As UTMB CCC is approaching fast, and my training plan requires me to spend a few long days in the mountains before starting to taper, I decided to pack the family and visit Isola 2000 for the weekend, to spend big part of Saturday on the local trails.
I have booked us a cosy studio apartment in SOWELL RESIDENCES New Chastillon:
The place got very quickly approved by Rocco:
Saturday
My Saturday route was inspired by Malinvern Loop via La Lombarde, originally including just 3 high mountain passes, but I have additionally spiced it up a little bit by adding 2 summits on the way:
- Mont Malinvern (2,939 m)
- Cime de la Lombarde (2,800 m)
which made it a total of 26 km, with almost 2,200 m D+.
(In the end, it turned out to be over 30 km, with almost 2,400 m D+, with scrambling to both summits, but that's another story.)
Route starts from Balise 90 above Isola 2000, and goes striaght to the fun part:
It ss very well marked:
Climbing up the first pass Baisse de Druos along Les Lacs de Terre Rouge:
The Baisse de Druos / Bassa del Drous pass itself (2,625 m):
Mont Malinvern (2,939 m) in the background on the right - I will be going up there in a moment.
Breathtaking views to both sides:
Before descending the other side, it's time for the first summit of the day, Mont Malinvern (2,939 m). I will need to get up there:
After some scrambling, here is the summit in all its glory:
I was considering continuing to the secondary slightly lower summit, Mont Malivern Ouest (2,931 m) (in the clouds on the left), but he path didn't look too welcoming, so I decided to skip it:
Now it's down the other side, past the Laghi superiori di Valscura and Lago inferiore di Valscura:
with ruins of the World Wat I Italian 3rd Alpini Company Barracks along the way:
Baisse de Druos pass as seen from the other side, over the Lago inferiore di Valscura:
Time for another pass, Colletto di Valscura - it's somewhere up there:
On the way up:
Colletto di Valscura (2,520 m):
View to the other side:
Descending to Lago Malivern:
from somewhere up there:
Approaching Rifugio Malinvern:
Rifugio Malinvern (1,840 m), and a quick hot Italian polenta:
While I was inside it started raining, and the next hour going up the Passo d'Orgials was pretty wet and chilly, so I has to take my waterproof jacket and trousers out of the vest. Soon however sun started shining again, and I was greeted with thsi amazin rainbow in the valley below me:
For a moment there I was afraid this would be the Cima de Lombarda, my planned 2nd summit today - fortunately though it turned out it's not the one yet:
Climbing up to Laghi d'Orgials:
from where the climb to Cima de Lombarda starts in the earnest:
And here we are, on the summit of Cime de la Lombarde / Cima de Lombarda (2,800 m):
From here it's time to descend to Col de la Lombarde (2,350 m):
It's definitely not the easiest route down (there has been a lot of cursing here):
The views however, as usual, are amazing:
Almost at Col de la Lombarde now:
Came down from up there:
And here we are, still on the French-Italian border, and a cycling highlight at the same time, Col de la Lombarde / Colle della Lombarda (2,350 m):
Alright, time to get back down to Isola 2000 now:
You can already see my home away from home down there:
including beer, pizza, and well deserved rest.
Sunday
Before heading back home, we did a family visit to Col de la Lombarde:
and a small hike for Rocco:
At this point, being so close to Italy, we decided to drive down and get some good Italian coffee, ending up in Sant'Anna di Vinadio, completely accidentally during the Feast of Saint Anne weekend:
