Of Sharks and White Giants

The morning was frosty but beautiful. The clouds had cleared, and the first rays of sun flooded the valley below me. Optimal conditions for the Col de Malatra.

The next 400 meters of ascent were a piece of cake. At least compared to the last 50 meters, the crowning finale. Like petrified shark teeth, the daunting rocky ridge lay before me. In the midst of it, a steep ascending path seemed to disappear between these teeth. From the tour descriptions, I knew what was coming next. A secured, exposed crossing. Definitely not something to do with full bikepacking gear. So, I left my bike for now to take a closer look and carry my bags across. There were only a few spots that required some manual intervention and holding onto a fixed rope. Quite doable even with one hand while carrying handlebar bags. And then I stood at the top. The Mont Blanc massif rose majestically on the other side of the Val Ferret in front of me, enveloped in some fair-weather clouds. That alone made the arduous ascent worthwhile. And as an added bonus, a presumed dream trail led down into the valley over there.

Now all that was left was my bike. So, I went back to shoulder it for the ascent. I had brought my carrying system specifically for this pass, to securely attach the bike to my backpack and have my hands free for the ascent. As helpful as this carrying system is, it can't prevent the fact that the bike is still much wider than me and requires additional space on both sides of my shoulders. So, I had to traverse some narrow passages sideways along the rock to have enough space and not bump into anything. I also had to be careful at the climbing section - neither should a wheel get stuck in the rock nor should it get caught somewhere. Not only could I lose my grip, but the attachment in the carrying system could also come loose, and my bike could find its way down on its own. With the necessary caution, the key sections could be mastered well, and after some effort, my bike also got its first glimpse of Mont Blanc.

The following descent was wild and untamed - bumpy, rocky, high-alpine. But despite some sections where I had to push, it was a great pleasure. It went down to Rifugio Walter Bonatti. Here, the Mont Blanc rose before me like a huge, glaciated white giant. I was now on the famous - and unfortunately crowded - Tour de Mont Blanc long-distance hiking trail. I wanted to roughly follow it for the next few days to circumnavigate the massif.

The attentive reader may notice that I also passed by here during my last transalpine crossing. So, I will ride parts of the trail for a second time, but also incorporate some new trails. Like the further descent over Rifugio Bertone to Courmayeur, another delicacy that I had overlooked on my first visit.

From the bustling luxury resort of Courmayeur, I then climbed a few more meters to the quieter Val Veny. A quiet high valley, sparsely populated but with some incredibly beautiful campsites. One of them, located in a small wooded area and to my great delight equipped with a publicly usable hammock, was my destination for today.