July 24-31, 2011 – At the court of the King…
Once again, here we are, at the boundaries of the adventure… curious for what is
waiting for us, anxious to share it and having a big energy in both our body and spirit.
Let’s go, then!
Seven days walking in a territory being not less than surprising: a place that can
“capture” and “hold” people tight but keeping at the same time its distance… very
promising but not really maintaining, fascinating but rejecting as well…
A magical, involving and austere place, taking your soul and giving you back
immediately after….but chained forever.
This is the atmosphere we deeply “breathed” at the court of the “Stone King”, a
mythical, extraordinary, sublime, supreme, austere King: His Majesty the Monviso…
An historical, ideal and symbolic mountain for our people, but also for the collective
imagination: a daring shape, like a pyramid, than can be seen from big distances
(the name has not been given casually: Mount Viso means “visible mountain”) and
that immediately appeared to us in all its impressiveness and majesty.
It’s not accident, that it has been compared to a King…
And in the kingdom of such a king, our group walked for long time, enriching with life
our experiences and with experience our lives: many small tesseras of a really varied
and peculiar mosaic carrying its colors (what a colors!) around those quiescent and
solemn king… a unique mosaic, enriched by many special “shades” and particular
characters…
And so were the girls… Diana (the Fawn), Noemi (the Amazon), Francesca (the
Little Princess) and Alice (…in Wonderland…).
But also the boys, higher in number but absolutely very well “stemmed” by the girls:
Matteo (the Imaginative), Alessandro (the Warrior), Enzo (the Expert), Davide (the
Pragmatic), Fabio (the Philosophical) and Mattia (the Soft).
But that’s not all… from the eastern transalpine areas (ie Slovenia) came here, to
complete the “picture”, also Tilan (the Explosive), Casper (the Peaceful), Jacob (the
Bashful) and Yanez (the Irreverent).
And, as a sort of frame (a really beautiful frame, indeed!) surrounding so many
colours, were the “adults” (but having “children souls”…), too: Lorenzo (the Discrete),
Stefano (the Pleasure Seeker), Umberto (the Wise), Natale (the Silent),
Valentina/Nina (the Undaunted), a real “guardian angel” for all the Slovenian boys,
Andrea (the “tough” Nonconformist), Giorgio (the Philosopher), Daniele (the
Flamboyant), Luca (the Cautious), the “Sweet and Hardy” Lidia and the Granitic,
Vigorous, Cheering, All-present and Big-hearted Franco, a fantastic organizer and
dispenser of smiles, confidence, advices…but also, in case of need, lots of cuddles!
A kind guest has followed us in the last stage of the trekking… a man who in its life
loved a lot (and still loves) mountains and their culture, for which he spent a lot of
time/energy, for many years, sometimes even working himself into the ground, due
to an hard work being dear to him: Annibale Salsa, former “master” of the
Association for which Monviso represents both a symbol and a sort of “cradle”,
whose important name reminds us of another mythical leader, native of the great
Carthage, who, tells the legend –as chance would have it- at that time (218 a.C.) just
went by same zones, precisely at the foot of the hill named “Traversette”, after
breaking the surrounding cliffs with fire and vinegar, trying to open a gap to Italy
(yes, it’s right…vinegar, to be thrown directly onto cliffs, being overheated by
flames…the thermal shock should have made them softer under picks blows).
Suddenly, in what it seemed to us only a short moment, our travel reached its final
stage, after being “immersed” for a week in the breathtaking landscapes around
Monviso and in Po and Waldensian valleys, breathed their very pure air, admired
daring summits (…the “courtiers” of the King: peaks Udine and Venezia, Visolotto,
Viso Mozzo…), crossed -with much care- steep and dazzling snowfields, walked on
endless heaps of stones, flanked small -but of an incredible beauty- lakes….(it
seems that one of them is the true source of river Po, and not really the well known
spring, located at “Pian del Re”), visited places seeming to be beyond time, where
fables come true (like in the magic “valley of the lifted stones”…), but also enjoyed
the deep blue of the sky (not all the time… unfortunately), the countless green
shades of trees and meadows (like the silent Cembra pines in the Alevè forest … but
not only), the amazing, astonishing blossoms, emotioned by the subtle charm of
animals that we encountered : true witnesses of the deepest mountains spirit...
And at the end of each stage, nice to see appearing the reassuring shapes of the
huts…nevertheless basic they were, they always seemed like small, colored oasis
among “giants” (made up of stone or…fog) constantly following us: nice to feel that
little, joyful “missing beat” of the heart, the prelude of a deserved refreshness for
both body and spirit (hurray for “Risiko”… when it is there!).
Savigliano, Vallanta, Granero, Jervis, Lowrie, Sella, Alpetto…as many tesseras of
the little -while big- mosaic enriching itself step by step, in the meanwhile the
adventure went on… each of them with its “shades”, its peculiarities, its welcome,
warmth, comfort… and why not: the beauty.
Small gems “mounted” within the heart of the mountains, refuge for passers-by,
travellers and mountaineers … a clear, unequivocal sign of King’s benevolence….
A big, intense, highly absorbing adventure: sometimes being a bit hard and tiring..but
also strongly “toughening” our physical and moral resistance.
Maybe, sometimes “rules” could seem a bit too rigorous, while optimism waves a bit
and confidence in own resources fails… but it doesn’t matter, mountains are just like
this: stern but generous, rigorous while loving, threatening and wonderful… and in
their presence something can always be learnt…
So… what did mountains teach us this time…?
A lot, really a lot… first of all, respect and care for ourselves: when they want,
mountains can be really implacable, not allowing any lightness in protecting us from
their powerful embrace.
Secondly… they taught us a big respect for them and anything good they can offer to
their guests: it is certainly wonderful to admire the world from a summit (what a big
satisfaction was reaching the top of “Viso Mozzo” at first light of dawn…), but the
beautiful “royal court” we went through, which in terms of wonder is certainly not less
than a peak, can be maintained unchanged with time (thus giving joy and
satisfaction to all…”subjects” wanting to visit it) only with great love, attention and
respect for anything is finding life, refuge and nourishment in it, for its shapes and
colors, for its substance and its balances (well yes, also the “food” one!).
A place, that “court”, that a romantic heart could see as a magic, enchanted castle
while a “practical” mind can consider it only a banal, tiring stage towards
destination….but on anyone it exerts the undisputed ability to take us out from the
“workaday” while compelling us to “live” it hard : with strength and decision, in the
strongest possible terms.
You cannot sit by -never- at the court of the Stone King…
And the same it has been also for our kaleidoscopic group: for sure, really different
from each other will be the signs that this journey (definitely, not a simple “passage”)
deeply traced on each of the “tesseras” of our coloured mosaic, and we are sure not
being wrong at all if we say that such signs will never be deleted.
For better or for worse…but never.
There is a beautiful phrase, that can worthily close and sum up what we lived and
wish to live again many times : it is from a great Italian poet, that has also been a
writer and a mountaineer, born in half 1800's in Giulie Alps, from a Slovenian mother
and an Austrian father.
He was a witness of a special approach to mountains (being sincerely and deeply
loved by him) that was both romantic and respectful of Nature.
For him, what was important is not to “conquer” a summit, but the opportunity to live
a deep, inner experience together with fellows…
We are referring to Julius Kugy:
“To all mountaineers, I wish a mountain accompanying them for the ways of life…”
Dolores
Feedbacks from Slovenian participants
Our adventure to Italy begun very early.
We met us at about one o'clock in the
morning on bus station in Gorica pri
Slivnici and then we drove with the van to
Ljubljana. Already at the beginning Matej
(our driver) find out, that he forgot his
driving license and Janez didn't know,
whether his mother packed him mountain
shoes. But everything was OK. Then we
travelled to Ljubljana normally.
We
arrived in Ljubljana at about two o’clock in
the morning. We said goodbye to Matej
and Janez older and continued our
travelling to Italy.
Travelling was very long and exhausting,
because we traveled 12 hours and changed the train four times. When we arrived to Saluzzo, we
met Dolores and Franco – our guides. Franco took us to the bus station, where the bus with ten
Italian youths already waited for us. We drove to our first hut on our trekking. After dinner we knew
each other already very well, Italian taught us Italian word and we taught them Slovenian ones.
Next day after breakfast the first tour of six days trekking – part to hut Vallanta waited us already.
The path was dragging on and we were happy, when we saw a hut in the valley. With our Italian
friends we spoke a lot and me and Tilen decided, that we wrote a little Slovene-Italian dictionary –
that we didn’t forget all of new words, we have learned. Next morning we continued to the hut
Granero. On the way there we could admire Monte Viso, which was sometimes even without any
clouds. In the hut Granero we took a shower for the first time and after short night we continued
next day to the hut Barbara. For me that part of trekking was the most difficult, because it rained all
the day and we were all wet and chilled. On the way to Barbara we stopped at the hut Willy Jervis,
where our Italian friend got a jug of water on his head. We were happy out from all our heart, when
we arrived to the hut Barbara. Next day it was time for the hut Giacoletti. The morning was very
beautiful and path very interesting. The hut Giacoletti was the highest lying hut on our trekking and
Jakob showed us an interesting way, how to lose a telephone. When he charged it in the bathroom
(!), it fell into the hole between two walls about two meters deep. Fortunately two kind Italians
helped him rescue his mobile and succeeded – after 12 hours. That day I didn't feel very well, I got
cold and fever and I had to rest. Next morning we went to the lower hut Sella, which was in my
opinion the best equipped hut on our trekking.
And then – next morning happened that, what we were waiting all week. We reached the three
thousand meters high peak of Viso Mozzo. After that we returned to the valley. In the afternoon we
put everything on the bus and went to the hotel. And what we did first after our arrival to the hotel?
Had a shower! In the evening was a gala dinner, which I didn’t like at all. There were too many
dishes, I didn't like. I didn’t like Italian cuisine at all, because I'm not used on it. After dinner we went
out with our Italian friends for a short time and then went to sleep. In the morning we said goodbye
to our Italian friends and guides, went to railway station and returned home. When we waited the
train in Milano I got the most delicious meal in the whole week: MacDonald's Big Mac menu. When
we were approaching to Ljubljana, we were becoming impatient, because we were just waiting
seeing our parents. After one hour driving with a van, we were in Gorica pri Slivnici and soon at
home.
I liked this trekking very much. Although I didn't like food, I got new friends, new experiences and I
enjoyed the whole week very much. I hope I will have a possibility to experience something similar
once more.
Gašper Košak Pevec
On our prize trekking we arrived after a long and exhausting journey by train. It took us 12 hours. In
Savigliano we came tired and there were already waited us loud Italian participants. Trekking has
gone surprisingly very quickly – especially time, we were spending in huts. With youngsters from
Italy we quickly made some friends. They were loud, but there were some moments, we were
louder. There was a really big surprise – the quantity of food in the huts. But we didn't like Italian
cuisine so much. For me it was too spicy.
On the highest lying hut it happened to me that my mobile fell into the two meters deep hole. The
mobile was got out by two kind hut-keepers. After a lot of unsuccessful attempts they managed with
an avalange probe and silicone! Fortunately mobile is still working. And for the end a sentence in
Italian, I liked very much: Le montagne sono belle!
Jakob Škornik
That trekking in Italy I will remember for
all my life. I liked Italians very much. I
liked the way of trekking too. We carried
backpacks with our clothes and all the
other stuff all the time with us and we
spent each night at the other place. The
Italian cuisine was different from
Slovenian. I didn’t' know, that Italians
have so rich first courses and it
happened, that I was full already after
the first course and I couldn't eat the
second one. But there was enough place
for dessert, which didn't disappoint me. I
would say thank to our guides, all of
them were very funny. Even funnier was talking to the guides, who didn't know English – but we
helped us with our hands. The best was »snow war«, when Slovenian team, who was numerically
weaker then Italian one, won in the snowballing. I hope, that that trekking hasn’t been the last
meeting with our west friends and that we someday meet in Slovenian mountains.
Janez Palčnik
More the day »D« was coming closer, more I was impatient
and full of expectations. Even the journey to Italy was
interesting, because we traveled by train and passed a lot of
big Italian cities like Venezia, Milano and Torino.
At arrival we were received warmly by our Italian guides.
And also with Italian youngsters we made friends very
quickly. I liked Italians words very much. I wrote them down
into my notebook to remember them as much I could. There
was very changeable weather – sun, rain, a lot of fog, it
snowed too. But that was no problem for us, who like
mountains very much. For me there were the most beautiful morning's clean views to Monte Viso. I
was very happy, when I climbed the highest peak to that time - Viso Mezzo (3019 m).
We proved, that we are brave Svizci (in English that means marmot and I also learned Italian word:
marmota, and Svizci was the name of our team on national competition of knowledge about
mountains, where we won and this win led us to Italy), because we weren’t afraid of snow and took
opportunity and with snowballs attacked our Italian friends. At the end of the week we actually
hardly said goodbye from each other.
There were very nice huts, everywhere we were accepted hospitably. There was for our taste a little
bit strange food sometimes, but good anywhere.
We spent really nice week, especially because our guide Nina looked after us.