Hot! It’s hot! And beautiful. What a fine spring it is in these Alps. The weather is gorgeous, the flowers are coming out, and the grass is a color green that one sees only in the Spring.
We drove an hour south into the Val d’Aoste last week, with the pretense of skiing on the vast quantities of spring snow there. Just an afternoon’s climb, followed by a trip to a fine Italian Hut. Ok, well, a second day for a multi-pitch climb since it is so warm. Day 3? We found ourselves driving two and a half hours, due south, to the Italian coast, to climb stunning limestone above the sea. It was slightly cooler than Verbier, 12C mornings with a high of 20. Perfect climbing temps for the cliffs above Finale. How nice this spring is.
In the Aosta Valley, just an hour’s drive from Verbier, we stayed at the B & B Maison de Noe. The architect and local guide, Andrea Duc has created and amazing oasis in the beautiful valley one returns from at the end of the multi-pitch climbs. It’s worth a stop just to have a look at the amazing restoration he has done with this little “hameau”.