Alpine Logistics

A short trip this week-end into the valley of Gressoney from the village of Goy to Punta Lauretta. Tha car park was full of other people gearing up for their weekly outing into the mountains and the track was hard and well beaten. “Why don’t we try without snowshoes this time seeing as the path is so good?” I suggested just before setting off, so this is what we did.

For the first part of the walk, meandering up through a pineforest just catching the first morning sunlight, the going was good and we were hapy with our decision. Snowshoes are very useful in deep, untrodden snow but if used when not needed they make walking unnecessarily awkward.

Gradually however the wide, well-trodden path turned into a narrow, little frequented track which ascended into a very eaceful Monte Mars Natural Reserve up through boulders and eventually onto a saddle. Treading delicately I managed not to sink in too much but had to restrain myself from laughing when Manuel constantly fell into the snow up to his waist and then had to struggle back out.

By this time though our high point was near at hand so we contiued to the top before descending on easier ground…a rounded ridge from which the layer of snow had been thinned by the wind. From here there were wonderful views onto the Monte Rosa massif, we could see the east and west Lyskamm peaks and behind that the Matterhorn basking in the sun. We started dreaming and planning this summers list of alpine ascents and rock routes….

But next time we know not to leave our snowshoes behind!