Italy 2026 - Day 13 - Saved by a rock-fall avalanche

Today is my last full day here in Champoluc and my last chance to walk to Monte Rosa. My plan was to go back to the medieval irrigation canal Ru Cortot, which on Day 8 Agnese, Silvia, Giulia, and myself had followed for about one third of its length all the way to the agritourism farm of La Tchavata, and resume from there the walk upcanal all the way to the source in Monte Rosa. Unfortunately I could not climb the dirt road to La Tchavata, so I had to park in Barmsac and walk again the 4 km I had already walked, and from there walk another 8 km to the spring. That would be a total of 12 km one way, or 24 km round trip. Easy going but still a lot of walking.

As soon as I passed La Tchavata the track along the canal became rougher with exposed tree roots and up and down detours around the difficult parts. At some point there was no longer a flow of water, which a crew took advantage of to do some improvements in the canal and its levee. I was enjoying myself, looking at the great number of small butterflies that were busy feeding on the soil of the track and flew in sudden bursts as soon as I approached them. I had gone another two kilometers when I reached a stretch in which the levee was partly destroyed by erosion (no wonder water was not flowing). The track deviated more and more from the trace of the canal, until at some point canal and levee were completely destroyed by a rock-fall avalanche.

I like avalanche deposits because they provide you with many fresh samples of the rocks above (mica schists in this case), but they make for very tiresome walking because of the unstable angular rocks. By now I was about two thirds along the trace of the canal, and I had not seen a soul in the course of the morning. In a rare moment of lucidity I realized that it would be foolhardy to continue solo, risking a fall or a twisted ankle, so I called my hiking adventure good and turned around. Once I was out of the rock avalanche I sat on a log and enjoyed the spectacular view of the old glacial valleys dotted with hamlets and peacefully grazing cows.

By the time I regained my car I was pretty tired after 15 km there and back, and could not imagine how I would feel if I had gone the full 24 km.

Back at home I had to pack, get ready for a 5 am departure, and try to tidy the place. I am infinitely grateful to Giulia for renting me her mountain apartment, and giving me the chance of saying that I lived in the Alps for a while. If you would like to plan a vacation here, or at the Cinque Terra coast of Liguria, you too can contact Giulia at www.acasadigiulia.me She is a good friend, an artist, and a wonderful cook. You would certainly enjoy meeting her :)