An Italian Summer
31 August 2006 22:49, | Members' Reports
Shaun and Shelagh West write:
We’ve been doing our best to visit the entire arc of the Italian Alps this summer, stretching from the Val d’Aoste to the Dolomiti (still to come). The arrival of Jakob in May has kept walks shorter than usual – Shaun has discovered that carrying 5kg or so of baby on his front is quite tiring but at least it slows him down enough for Shelagh’s unfit legs to keep up. The Italian Alps are beautiful and the food, well you’ll get jealous if we say too much. The other reason for the frequent escapes to the mountains (only 2 hours from Milan and visible from the office) is that it is rather cooler and fresher up there than at home with dodgy air-conditioning. The mountaineering highlight of the summer was probably Valsavarenche in the Gran Paradiso National Park. Scenery rating – stunning. Wildlife – tame chamois everywhere. Mountaineering – an ascent of the Gran Paradiso is “do-able” in a weekend (if your family doesn’t mind being abandoned at their hotel for 25 hours) although your knees might ache afterwards.
Shaun's birthday present for this year was a night of peace and quiet away from Jakob - which he chose to spend in a refuge at 2700m in a dormitory with another four people ALL of whom got up at 3am. Foolish really since this is when Jakob tends to wake up anyway.
The reason for all this was that he wanted to climb the Gran Paradiso. Since Shaun wasn't due at the refuge until late afternoon we spent the morning trying the off-road potential of Jakob's pram - and then deciding a walk down the road might be an easier option. Shelagh and Jakob then spent the rest of the weekend enjoying the scenery from a largely recumbent position until it was time to collect Shaun.
Meanwhile Shaun having galloped up 900m to the refuge was almost felled by a dodgy tum. Luckily having to spend the evening talking to three Belgians and an Italian in FRENCH provided enough of a cure to get him out of bed and up the mountain the next day. 2000m of descent were tough despite meeting the almost tame chamois on the way back to the car park, which in early July was bristling with ice-axes, crampons, large rucksacks, heavy boots and smelly mountaineers (it was hot) representing all European nations.
We’ve been doing our best to visit the entire arc of the Italian Alps this summer, stretching from the Val d’Aoste to the Dolomiti (still to come). The arrival of Jakob in May has kept walks shorter than usual – Shaun has discovered that carrying 5kg or so of baby on his front is quite tiring but at least it slows him down enough for Shelagh’s unfit legs to keep up. The Italian Alps are beautiful and the food, well you’ll get jealous if we say too much. The other reason for the frequent escapes to the mountains (only 2 hours from Milan and visible from the office) is that it is rather cooler and fresher up there than at home with dodgy air-conditioning. The mountaineering highlight of the summer was probably Valsavarenche in the Gran Paradiso National Park. Scenery rating – stunning. Wildlife – tame chamois everywhere. Mountaineering – an ascent of the Gran Paradiso is “do-able” in a weekend (if your family doesn’t mind being abandoned at their hotel for 25 hours) although your knees might ache afterwards.
Shaun's birthday present for this year was a night of peace and quiet away from Jakob - which he chose to spend in a refuge at 2700m in a dormitory with another four people ALL of whom got up at 3am. Foolish really since this is when Jakob tends to wake up anyway.
The reason for all this was that he wanted to climb the Gran Paradiso. Since Shaun wasn't due at the refuge until late afternoon we spent the morning trying the off-road potential of Jakob's pram - and then deciding a walk down the road might be an easier option. Shelagh and Jakob then spent the rest of the weekend enjoying the scenery from a largely recumbent position until it was time to collect Shaun.
Meanwhile Shaun having galloped up 900m to the refuge was almost felled by a dodgy tum. Luckily having to spend the evening talking to three Belgians and an Italian in FRENCH provided enough of a cure to get him out of bed and up the mountain the next day. 2000m of descent were tough despite meeting the almost tame chamois on the way back to the car park, which in early July was bristling with ice-axes, crampons, large rucksacks, heavy boots and smelly mountaineers (it was hot) representing all European nations.