Alpinaraid Day 4
July 6th, 2022 : Sightseeing tour
Rifugio Scarfiotti - Bardonecchia - Névache - Briançon - Col d’Izoard - Col Agnel - Agriturismo Lou Chirun
📏 Distance : 161 km
⛰️ Positive elevation : 6225 m
For this fourth day of adventure, we kicked our journey off with the downhill from the Rifugio Scarfiotti to Bardonecchia.
Afterwards, we took the direction of the Vallée de Névache, by going up to the Col de L’Échelle (1762 m). We decided to stop in the small village of Névache for a little stroll as well as to enjoy a nice and fresh breakfast.
Then, we kept going up this beautiful valley to take a break alongside the river La Clarée, to discover the Cascade de Fontcouverte.
After this bucolic stroll, we took the road again : we went through Val-des-Prés as well as La Vachette, to get to the fortified city of Briançon.
We took the opportunity of being in a large city to buy some gas and visit the city. We went down the most famous street there, called the Grande Gargouille.
Following our 2-hour break with civilization, we started to drive again, with one objective in mind : the climb of one of the Alps’ most famous pass : The Col d’Izoard (2362 m). As we were going uphill to the pass, we went on a small pebble road up to a meadow, to have our lunch out of the trafic sight.
We then drove past the mountain pass, and we stopped for a while at one of Europe’s highest municipalities : Saint-Véran. We visited this small village and took some film photographies.
Once this small break over, we kept our journey going with the climb of another famous mountain pass, at the border of France and Italia : the Colle Dell’Agnello (2743 m).
We finished off the fourth day with the downhill from the pass on the Italian side, then we drove up one last hill to access the Rifugio Agriturismo Lou Chirun.
We set up camp inside a protected reserve (our Peugeot 205s had to be left a bit further for the night).
After a delicious polenta inside the Rifugio, we enjoyed our evening alongside a small river, lulled by the gentle sound of cow bells.
