Joanne's long walks: Road to Home 2023 Day 58: Orsieres

Monday, June 12, 2023

Road to Home 2023 Day 58: Orsieres - Bourg-Saint-Pierre

To go back is nothing but death; to go forward is fear of death, and life everlasting beyond it. I will yet go forward.

- John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress (1678)

Today we began to climb in earnest! A 750 metre elevation gain in 17 kilometres. Today's stage was supposed to be only 14 kilometres, but according to my gps track it was 17... including a few wrong turns and backtracking here and there!

We started out with a steep climb from Orsieres, zigzagging along a gravel road up the mountainside. We were soon sweating despite the cool mountain air!

We walked through an Alpine meadow of wildflowers, which we shouldn't really have been in - we had missed a poorly marked turn-off onto a steep dirt trail down to the Dranse, the stream at the bottom of the valley.

Old landslide site

We crossed the stream and then scrambled up the other bank, only to cross over again higher up! Then we walked through a small hamlet of scattered farmhouses, and stopped for a break in the shade before climbing another steep hill into the village of Liddes. On our way up, we met Aileen and Bill, two Australian walkers who started in Lausanne. I asked them if they had walked the "tricky bit" between Martigny Croix and Sembrancher yesterday, and they said they had, and as they were used to bushwacking hikes back home, it was no problem for them!

Aileen is one tough cookie! She lives in Tasmania and has walked the Southwest Coast Trail there, crossing much more difficult terrain than yesterday's while carrying a much heavier pack, including a week's worth of food supplies! Just goes to show that the definition of whether a trail should be described as easy or difficult is entirely relative.

Aileen has all sorts of nifty gear, such as ultra-light titanium hiking poles, and a reflective sun umbrella that fits onto her backpack so she can keep her hands free!

We all stopped at the grocery store in Liddes to pick up some snacks - just in time, as the store closed as soon as we left. We sat outside eating, and I had a brief moment of panic when I leaned over to wash a nectarine in the fountain and my phone fell out of its pocket in my waist pack and into the tub of water below the fountain! I grabbed it out right away, wiped it off, and it continued to work. Phew!!!

We continued on, gaining another 170 metres in altitude over the remaining four kilometres between Liddes and Bourg-Saint-Pierre. We walked through a field of cattle, letting ourselves in and out through gates in the electric fence. Finally we came to the Hotel Bivouac Napoléon, at the entrance to the village of Bourg-Saint-Pierre. Across from the hotel there is a gas station with a small shop, the only source of groceries in the village. We stopped and bought a frozen pizza to cook ourselves for dinner at our hostel, and some cheese and crackers for snacks on the big climb up to Grand Saint Bernard Pass.

Our only doubt is whether to attempt the pass tomorrow, or take a day to rest and recover while letting the coming rainstorm pass by. The rest of the week is supposed to be sunny, and it would nice to be able to enjoy the views! Plus our legs would be very happy to have a day off from climbing!