Change of plans again. I'm on a train to Milan where I will get on another train taking me to Bellinzona, there Arturo will pick me up. It snowed last night in the mountains, down to an altitude of 2000m and I spent all night thinking about my knees and whether it was wise to attempt descents of more than 1000m in the next days. So when Arturo finally called to say that they urgently needed a capannaro for next week at Soveltra it seemed almost like a sign. I'm not all that happy with the situation and am not completely convinced I am doing the right thing but maybe it's just best for my knees.

This means I will not continue the high routes in Aosta next week but go directly down into Piedmont. I will just have to return one day. The past two days were idiotic, leaving Torino to go to Aosta and then to Courmayeur for nothing. Or almost nothing. I had the injection which I really believe helped, but I will not be able to have the second one unless I manage to find someone in Locarno or surroundings and leave the hut for a day.

We will see. Now I am once again heading towards Arturo's house and tomorrow I will go up in the helicopter again. The hut will be full this weekend because there is a big dinner and mass celibrating 100 years of Campo Tencia hut. A cross will be carried up to and erected at Campo Tencia peak and there will be a lot of people. Unfortunately I will not be going up, 1500m up and down are two much for my knees.

So, dear readers, from tomorrow there will - most likely - be no more posts for a week. And as soon as I reach the border today I will switch to my Swiss number again.

I am staying at Hotel Dolonne in Dolonne, which is a ten minute walk from the centre of Courmayeur. It is the cheapest place I could find at 60 euros which is reasonable because it is a nice, rather posh place. I had dinner here too because walking into the centre wasn't inspiring, there is nothing much to see. And the food was very good, delicious fresh cheese with tomatoes and oil as antipasto, pasta with pesto and then omelette with cheese and mashed potatoes. I could have had chocolate cake as well but I was too full up for afters. I am in bed already, finishing my wine and wondering how tomorrow will work out with my knees and the weather and all. When I arrived here late this afternoon the sun came out for a short visit, now it is raining again.

Courmayeur. I am in Courmayeur now. Arturo didn't call and I had to do something, so I decided to come here and go up to rifugio Elisabetta Soldini tomorrow, despite the weather and all. It is an hour's bus ride from Aosta, the valley is nice, there are loads of castles and forts. Courmayeur isn't to my liking. It is not pretty, very touristy and expensive. And there are many people here, maybe because of the mountains races UTMB (Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc) and CCC (Courmayeur-Champeh-Chamonix) that both start tomorrow.

I am still in Aosta. Sitting in a bar, in the rain. I must admit that I haven't the slightest idea what to do. My knee is a lot better today, but the weather is terrible. Honestly, this is ridiculous. It hasn't stopped raining since yesterday afternoon and the forecast isn't at all encouraging. As of this morning bad weather is predicted infolge next Wednesday. An entire week.

Maurizio had a good idea, he suggested I go down to Cuneo and walk the other way round. The problem is that the weather there is just as bad and I wouldn't be able to walk the Aosta high routes because the huts all close at the end of September. I am already skipping most of the Alta Via 1. So that's that. I called Arturo to ask if they need help either at Soveltra or Pian di Crest, working would benefit both my knees and my budget. Even though travelling to Switzerland and back isn't exactly ideal. Arturo was busy and couldn't talk, he said he'd call.

What I most likely will do is take a bus to Courmayeur, stay the night there and then walk up to rifugio Elisabetta Soldini. In the rain, if possible, and just see what happens. Maybe very short days in the rain? Dear readers, I am the master of complications. Rest assured that I will find ways and means to provide further suspence and, obviously, change of plans.

Ah, just had a delightful chat with two very amusing women from Rome. Recognised their accent immediately. Felt a little like home...

Another view of the teatro romano.

And this is the "Teatro Romano", the very small Aostan version of the "Foro Romano". And very nice.

Porta Praetoria. It is being restored. Also a construction from about 25 b.c.

Patient working on Porta Praetoria. It is beautiful and very close to the tourist information centre.

Arco d'Augusto. Reminds me of Rome. A bit. It is the landmark building of Aosta and is very very old (25 before Christ).

I did a bit of sightseeing before I went for the injection. These are the "Chlochers" clock towers built in the 11th century.

The main street in the centre. Loads of tourists about and for the first time not only Italian and German tourists but loads of people from other countries. Lots of French people.

This is the lane in which "La belle epoche" is. No chance to take a photo of the pension, the lane is too narrow.

Here I am, in Aosta. Not exactly in the mountains but very close and not in Torino anymore. I am very lucky and very grateful. There is nothing wrong with my knee, nothing to worry about. I have an inflammation and have to be very careful about how to proceed, but I don't have to stop walking, my adventure has not finished yet. The magnetic resonance imaging (it was not a CT scan, I got the terms mixed up) proved that I have neither a meniscal tear nor any damage to my ligaments. That is very, very good news. I have two differing opinions about what to do. One is the opinion of the extremely friendly doctor at the centro medico Ribia at Torino, who talked to me for about half an hour and suggested injections of hyaluronic acid and said that I could continue walking. The other opinion was of Maurizio's trusted osteopath, who is against the injections and in favour of a conservative approach of rest, exercises and Arcoxia. I started with Arcoxia and exercises, but opted for the injection as well. It hurt a bit and cost 100 euros but it feels good. I will just have to see how things evolve. Anyway, I decided to leave Torino and go to Aosta. Even though Torino is a very nice town I wanted to move on and be closer to the mountains. It is a two hour journey from Torino and costs only 8 euros (cheap!!!). I got here at about one o'clock, booked into the acceptable "La belle epoche" and had a look about Aosta before going to Saint Christophe for my injection. I have no idea what I will do tomorrow, apart from the fact that rest would be good for my knee the weather forecast is BAD. Already today it rained heavily while I sat in a bar and drank chardonnay.

Piazza Chanoux with the town hall. It is not far from the station. There are many bars and many tourists.

The memorial plaque for the Grand Torino football team. It seems that many fans go there regularly.

This is Basilica di Superga. It is nice, very nice, but I was not impressed, maybe it's my past in Rome, too used to all those antique churches, abbeys and ruins everywhere, I don't know. To get to Superga you have to go to Sassi (bus 15 from Piazza Castello) and then get on the old rack railway that takes you up to the Basilica. I missed the guided visit for the tombs and didn't want to wait an hour, so I just had a look at the church and the surroundings, the hill offers great views of Turin and especially the mountains. I saw Monviso and almost cried because I don't know if I will be able to go there as planned. Unfortunately it was impossible to take a photo, too misty.

Piazza San Carlo and Via Roma which is not far from Porta Nuova station.

The other side of Piazza Castello with Palazzo Reale (left) and Palazzo Madama (right). I went to see some nice baroque paintings in Palazzo Madama by the brothers Bartolomeo and Domenico Guidobono.

Piazza Castello

The view over Turin in the other direction, towards the mountains.

The view towards the Basilica di Superga, a 18th century church on the hill of Superga (between the bars) built for one of the Savoys. In 1949 a plane crashed on the hill killing the entire Grande Torino football team.

 

La Mole. La Mole Antonelliana. It is the landmark buiding of Turin, named after the architect who built it, Alessandro Antonelli. It was built in the late 19th century and was conceived as a synagogue, but the Jewish community was not happy with Antonelli's work, so it never became a synagogue. La Mole, "mole" meaning "of monumental proportions", is 167 metres high and since 2000 houses the Museo Nazionale del Cinema. I visited the museum which is absolutely beautiful and fun also for children. There is also an excellent temporary exhibition ongoing, "Fuori dal Set" (off the set) with wonderful photos of famous film makers and actors by Chiara Samugheo. I also took the lift up to the viewing platform.

Piazza Carlo Emanuel II.

Via Maria Vittoria with loads of flags. Yesterday I went into the centre of Turin to take some photos and go to museums. The tube works perfectly and isn't at all full, but maybe only because most people haven't returned from their holidays yet. It is HOT, 36 degrees at eleven in the morning, but there was also a bit of wind which helped. Walking Turin is nice, the historic centre is very beautiful.

I am not in the mountains anymore. I have stopped walking and at the present moment do not know if I will be able to continue. I am in Turin to find out what is wrong with my knee. When I got up on Saturday I had great difficulties walking. I had had pains for some days, but hoped it would get better, seeing we were doing short days. But maybe the 1200m down to Capoluogo were too much.

I realised that I would have to take a break and see a doctor and I had two choices, either go to Aosta, which was the closest town with a hospital and not too for from the alta via, but may not have all the machines needed. The other possibility was to go to Turin with Maurizio, he said the hospitals and doctors are good and he would be there to help me with anything I needed. I decided to go to Turin, a city I always have wanted to see, but not under these circumstances.

Saturday was a bad day for me, I was in a terrible mood, because I had to leave the mountains and were worried sick about not being able to continue walking. I spent five hours at the accidents and emergencies department of the CTO hospital, they were unfriendly and didn't explain anything. And it was all completely in vain, because in the end they said they couldn't say what is actually wrong with my knee and that I had to have a CT scan, which was not possible there.

I limped through Turin in my dirty mountain clothes and everything seemed awful, which is not the case, but I was so depressed that I wasn't able to appreciate anything. I wasn't happy with the B&B I was staying at and suffered the heat, the masses of people and the noise. Not even the pizza with Scamorza or Maurizio, who met me late for a drink, were able to cheer me up.

Now things are better. I have moved into a new B&B, which is a nice flat with everything you need. I have been able to wash my clothes, there is Wi-Fi, I can cook if I want to, I have my own bathroom and it is quiet. The owner of Casa Crema in Via Susa is a very friendly man who showed me where a supermarket is and offered me to take me to "Veneria Reale" a sort of "Versailles" outside Turin.

I got a three-day card for public transport which cost only ten euros and another one for the museums. Meanwhile Maurizio has organised a CT scan for tomorrow and an appointment with his osteopath. He is helping me so much, everything is so much easier with his support. I am slowly adapting to the situation and beginning to see the beauty of Turin. I suppose it is time for some culture and sightseeing.

Capoluogo in the evening. Our B&B was close to the church.

Our room. We had loads of time, but I didn't mind we had walked only for four hours, my knee hurt and after having a shower I this time succeeded in buying rain trousers, a nice pair of "Montura" pants. We then had an assortment of cheeses and some white wine before - once again - having a pizza. Then it was scopa again and bed. The plan was for me to go up to Barmasse in the late morning, and not further, because of the bad weather forecast predicting rain and thunderstorms.

The narrow lane leading to the entrance of B&B "Au Vicariat", I highly recommend the place, beautiful rooms, friendly and helpful people and a good breakfast (tea with milk!).

Capoluogo is not big, but very touristy, another skiing resort packed with Italians. Still we managed to get a room in the probably most beautiful bed & breakfast in the village. It's the house on the left, it may not seem like it, but it is beautiful, especially inside. A lovingly restored 17th century cottage that reminded me a lot of my beloved English B&Bs. 

We arrived early at Cretaz, or rather at Capoluogo, which together with Cretaz and other tiny villages form Valtourence, it is more or less one place. We waited for the tourist information to open and had a drink at the bar. I normally would have continued the walk to rifugio Barmasse (another 700m climb) but decided to stop at Capoluogo and spend some more time with Maurizio. He had to go back home the next day and pick up his car at Verres near Champoluc.

I tried to take a photo of the nice play of light on the mountains ahead. The whole path is beautiful, while descending you normally have a great view of Matterhorn, or "Cervino" in Italian, but today the mountain was mostly hidden in the clouds.

The view in the other direction, into the valley leading down towards Cretaz. The landscape changed, became less rough and reminded me a little bit of Wales.

Longing back from the pass at the high mountains and grey clouds.

Shortly before the pass.

The view back towards rifugio Grand Tournalin. It isn't easy, but you can spot the hut near the dirt road. I didn't like the hut itself, but the staff is friendly and the food was good. We had carrot cake with fonduta for a starter, then a very tasty vegetable soup, then spaghetti with tomato sauce and panna cotta with Genepi. Genepi is a sweet kind of "Schnaps" made of a plant the name of which I have unfortunately forgotton. We played scopa until ten and went to bed. I slept without blankets because it was really warm, incredible considering that we were at 2600m. We had climbed 1100m to the hut, which was also our highest point, we went down 600m.

We woke up to clouds and were unsure whether to walk directly to Cretaz or do a variant, an easy path that leads up to Petit Tournalin, a peak at about 3100m. At Col de Nannaz at 2775m we decided not to go up to the peak, because we were not completely at ease with the dark clouds and the possibility of thunderstorms. The climb up to the pass is very very nice and the pass itself also. Rough and alpine.

The view back to the valley we climbed to get to the hut. The only thing spoiling the beauty a bit is a dirt road that winds all the way up to Grand Tournalin.

Rifugio Grand Tournalin after the thunderstorm. It is not a nice hut and there is a strange mouldy smell everywhere. But the people are very friendly, the food is good and we have a room to ourselves. And it is surrounded by beautiful mountains, offering wonderful views in all directions.

First thing in the morning leaving Crest was a view of Matterhorn, it is the peak in the middle with the cloud that refused to move for the photo.

We left Vieux Crest very late, at about ten, to rifugio Grand Tournalin it is only a four-hour walk, but also a 1100m climb. Once again it was terribly hot and I sweated like mad on the first stretch to St. Jacques. I wouldn't walk it again, it is ugly, lots of ups and downs mostly on skiing trails, dirt road and also close to ski lifts and stuff like that. When we arrived at St. Jacques we stopped at a bar and drank half a litre of "Apfelsaftschorle" (apple juice and mineral water, succo di mela se acqua gasata). It was so hot and I had a terrible longing for that drink. The second part of the walk was much nicer and after Alpe di Nana Bassa, the path turned beautiful again. Loads of people were about again today, most of then were coming down from lunch at Grand Tournalin. We arrived just in time, shortly before it started to rain very hard, there was also a thunderstorm, but wasn't directly here, but nearby. Then the sun came out again and it was hot, we played scopa outside because it was so hot inside (because of the big glass windows).

The cats have come to eat. In half an hour we will be fed to.

And an inside view from my corner in the Wi-Fi area.

And from the side, with the terrace. Too hot to sit there though, today is another terribly hot day. Fortunately there was a lot of wind, it made me suffer less and quickly dried my thoroughly sweat through t-shirt.

Rifugio Vieux Crest from the back, coming up from the path you walk past the house and don't realise it is the rifugio.

I had problems finding rifugio Vieux Crest at first, it is nestled into Crest and I hadn't dared hope it wouldn't be one of those old houses, but it is. It isn't really a rifugio though, I was almost afraid to enter at first, it seems more like an expensive hotel than a mountain hut. It is an extraordinary place with very nice staff, a slightly mad michelin star chef and an alternative looking waitress that plays chill-out music all the time. They feed the cats that belong to nobody and are extremely relaxed. I had a leek, potato and cheese soup with freshly made herb croutons that was absolutely delicious. Now I'm sitting in the Wi-Fi area, drinking a glass of lovely white wine and waiting for Maurizio, who is joining me here to walk two days with me.

Small detail. Almost Swiss wood piling. And pretty flowers.

And this is Crest, another conglomeration of beautiful old Walser houses. It's a last short climb up from Frantze, where there is also a beautiful restaurant also offering accommodation.

Today was a very short day, after the pass it was only another one and a half hours of easy walking. The path leads through the tiny place Cuneaz with a restaurant and rooms and more or less intact old houses.

Lots of big stones. Who put them there?

And the view back up after descending the first 400m. A very beautiful stretch.

The path down from the pass and lakes. A little bit of concentrated walking and some cords you don't really need.

Pinter lakes just below the pass on the other side. There were loads of people around. The Italian school holdidays haven't ended yet. And Gianni wasn't the only parent forcing their children up the mountains.

The view from Colle di Pinter back towards Alpenzu.

Walking up to Colle Pinter. On the right of the pass is Monte Pinter at 3120m and bivacco Lattelin. In the photo it is a tiny white spot.

The yellow triangle with the number one is the sign of the Alta Via Aosta number one. It is well marked and until now rather easy.

The climb to Colle di Pinter at 2777m was long and steep in parts. There was a lovely view of the Alps and Monte Rosa. I made friends again during climbing to the pass, this time with Gianni and his eight-year old son Pietro. They were on a day tour from Gressoney to the pass and back. We walked together for a bit and then I took a long break with them at the pass. Gianni turned out to be a lover of Germany and was very friendly.

Looking back at Alpenzu and the valley with the village Gressoney St. Jean. I slept until eight and left shortly before nine.

Again I ate delicious food. Unbelievably delicious food. A perfect antipasto of eggplant, zucchine and peppers, then home-made pasta, an Aostian (???) Variant of the German "Spätzle" called "Chneflene", then salad and cheese and then home-made mousse au chocolate cake. Gorgeous. I am one of eight lodgers, I just went for a stroll outside to admire Monte Rosa, now everyone is going to bed. I'm tired too, but I don't think I will be able to sleep, tomorrow I'm in for a short day, but a climb of a little more than 1000m.

The tiny church of Alpenzu. It is really beautiful here, quite a lot of day tourists and also quite a lot of lodgers. I had a minestrone when I arrived and had a shower, but I am starving. I think I'll have a white wine and say a toast to all my loyal readers.