Start: Rifugio Deffeyes/Finish: Hotel Paramont@Planaval, 15.7km, +1207, -2135
Today is the dreaded two-days-rolled-into-one, with two mountain passes to cross. There used to be a bivouac on the descent from the first pass, splitting this into two days, but it was destroyed in a avalanche several years ago. The options are either to combine two days into one, or head down into La Haut and then back up tomorrow. When planning this trip, I couldn't really find proper information on this option, so I decided to push through and plan on a night in Planaval.
I did end up falling asleep last night, but I slept poorly. As I head out of the hut, early in the morning, I feel my limbs are heavy and my body is not yet awake. The French group is also out, heading into the glacier. I will meet them at the end of the day again.
The first pass of the day, Passo Alto (2856m) is not far away, and it doesn't take long before the winding path turns into a steep ascent. From here you can see across into national park Gran Paradiso, Italy's first park and my home in upcoming days.
View from Passo Alto
Past the mountain top, it's a short steep descent followed by what is the longest boulder sections I've had so far. It's not hard, but it's long. Signage is more of a general indication as to the direction and less of a trail. I love hiking through boulders, it's a different feel under my feet and requires a bit of work to figure out where to put the next step. Almost like a game of Twister, not that I've ever played this game.
The new shelter. I like how they choose to take a modern approach in this and other new huts and shelters built in recent years. It's striking and yet works well.
I see a black building glistening below me, not indicated on any of my maps. When I arrive I see what looks like a brand new bivouac , black exteriors making it visible from a distance. It looks to be at the final phases of construction. It's locked, but standing on my toes I peek through the windows and see a largish room with bunks and a small kitchen. Later I will discover it is indeed the new Promoud Bivouac (now called Cosimo Zappelli Bivouac) brought here in large sections by a helicopter and then assembled on site. I have my first break for the day here on the large deck at the entrance. A fellow hiker I saw yesterday at the hut appears, I guess he left a bit after me. Is he walking the AV2 as well?
From here it's a gentle descent along a stream. A small bridge next to the Promoud farmhouse indicates the end of the first descent of the day. From the bridge I retrace my steps up the stream through the sparse forest for a few minutes , and then the ascent starts up again. The other hiker has overtaken me and I'm completely by myself, just me and nature.
The trail zigs and zags up. It's difficult, but in a different way from before, and I feel the lack of sleep in every step.
After what feels like a decade I reach the boulder area just below the top. There's rocks and steps and the occasional rope, and the way forward is not very clear. It's gorgeous and wild and never ending. I reach several false passes only to discover there's more. The fresh-looking Scandinavian couple just starting the descent are waiting for me to clear the trail, so I push forward, but as I reach the pass I crash on the grass for a few minutes before collecting myself and looking around.
The last minutes up into Col de la Crosatie
Col de la Crosatie (2830) provides stunning 360 view of the region. There's little snow in the mountain tops ahead of me, less than I would have expected. Just below me is an alpine lake, and at this time of day and in with these clear blue skies it glistens beautifully. There's people on the trail below me and around the lake, and suddenly I'm not alone. There is something unnerving in this sudden shift from being alone to sharing my space with others.
The descend poses no real challenges. A few minutes from the top there's a memorial with Chinese inscriptions. A runner taking part in the Tor de Geants has died here a few years ago. It's a tragic reminder how it's not always the most difficult or the most technical trails that kill us.
By the time I reach the lake I'm on my own. I stop here to stretch my legs, knowing that I have over 1200 meters of descent ahead of me.
It takes me several hours to complete the descent, mostly through breathtaking meadows, then through the forest - you know the drill. It's 17:30 by the time I reach the village of Planaval. The road into the village is dotted with vegetable gardens. These are a common occurrence in the Alps, but these are especially large and well-cared for. I'm hoping this means I'll get something other than carbs for dinner.
How can I not fall in love with this place?
The hotel is at the other side of the village, which takes about 2 minutes to cross, including looking at the church and washing my face at the water fountain. I have not met a fountain or trough I don't like to dip my face in.
I'm wrecked. The kind of wrecked I've learned can only come from long long descents. Checking in at the hotel, I'm glad to find that there's only one flight of stairs to conquer.
As I'm sitting at the hotel garden, glass of wine in my hand, being utterly unable to move, the French group arrives, almost two hours behind me. They tell me they took the glacier route, having brought axes and crampons. They tell me it was rough, very rough.
The hotel is known for its food, and dinner is great. I order from an English menu, but yet again, I don't know what I'm ordering, because the translation is baffling. The dishes coming out of the kitchen look great, but I can barely keep my eyes open. I cancel my order of secondi, eat my desert, and go to bed. I try to push sleep away, as to not fall asleep too early, but no luck. Tonight I'll sleep well.
Food at Hotel Paramont. From the menu: On the left: Aosta valley tart on Blue d'Aosta fondue On the right: Fioroni di lardo honey and chestnut with clear alpine butter
Looking back on this day, I see how much my fear of it was created long before I arrived here. In prepping for the trip, I've read the (only) Hebrew forum discussion on this trail and there was a discussion around the challenges of this day, which was turned in my head into "the big day", even when I reversed the direction, taking it from a whooping 2000m ascent to a mare 1300m. But it stayed big and looming in my head. Not to say it is an easy day, but coming from Rifugio Deffeyes, it is more than doable. It's all in my head.
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