From Champorcher to Lac Blanc, Noir, Cornu...

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From Champorcher to Lac Blanc, Noir, Cornu... If you want lots of photos at the link http://www.cralgalliera.altervista.org/altre09.htm the file is in pdf and you can enlarge up to +200% with the relevant command on the toolbar, without losing image quality. Direct link http://www.cralgalliera.altervista.org/barbustel09.pdf In case the direct link does not work, copy-paste the link directly into the toolbar and press enter Splendid and easy trip to the Aosta Valley on Sunday. Very early morning departure and motorway exit at Pont. Breakfast and, after taking the provincial road to Champorcher, climb up the narrow valley; then turn right passing the stupendous stone and wood villages of Grand and Petit Mont Blanc. Almost at the end of the asphalt road, at a widening, you leave the car, at about 1750 m (240 km from Genoa). Although it is relatively early, there are already many cars and, finally, we set off at 8.55. The view, although limited, sweeps over us and we can see several peaks with many patches of snow. The ascent immediately starts steeply (signpost no. 10) on a paved mule track in the coniferous forest, then after a gate there is a less strenuous section. Along the way, ignore some branches to the right and left (11a, 9d, 9c, 10f ) and continue on. In the meantime, you come to Lake Muffè (2076 m) at a couple of alpine pastures undergoing renovation, and on the ascent to Col del Lac Blanc, the characteristic peak of Monte Torretta (2538 m) stands out. The ascent is again arduous up to the Col del Lac Blanc pass (2309 m) From the pass, it is impossible not to climb for about ten metres, to the left, up to a very small esplanade. The panorama here is LITERALLY AMAZING... and ranges from..... his majesty the Matterhorn to... ...the imposing Rosa group... You can also see the Vallette Lake in a scenery that is obviously indescribable ... A few tongues of snow also stand out... Afterwards (no. 5), we descend and pass by the Barbustel hut (2,200 m), but we continue on, skirting Lac Blanc (2,154 m) and Lac Noir (2,166 m), finally reaching Lac Cornu (2,168 m), bending to the left on an unmarked path... among scree and a few stone cairns... We search at will for a place to take a break for lunch, given the hour (the walk was not fast enough to better appreciate the various places visited), until we find the impetuous torrent that descends from the Gran Lac, which is about 320 m higher up (but it seems that a couple of tongues of snow, especially one that cuts across the steep slope, make it difficult, and perhaps even dangerous, to cross right under the lake... but we are not interested in that today...). We then turn back and zigzag around Lac Blanc, climbing up some rocks and hoping to see Lake Servaz (visited in 2008 - http://digilander.libero.it/MAURIZIOLC/avic1.pdf or http://www.cralgalliera.altervista.org/avic1.pdf ), but from where we are, we can't really see it... After passing Lac Vallette, we take a coffee break at the Barbustel hut, before tackling the last uphill climb of the day, which takes us back to Col du Lac Blanc. From here, it's back down to the car, which we meet again around 4.30 p.m. Visit and ice cream, at leisure, in Chardonney and, at the end, departure for Genoa and arrival (just a bit of traffic, but nothing special, on the Aosta-Turin) at home at 20.30! A splendid and easy trip is over... Bye everyone Maurizio Lo Conti