quite rocky, and we stopped for lunch at the top, layering up with just about every warm item of clothing.

The other side of the col was covered in thick powdery snow, which made for a fast and fun descent. Then we wove through the trees (probably to the skiers' annoyance) and on to a track. We followed this to a road and then walked through Pierre Something to Molines (calling in at the hotel for a rest.)

We had pre-dinner drink (wine with vanilla and cake with olives and feta cheese) before mushroom soup, pork stew with tagliatelli and then apple pie. Bed quite early as we have to be up at 4am. Ouch.

Day 5: St Veran, La Blanche Refuge

Distance: 11.5miles
Ascent: 650m
Weather: blue skies, cold wind

Free day. Later start, we went for a potter around St Veran village, which is very picturesque (and looks like a complete firetrap, if one were feeling critical.) We left the village at about 10:30am and followed the La Blanche track up to the Refuge at 2500m. The route is a nordic ski track, although we saw more walkers than skiers, at least on the way up.

It was very sunny and warm on the way there, and distinctly windier and colder on the way back. The col where the refuge sits is certainly white. We stopped for a hot chocolate and got a bit cold, then got really cold, then put lots of warm clothes and mittens on and walked really quite fast (snow shoes carried but not needed all day) until we warmed up a bit. We had lunch sitting by an old mine building and as we were leaving, our crumbs were cleared up by a little alpine sparrow type bird (to be identified later.)

We got back to St Veran at about 4pm.

Dinner was tomato and basil soup with baguette, turkey stew with rice and apple and berry crumble. The photo of the bird from lunchtime was shown around the room and identified as possibly an accentur, possibly an alpine accenteur and possibly spelt altogether differently.

I won at Uno.

Day 4: La Rua to St Veran, via Croix de Curlet

Disance: 8 miles
Ascent: 950m
Weather: blue skies, fluffy white clouds, chilly

Set off at about 8:30am and followed the crosscountry ski trail to the edge of the woods at Pont du Moulin, then headed up though the trees to a large cross overlooking the valley and St Veran. The ridge (Crete de Curlet) up to Pic Cascavellier was beautiful, with views of the mountains.

We saw a few other snowshoe groups today, no wildlife other than crows and heard chaffinches and other small birds in the trees.

The descent off the ridge was via the same route we took up, and then we crossed a small wooden bridge and headed up a last steep path into St Veran.  The gite is very pleasant with nicest food so far.  We had green soup with baguette, lasagne and salad and creme brulee for dinner. There was a few rounds of Uno (much to Rob's disgust) and then bed (we have our own room again here.)

 

Day 3: Ascent of La Gardiole de l'Alp

Distance: 6.3miles
Ascent: 1100m
Weather: cloudy and light snow first thing, cold during lunch, warmer, sunnier and clear views in the afternoon
Seen: black squirrel, skiers (some very impressive, some not so much)

Today was planned an ascent of La Gardiole de l'Alp, weather permitting. It dawned cloudy but no wind - so it's ok if you don't see anything as long you don't get blown away. We set off from the gite at 8:30am, I hadn't realised that it was right at the bottom of the village and it seemed to take a lot of effort and up hill to even get out from the houses and roads.

A local dog accompanied us out of the village, and we kept expecting him (or possibly her, it wasn't possible to tell under the long haired retriever coat) to go back, but it stayed with us for quite a while (not even the sight of a squirrel in the trees distracted it) until it was given some cereal bar and went home.

The route took us up, though some trees and up through some open snow above the trees, to the summit. The mountain side seemed very steep and open, the gradient the same most of the way, contouring and turning. There wasn't much to see for quite a lot of the time but occasionally the sky cleared a bit and we got views across the valley, and of the open mountainside below us.

We passed what looked like a sharp ridge, with cornice, and up on to the summit, complete with rickety cross. A short break to admire the views and congratulate ourselves and watch some skiers, whom we'd almost caught up with on the way up, set off down from the summit (a couple falling over not very impressively on the first turns.)

The way down was a lot faster and a lot more fun, snowshoeing down through deep snow. We stopped for lunch not far from the top, again crows keeping a careful eye on proceedings. The views cleared and by the time we'd reached the bottom (complete with hotel terrace and beer) it was quite sunny and warm.

Day 2 Montbardon to Molines (La Rua)

Distance: 8miles
Ascent: 950m
Weather: blue sky, mostly sunny but more clouds than yesterday, light snow in later afternoon
Saw: bearded vulture , heard a woodpecker, three eagles circling, tracks of various sizes, inc hare (?)

We set of at 8:30am and headed up through the woods, taking steeper paths through the trees at times. At first stop, I managed to catch blurry photo of big bird of prey.

There was more up.We came round the other side of the plateau and then decended to the col, through steep soft snow which was fun (although not everyone's cup of tea, it would appear) to a cross roads of paths and then along the route of the G5 through more open woodland on quite a steep slope, here having to keep a distance of about 20m between walkers. More for good practice than any real risk of avalanche (allegedly).

Lunch stop was under close observation by a pair of crows.

Went up a small hill (Sommet Bucher) which had good views of the surrounding mountains and approaching weather, quite dramatic clouds complete with snow.

The descent was via windy snowshoe paths through the snow, with optional slide. By my turn, the snowy slide was looking a little browner than I would have preferred so I opted for a zigzag through the (surprisingly) soft snow. Over a wooden bridge and a last sneaky bit  of up hill into the village.

Dormitory accommodation tonight. But very comfortable.

Dinner was bizarre green soup, turkey in orange sauce with macaroni and a rhubarb and marscapone pud. With red wine.

Day 1 around the Fontantie Plateau

Distance: 5.8 miles
Ascent: 775m
Weather: blue skies, warm in the sun, cool in the wind

Day began cold, but once we were out of the trees and into the sunshine it was quite warm, especially going uphill. There were a few patches of bare ground (larch needles) but there was a lot of snow. As the day went on it got a bit slushy due to the sunshine. We went from Montbardon up near to l'Esquillere (1892m) and up to the Chalets de Fontantie on the plateau (2247m). The chalets are small shepherd huts dating from 1810 but obviously recently renovated, looking very comfy and cosy with their solar panels.

We did avalanche survival and search training, burying transmitters and taking turns to search and dig in the snow. Saw a few little birds in the trees and some tracks of deer and some either dogs or fox type creatures. Plus a flock of alpine pigeons, none of your common dirty pigeons here.

Dinner was tomato soup, potato bake with bacon and cheese and apple tart. And red wine.

Day 0 Turin - Montbardon

Distance: 3 miles
Weather: lovely

We arrived in Turin yesterday and stayed at the Atlantic hotel in Torino Borgaro. Had dinner in their rather posh restaurant: appetisers, ravioli, steak and veal) followed by pineapple and strawberries, with a nice (and cheap!) valpolicella. This morning we had a quick breakfast and set off to the train station. Strike. Back to hotel. Taxi of mad Italian driver and extortionate cost. Met group at airport, transfer to Montbardon (once we got out of the carpark.) More evidence of mad Italian drivers. Settled in gite, very pretty little double room for me and Rob, dorms for everyone else. We went for a potter along the forest track and back. Veg soup, turkey and rice and plenty of cheese for dinner.