Towering Allure - 180km on and off trail between Italy and France (GR 58 - Extended)

Описание: The early September days promised golden light and golden slopes. On a thursday at 11 am, I saw the forecast and 3 hours later I was off. Did not even clean up the kitchen. The remaining hours of daylight on day 1 I climed 2000 meters to get above the clouds, bivouacked at the Tredici Laghi and rose the next day to climb the Punta Cournour (2869m). I traversed the peak towards the west and after a rough descent on the steep face with little but a prayer to help find a passable route, I rejoined the old military trail onwards to the Rifugio Lago Verde, where Angela (and here family) served polenta. Blacky (one of the dogs) beneath my table, I recharged the repleated stores. Still retracing the steps from last week's excursion I crossed over the Col Bouchet - no time for the Bric Bouchet that day - and followed the french valley on the other side to Abriés where I met up with the GR 58 - the Tour du Queyras. For the next 90 or so km it would guide my way through the gorgeous inner alpine landscape tucked between the 4000ers of the Écrins and the ever lonely tower of the Monviso (3843m). Since I had bought a bottle of Coke (sans sucres - no sugar) by accident, I did not have the energy to make it up to the lakes of Malrif. I camped at 2000m instead disgusted at the diet drink that lacked the fuel I had needed.
Day 3 I rose early to climb to the Col du petit Malrif (2830m), desecended 800 meters just to reascend to the Col de Péas (2629m). The Pic du Rochbrune (3320m), tallest of the Central Cottian Alps, dominated the views. Down again I went to Souliers (1800m) and up to the Col du Tronchet (2347m) from where La Chalp (1700m) was the last dip before the 4th pass of the day, the Col du Furfande (2500m). Peacful the refuge lay a couple of hundred meters below but I had daylight left and descended further to Le Chatelard (1600m). After 40km, 3070m (about 10.000ft) of ascent and 3500m of descent I pitched my tent for the night. Day 4 would prove a short one. 2 passes brought me to Saint-Véran where I had booked a room to charge my batteries. So I passed the afternoon walking around one of the highest permanently inhabited villages of Europe (2040m), read up on its saint, the customs, traditions and visited the church and peculier mission crosses. All the while the sun was smiling down while I - idle - knew of the weather to come the next day. I left early on day 5 to maybe visit at least one of the three 3000m peaks I had put on my route for the day, but it was not meant to be. Clouds and rain clothed the range and only as I pitched my tent near the Armoine Pass (2692m) back accross the border in Italy, did the rain stop and the fog lift. Monte Viso, Monviso, Il Re di Pietra (the king of stone) stood in the fading light. What a view. I awoke on day 6 in my tent that was covered with ice and marched into the last golden morning of this trip. How wonderful is the corner of the world, I get to spend my time in. Rocce Founs (2762m), Sea Bianca (2721m) and Monte Frioland (2720m) where the highest in the chain of mountains I followed. Meli and Nuk (her dog) from Switzerland crossed my path as I descended to get water at a spring below il Colle della Gianna (2525m) but clouds would soon envelop me again and bring the silence that marked the end of the trip. The descent via the Alpe Ouvert on to Rorá and Pian Pra was not the nicest, but as I saw the Torrente Pellice and my mountain on the other side, it renewed my strength and led me home to pick fresh tomatoes in my garden in the fading light.