Up the col

Stage 20: Bourg-Saint-Pierre to Col Grand St Bernard (14,28 km) 

Straight forward hike today. I just follow the road for 12km up to the St. Bernard pass and then I'm done.

That plan last for about 700m, after which the road becomes some sort of tunnel and pedestrians are not allowed. Great. There is a hiking path, however, it is on the other side of the valley and I don't want to lose my altitude just to have to gain it again on the other side, so I try my luck on a service lake towards the Toules dam. I am in luck, right at the bottom of the dam  i find a little bridge and can continue on the other side.

It is freezing cold (literally) in the morning, but once the sun is out over the reservoir, it becomes warm enough quickly.

Unfortunately, the service road that has taken me up and along the reservoir suddenly takes a turn going to some other valley and I am left staring up a steep single trail incline that I can not possible get the buggy up. So it is unloading, carrying up the bags, pulling up the empty buggy, packing

The single train continues for 3 painful kilometres and 2 hours, twice more I have to repeat the unloading exercise, most of the tome I have to lift rear legs and just steer on the front wheel, which is killing my arms.

Shortly before noon, however, that horrible stretch ends and I get back to the road which here splits between the tunnel going directly to Italy and the pass road which I take.

It is 7 more kilometers with an altitude gain of 700m, so quite steep, but on nice, even, wide, beautiful asphalt :-)

I eventually reach the pass, where I will spend the night in the hospice.

I am greeted my super friendly father Raphael, who - after offering my a cup of tea - shows me the facility, my room, explains when and where to get my meals, and when and where I find the various messes and prayers - "We are an religious organisation" he points out just in cases I overlooked the big black wooden cross hanging around his neck.

On the other side of the lake is Italy, and a nice restaurant that serves me lunch for about the price of a beer in Switzerland. The border, again, is a sign, nothing else.

After lunch I walk back to the Swiss side, enjoy the sun and scenery and am treated with a nice sundown before a simple but yummy dinner. 

Unfortunately the St Bernard dogs that are bread here in the summer have already been moved to lower grounds for the winter, so no dog petting today.