Long trip around the Avic or Aü

Sei anni prima invece eravamo andati a cercar minerali. Si, perché a questi due "Vecchi Lupi", che son con me, dell' Avìc gliene frega relativamente, anche se non l'han mai salito precedentemente. In realtà a questi due interessano solo i minerali perché: sissssh, son "Cacciatatori di Cristalli" e rovistano in ogni fessura ed alzano tutti i sassi che trovano. Rovesciano le montagne che quando passano loro perdono ogni volta almeno un metro di altezza. Solo Attila sapeva fare di meglio o di peggio, a seconda dei punti di vista. Una vera e propria Mania, daltronde, dicono in Francia, "A chaque fou sa marotte" cioé ad ogni matto la sua mania. Chi caccia farfalle, chi raccoglie cartoline, chi colleziona francobolli, chi, chi, chi ... Loro collezionano minerali o, come dico io prendendoli in giro, sassi. Meno male che non eran "Cacciatori di Teste", ma al tempo non era ancor di Moda. Già nel precedente mese di Maggio con due Escursioni al Barbeston ed al Pic de Vòrea avevo "fotografato il modo d'andar" di sti due, tanto che sulla Sommità di quest'ultimo m'ero ritrovato da solo, mentre loro con mio figlio Christian gironzolavano per le pareti cercando forse "l'Oro del Klondike", per la quale cosa questa volta m'ero fatto guardingo, in attesa degli sviluppi della situazione. Non dovetti attender molto, che i due incominciarono a rovistare l'Avìc da sotto in sù e dall'alto al basso. Io continuai sul filo di cresta che dal Colle Raye Chevrères dapprima supera l'omonima punta (2850 m) e poi, con un tratto più rettilineo, si porta contro il Monte Avìc. Un salto verticale d'una ventina di metri mi sbarrava la strada per raggiungere la sottostante forcella 2920/30 metri circa, dove inizia la Cresta Ovest-sudovest che in breve tempo conduce alla Sommità. Nei pressi di questa ci ricongiungemmo e tranquillamente fotografando raggiungemmo il Vertice in una splendida giornata di sole. Volevo andare al Monte Iverta, ma a questi due dell'Iverta se ne infischiano ancor più dell'Avìc; così, dopo una veloce discesa ma sempre analizzando tutti i sassi che incontravano, andiamo giù al Lago Gelato dove loro esplorando le miniere di ferro e di rame trovano una gratificazione certamente migliore. Eppur io che mi sdraio sui nevai presso le sponde del lago per gustarmi un magnifico, caldo Sole ...




"Climbing on terminal part of W-SW Ridge ..."

by Osw

From the first maybe to the last time running away from the Past to the Future through the Present

"From Tête des Hommes Upper Champdepraz Basin toward Mont Iverta L'Invers del Lago Gelato, Rouvìc, Avìc & Barbeston (right)"

by Emilio Bertona aka emilius

September 04th, 1983

But which was the first time? It took 10 years, ever since I stopped traveling by train, to go to Monte Avic. The summer began to wane and the days gradually become shorter. The idea, if I remember correctly, is to be attributed to my Friend Marco Cossard, told "Crevassino" ( + Juanuary 16th, 2013) because in that year, going up to Mont Blanc de Tacul had slipped into the crevasse that bisects the Northern Face, having wrong to put the ax to overcome the "mauvais pas", that is from the bottom to the top and not vice versa. With us my son Christian, 10 years-old. I seem to remember that the day was not much good because, with many mists that wandered around the mountains, but those times, taken from the sacred fury of youth, did not look too closely: you always started without checking of any conditions of the time and that's it. With any type of time. The task of searching the route was left to him, great Surveyor and expert reading of Maps, which did not exist at the time if non the tablets of the IGM Scale 1: 25000, there were no "Guides C.A.I. Emilius Rosa dei Banchi Parco del M.Avic" (2005) and even the "Diary Mountaineering Ascents in Aosta Valley 1921-1933" by Amilcare Crétier (1993). But let's do the good that Marco certainly not wrong, although it was the first time we visited this area. You had to go a "little nose" and so we did. Good times for real, total and genuine Adventure!. Not there were problems, the young man followed him in silence and quietly reached Lake Gelato, past the Mines (there had to be careful, because he wanted to get a crack at the pit of letters filled with ice, because he wanted to go exploring. With good manners" him back to reason), traversed the Plateau of Raye Chevrères and the South Slope-Sidest and the crest, or Via Normle, safely reached the Vertex of the Avìc. The pause was brief because "Crevassino" had something else in mind. Honestly had spoken, but not knowing the area the idea of what he wanted to do this "mountain camel" was unclear, if not vague. I know he wanted to get to the Grand Lake under the Glacier and up to it all right there because I had been in 1975 to climb alone the North Edge of the same. But coming from Champorcher through Colle del Lago Bianco. The rest was all entrusted to the personal imagination. As we climbed, we descended so quickly. The Plateau of Rayes and this in crossing the hill, under the Iverta.




"Lake Gelato: a lake more azure of the Sky ..."

by Osw

Dubbed left the namesake lake, arriving on the Summit was a breeze: front opened, majestic, the two Northern Faces of Mont Glacier which, as mentioned, I knew. But to get up there? Hmmm, I did not like the story too because it seemed to have to cross the Sahara with a series of humps who remembered the dunes of a desert. Uhhmbahhh, hopefully good! We descend from Iverta (2939m) easily through the South Slope and, passing over to a tiny pond, we reach the Tip Medzove (2847m), which did not yet this name and we called Punta della Betassa; because a small saddle of 2800 metres about, at the end of the West Ridge of Mont Belplà or Bel-Plat (2828/9 m; Good Flat), leads to a plateau said of the Betassa where, after another pond, begins to go down a small path (from the saddle now exists a trace, but in those days it was a steep grassy slope of the "Ollina" amongst various rocky bands). We're going to climb even this (if you can think of "Crevassino" not collected!). Going for the easy but jagged ridge in round trip from the saddle. Discarding right Lakes of Leità and the Pass of Mezove (2614m), below Mont Glacier, you arrive at Grand Lake ((2495m; not there was still the Refuge Letey of the Forest Service). But while we were attracted by the charm, a Little Devil we worked quietly behind his back: the time, uploading the evaporation of lakes, was darkening and predicted an impending storm. Running down the Alp Pisonet, to the Lakes Cornuto (Horned), Nero (Black) and Bianco (White), where now there is the Barbustel Shelter. But then this was the most wild and isolated place in the world. And now? "Crevassino" says "It goes to the North!" What a discovery, if we want to go home ... Meanwhile over us sky rumbles and dark clouds are lowered more and more doing to us increase the pace. Soon it will be dark and we do not even light. The sky sets earlier above the Avìc and then down towards the Iverta and over the Invers of Lake Gelato and you not see longer the point of reference of the Bec l' Espic, yonder above the Lake of the Serva, where we have to get. A match lost by the start up, it becomes a war when the lightning begin to dart over our heads, sending us into total confusion so that, arriving at the junction with the Alp Cousse (2051m) and seeing the little path that dates back to the Alp Bayet (2071m), instead of following him go down on the right. He says the ragion why we should not go up but down. Incidentally, not are signals exist in the dark and if exist we do not see; and also the Map in the backpack of "Crevassino" is being withdrawn, being total darkness and having no light. Instead we make a big mistake: we end up in an area of large, polished and levigate blocks alternating with steep rocky banks scroll on which we feel the rivulets of water in the middle to high branches and dense rhododendron. Luckily the vipers will already go to sleep, or at least we hope. With a crossing instinctive and infinite left, climbing a steep rocky rib, we reach the "right path" and soon we are at the Lake of the Serva. From here to Voella everything is easier, despite stumbling occasionally. When we come home now is very late and my wife is anxiously awaiting "But where harbors the child with this black cape?". "Crevassino", maleficent, does not escape the occasion, and this nickname of "Black Pall" her bring back for at least two decades. So learn to mingle in "men affairs". This was my first Monte Avic and so at least I remember ...




"From Delà and Glacier (left) the entire watershed Champdepraz/Savoney-Ponton Walloons towards Iverta, Avìc, Rouvìc & Barbeston"

by Emilio Bertona aka emilius

4 di Settembre, 1983