At the end we went for the Barricate! Leaving the shelter ito 10 min walk like other days until San

The lack of snow in Davos forced us to change the destination of the train. Instead of Zurich + Davos to Turin and bus to the top of Varaita Valley, Valle di Bellino, the Rifugio larch. In this valley of the Italian Piedmont, parallel to the Maira Valley, but further north the same snow that innivar the eastern Pyrenees stopped there sufficient thickness and height from 1900.
+ / - 800m; F * S2-S3; 3-4h with calm; Or shovel end oriented, ideal for a sun baked, we passed advantage. Low temperature, strong winds from the west that has been loose and sky blue that has been spotless with only clouds on the French border. Snow at 1850m faces north, but very old and recycled, with sections of all kinds, and not easy to raise as much pleasure in the fall. Mont Viso saves nose after Mount St. Maurel back there! For many the first of the season and undo and redo backpacks ito rush that is at 11 am was a good reunion. Leaving think not too convinced because it seems far too windy ... needed less than 10 minutes walk to put on skis at the Borgata ito Santa Ana. The atmosphere, the scenery, the buildings ... remember to neighboring Val Maira, we have in the south, just behind the mountains. We take in this direction Valle di Traversagn now the right bank and the other when down. In short, when the valley ito seems to have closed the south turned left to go up shovels and commas in a land not too defined, and small patches of true shepherds huts.
Above it seems to see the cross and the top is reached in a twist from left to right, top to ski feet. Down the same road, avoiding sections of hardened snow or worked. Finally, since the funds have gone to the other side of the river and a track very fast ice have arrived in Santa Ana.
+ / - 1250m; PD *** S3 supported at the top, then S2; 6-7am; Donate GPS (Richard). Goals: strength below zero all day, with the sun (although targeting only see leaves on top) and cloud bands at some point have dropped 2 or 3 specks. Strong gusts of wind at the top. Hard snow on the ascent and the descent hard or transformed.
Too bad the quality of the snow that crosses class today is in a valley climbing loop, making 3000 a well-off and fetching a pass across well and right turns allowed the best previous day. We carefully separated the group but we all reached the top 17 and have almost fallen ito together a success! The first part of the tour itinerary repeat of the previous day, up to 2000m where we clearly followed by a SE slope to the right piano di Traversagn stuffed pastoral huts submerged in snow. Then, heading south towards the Col di Towards 2862m, we passed to go down the slopes of Val Maira 50m and turn left (E). Already in front of us and south side, even with the wind ... we have lined up for steep slope with a knife and the other with crampons until the two peaks Rocca Marchisa.
The top are the two possible neck down, to the east, and Pico bleeding that causes ... The entrance to slope slightly acornisada the problems and we do not throw to wide snow shovels transformed then becomes tough to find the way up in the race and make the descent to the ice rink to find hot water in the shower ;)
+ / - 1250m; PD + (exposed ito to Barricate) *** S3 sustained; 6-7am; Donate GPS (Richard). Same goals but with the previous day's strong winds. Snow: We enjoyed pretty good snow accumulations transform and some accumulated dust in the wind. Very small plaques in the orientation of the N summit. ito
At the end we went for the Barricate! Leaving the shelter ito 10 min walk like other days until Santa Anna. Pass. Long Valley Traversagn and we will find a valley parallel to the fence Bellino valley bottom. We went by plane and take Celo south towards the gorge step Barricate. With more snow can be passed through the bottom, but early season must go carefully through the summer trail crosses 50m above. We spent carefully with crampons ito without difficulty but be careful with ràfagues wind.
Passed over again on skis and throw up a beautiful ito valley with our target fund and the incentive to be a trail that climbs straight ... if the pass (E) wind makes it all very difficult but a how we missing the few meters to the summit, crampons and ice ax in hand feet for easy snow and the wind making the rounds. Very great views. ito
+ / - 1400m; F ***, S3, but can be found in many places S4; 6-7am; Donate GPS (Richard). Great good, with only the wind to the top. Good snow at the top, hard wind and a spring in the lower section.
Today we apo