GTA - VEGLIA - DEVERO

WE TRAINED QUITE A LOT TO DO THIS CROSSING, EVERYONE TOLD US IT WASN'T PARTICULARLY DEMANDING. ANYWAY HERE WE ARE ON SATURDAY 30/7/05. HAVING LEFT THE CAR AT SAN DOMENICO, WITH OUR BACKPACKS ON OUR SHOULDERS, WE STARTED OUR FIRST SHORT ROUTE TO REACH THE PIANA DELL'ALPE VEGLIA. IT'S ABOUT AN HOUR OF WALKING, WITHOUT PARTICULAR DIFFICULTY EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT IT'S ALL UPHILL. YOU GO FROM THE 1300 M OF SAN DOMENICO TO THE 1700 M OF THE PIANA. ONCE AT THE TOP WE HEADED TOWARDS OUR HUT. WE CHOSE THE CAI OF ARONA, BECAUSE THE MAIN EXCURSIONS START FROM THERE. THE CAI IS A BASIC STRUCTURE, SUITED TO THOSE SEEKING SHELTER FOR A NIGHT.

NOTE THAT AS WITH ALL HUTS YOU MUST RESPECT STRICT RULES: ROOMS ARE TAKEN BY 18:00, DINNER AT 19:00, EVERYONE IN BED AT 22:00, WAKE-UP AT 5/6 FOR BREAKFAST, AND BY 8 O'CLOCK EVERYONE OUT! IF YOU CHOOSE THIS STRUCTURE, REMEMBER YOUR SLEEPING BAG LINER, IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE YOU CAN BUY IT ON SITE, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR SLIPPERS. BOOTS ARE LEFT AT THE ENTRANCE! IN ANY CASE IT'S THE IDEAL BASE FOR STARTING THE EXCURSIONS. ONCE WE'D TAKEN THE ROOM WHILE WAITING FOR DINNER, WE TOOK A WALK AROUND THE PIANA, WHICH TOWARDS SUNSET TAKES ON A PECULIAR CHARM; IT FEELS AS IF WE'RE LIGHT YEARS AWAY FROM THE NOISE OF THE CITY. PEOPLE GO DOWN TO THE VALLEY, THE ANIMALS ARE TAKEN BACK TO THE BARNS AND ALL AROUND AN ALMOST UNREAL SILENCE REIGNS. THE NEXT DAY THE WAKE-UP IS EARLY, IT RAINED DURING THE NIGHT AND THE MORNING AIR TURNS OUT TO BE IDEAL FOR WAKING UP.

HAVING HAD BREAKFAST AT 7 WE BEGIN OUR WALK. ESTIMATED TIME ALPE VEGLIA – ALPE DEVERO 5.50 HOURS. THE FIRST STRETCH REALLY TESTS OUR LEGS, YOU CLIMB ALMOST VERTICALLY FOR ABOUT HALF AN HOUR, THEN A LONG ALMOST FLAT STRETCH BEGINS, WHERE WE ADMIRE A WIDE PLAIN WITH A BARN AND GRAZING COWS AT THE FAR END. ALL AROUND US VALLEYS OPEN OUT. THE LANDSCAPE IS TRULY EXCEPTIONAL. AT THE HEIGHT OF A SPRING THE ROAD RESUMES ITS CLIMB, THE GUIDE SAYS WE HAVE TO REACH THE PASS AT 2400 M, CONSIDERING THAT ALPE VEGLIA IS AT 1700 M WE'RE STILL VERY LOW!! IN FACT, WHEN WE'RE RELAXING, DISTRACTING OURSELVES WITH THE MARMOTS—THE SONG OF THE MARMOTS—OUR GAZE FALLS ON A BARELY VISIBLE LITTLE PATH THAT CLIMBS IN A ZIG-ZAG UP A MOUNTAIN IN FRONT OF US.

THERE'S NO DOUBT, THE SIGNS POINT THAT WAY! THE CLIMB IS VERY LONG, I COULDN'T SAY HOW MUCH, AT SOME POINTS WE DO IT ON ALL FOURS, WE THINK WE'RE GOING TO DIE … BUT AS YOU CLIMB THE PANORAMA TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY, AND THE SUMMIT SEEMS TO BE GETTING EVER CLOSER…… FINALLY WE REACH THE TOP AND THERE WE STAND AMAZED BECAUSE THE LANDSCAPE CHANGES RADICALLY. FROM THE GREEN OF THE MEADOWS AND THE VIVID COLOURS OF THE FLOWERS YOU GO TO THE GREY OF THE ROCKS AND THE WHITE OF THE GLACIERS. THE TEMPERATURE BECOMES MUCH SHARPER, WE'VE REACHED THE VALTEMBRA PASS AT 2431 M! HERE WE STOP TO CATCH OUR BREATH AND TO SAVOUR THE SILENCE AND THE PANORAMA. THE SIGN TELLS US ALPE DEVERO 3.30, AND SO WE FOLLOW A DOWNHILL PATH THAT RUNS ALONGSIDE A VERY HIGH MOUNTAIN.

AFTER AN HOUR OF PATH WITHOUT PARTICULAR DIFFICULTY, WE REACH A CLEARING AND THERE THE PATH RESUMES CLIMBING, BUT AT THE TOP (SCATTA D'ORAGNA 2461 M) WE REACH THE ALPE DEVERO PARK, IN FACT IN THE DISTANCE WE SEE THE LAKE. AT THIS POINT WE REACH THE PIANA DELL'ALPE VEGLIA IN A COUPLE OF HOURS, THROUGH A PATH RICH IN STREAMS, ANIMALS, AND GREEN. WE ALSO BEGIN TO MEET OTHER HIKERS. WE MADE IT, TIME 5.30! THE CROSSING WAS QUITE DEMANDING IN SOME STRETCHES, BUT UNDOUBTEDLY THE MAGNIFICENT LANDSCAPES REPAID US FOR SO MUCH EFFORT.