
🇬🇧We cut our 5th stage in two parts ( Refuge des Merveilles – Refuge de Nice et Refuge de Nice – Refuge de la Madone de Fenestre)

🇬🇧Going along ‘Vallée des Merveilles’ where a multitude of rock engravings continue to be discovered

🇬🇧Our first col of the day the ‘Baisse de Valmasque (2552 m)…

🇬🇧….Followed by the second the ‘Baisse de Basto’ (2692 m) as we are crossing the alps South to North we are getting acceptable spring snow conditions on the way up and very hard frozen snow on the way down.

🇬🇧Very hard snow and very steep slope on the way down from the ‘Baisse du Basto’

🇬🇧Arrival at the ‘Refuge de Nice’ alone in the world really warms you up

🇬🇧Claire in the superb wooden mountain hut full of sunlight

🇬🇧Sweet and warm

🇬🇧Getting ready for the night

🇬🇧’Pépite’ our future granddaughter will be warm …!

🇬🇧The second part of this stage goes across the ‘ Pas du Mont Colomb’ quite technical considering the snow conditions

🇬🇧On the way to ‘Pas du Mont Colomb’ with Mount Clapier ( 3045 m) ( one of the three 3000 ‘era of the French Mercantour with Gelas and Maledie ) in the background

🇬🇧 We start the climb with crampons on

🇬🇧 Claire in the lead in the last section

🇬🇧Arrival at the ‘Pas du Mont Colomb’

🇬🇧 Playful descent in the larch trees with softer snow finally

🇬🇧Arrival at ‘Madone de Fenestre’

🇬🇧Founded in 887 by the benedictines the church was destroyed and rebuilt several times throughout history , it celebrates several appearance of the Virgin Mary in the natural hole in the Cayre de la Madone which is overlooking the site

🇬🇧 Very nice encounters with Patrick the guardian of the refuge and Valerie and Didier two excellent ski touring and cyclotouring specialists in the area
Quel superbe périple ! vous avez l’air en pleine forme…loin de la sinistrose ambiante !!!!!! profitez en bien…on vous suit de près…dès que le réseau internet chinois nous en laisse l’occasion ! big bisous de Shanghai à vous 2
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Très belle photo de la vallée des merveilles. Beaucoup de souvenirs la bas. Ici c est beaucoup plus plat.
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Dis donc ça ne rigole pas votre affaire ! J’en ai froid dans le dos… soyez prudent. Je rêve où tu as pris ton tricot ?? 😂😂 mythique
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Pépite le vaut bien et il faut bien se dé-stresser!
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