Plagued by the wind

Well, the rain was there now. Just in time for the start of the next challenging stage. The Col de Malatra was on the menu. I really wanted to do it. In fact, I planned my entire route around this pass from the Aosta Valley to the Val Ferret. Usually done as a difficult day tour with shuttle support, I wanted to try it as a two-day bikepacking version, by fair means. Just not in such gloomy weather as it was this morning.

But oh well - the clouds had to rain themselves out and improvement in the weather was supposed to be in sight. The light drizzle didn't bother me at first. It was rather pleasantly cool during the ascent. Until Saint-Rhemy-En-Bosses, just before the Great St. Bernard Pass, it was only a matter of stubborn, even pedaling over 1500 meters of altitude on asphalt and gravel roads. More than half of the way I made good progress, with occasional light showers. But at eleven, when the weather forecast actually announced the end of rainfall, it started again in earnest. A generous downpour poured over me, and all I could do was quickly seek refuge in a rustic café in Etroubles. Admittedly, not a bad choice for a break. And after an hour I continued. It got a little drier, but the icy cold wind made sure it wouldn't get too comfortable for me.

When transitioning to a rougher path, I had to push my bike. I left the bustling area around the Great St. Bernard and plunged back into a secluded side valley. A quieter world of small alpine pastures, whistling marmots, and an incredible amount of cow dung. The passage of the Col de Malatra could already be guessed between the rugged, forbidding rock peaks, and a trail meandered steeply up at the end of the valley basin. Here, I had to find a pleasant spot for my overnight stay. However, this was not so easy. The area was monitored from above by a rifugio perched on the upper slopes and from below by a busy alpine pasture. Fortunately, I found a fold in the terrain halfway between the two on a rocky ledge that provided protection from overly curious glances.

The wind was still raging, so it was still quite cool at 2500 meters above sea level. Forget about a hot summer, up here I was sitting shivering with a hat and gloves. It was a bit more pleasant in the tent, sheltered from the wind, but I still had to use my warm underwear. So I shivered myself to sleep and was already looking forward to the first warming rays of the next day.