Only two days into our week-long adventure on the Grande Traversata delle Alpi and Maja and I can barely contain our ohmigosh’s and it’s-so-beautiful!’s. If you haven’t read the first part, the GTA is the best hike you’ve never heard of. Views and food. Need I say more? Well, it continues…
Table of Contents
Recap of dinner at the Alpe Baranca, because it was so great
At the Alpe Baranca, a rifugio which gets its supplies twice a season by helicopter, we met our hiking group for the rest of the week; on a multi-day hike, you continually meet the same people each day. There was the couple we had seen the night before in Rimella, who were from Frankfurt. Two new pairs, one from Freiburg and one from Ravensburg. Another young woman who was from Munich and an older gentleman who originated from Germany but now lives in Austria.
All you need to know to hike safely in Germany
Dinner was served family-style at two tables on the ground floor of the Alpe Baranca. An older couple ran the place, which seemed like hard work! There was limited electricity and water, plus taking care of the German tourists the whole summer. The woman had contact with us, while the man remained in the kitchen or around the yard. We found it hilarious that the sweet tone she used with us completely disappeared once she was in the kitchen with her husband!
Despite the remoteness, dinner was abundant. When we came down to eat there were two kinds of cheese which were made on location, bread, a cold cuts platter, and salad already on the table. Soon after came the spaghetti with tomatoes, tripe soup, and goulash. We passed the dishes around the table and between the two tables until everyone was full. There was hardly any room for the torta di limone for dessert, but nobody could resist having just one slice.
Day 3 – Alpe Baranca to Carcoforo – 11 km
In the morning, everyone had breakfast together and most of the hikers left the rifugio at the same time, all heading in the same direction. Only the guy living in Austria was headed the opposite way. Everyone planned to get to Carcoforo by the evening.
Even though the Alpe Baranca was already at a high elevation, our hike began with a steep incline. For most of the way, we followed a babbling mountain brook. All the while, the view was getting better and better. We reached a plain where there was a shallow lake. Maja and I decided to take a break there, so we wouldn’t rush the hike and so we wouldn’t hike on top of the others all day. The serene scene was ideal for many others to take a break too.
Hiking across the plain, we passed the Alpe Selle and continued to another cluster of stone houses where there were a zillion sheep and a few goats. They were everywhere! I was a bit nervous about the sheep dogs, but the shepherds were there the whole time and didn’t seem bothered by our arrival. We continued hiking uphill until getting to the pass Colle Baranca.
From one pass to another
We continued upwards to get to Colle d’Egua. Along the way, we passed a herd of cows. I was so hungry that I couldn’t wait any more for a break. We stopped briefly for a snack but moved on when the cows started to get too close.
At the pass, we met some of the other hikers who told us about a bivouac hut a little higher up. Maja and I went to check it out and met the couple who maintained the hut in memory of their son who died in the mountains. They were there to spend nearly a week in the hut. To pass the time they chatted with the hikers who made their way to the top, sharing a coffee with some who came by. The man loved to tell stories and I did my best to translate them to my new German hiking friends, who appropriately laughed when I said, “I think he’s telling a joke.”
Summiting Il Cimone
We asked the man how to get up to il Cimone. Maja and I were eager to get a peak on our journey and we thought today would be a good day. He gave some advice on which path to follow and which one not to. We left our packs at the hut and headed towards the summit with Uli and Silke. It took about a half hour to reach the summit of Il Cimone. It was sometimes difficult to follow the path on the way, and there was one steep section I wasn’t looking forward to descending, but we all made it to the top. The most terrifying part is that Il Cimone is only hikeable on one side. If you peer over the edge, it’s a sharp drop of a hundred meters. Below the cliff we could see a tiny shepherd and dozens of little white dots.
The view was incredible and we got a glimpse of the Monte Rosa before it disappeared behind the clouds. Monte Rosa is a set of 9 peaks covered with a big glacier. It is often visible (or hiding behind the clouds) on these few days of the GTA. There were a few different kinds of birds flying around at the summit. When we returned to the bivouac hut, the woman offered to make coffee for us while the man talked up a storm. Another couple had arrived while we were on the summit, at 82 and 80 years old! We couldn’t believe it! They carried day packs as big as ours. On our descent into Carcoforo we would see them several times.
Descent to Rifugio Boffalora
The descent felt like forever. We took our time going down the zig-zagging path, crossing a brook a few times. When we got to a rifugio, we stopped to use the toilet (a hole, which is not a surprising thing in southern Europe, but surprising the first time an American meets one) and have a break. Maja enjoyed a beer, while I tried the torta di mela. We played nonstop with the dog there because she barked if you stopped throwing her toy for her.
After our break, the trail continued on in more switchbacks, making the descent exhausting. How did those octogenarians do it!? There were more waterfalls, more cows, more donkeys, and more goats. Eventually we could see Carcoforo from above, filled with adorable stone-roofed houses.
Carcoforo
Once we got to the village, we thoroughly enjoyed walking through. There were a few chapels and churches along the way. The homes reminded us of Bavaria, but with stone roofs. I love to find abandoned, falling-apart homes which could be lovely if you just fixed them up a bit. The one I found in Carcoforo was a new record of falling apart, but would be totally amazing!
Alpenrose
At the other end of town was the Alpenrose, a posto tappa. We were in the bunk room with two of the couples while the three others in our group got their own rooms. Before dinner, we wandered around town a bit more and stopped at the fruit truck to get something fresh to eat for the next day. At dinner, we all had separate tables, but Uli asked if we could put them all together. It was just like being at the Alpe Baranca again!
The restaurant was a bit fancier than rifugio food – a set menu where you could pick from a few items for each course. There were several options with polenta, so I chose two of them. I had polenta gnocchi with butter and herbs as my “primo” and then two rounds of local soft cheese with baked polenta for “secondo.” Maja and I decided to order both desserts and share them – a cake with cream and chocolate mousse with cookies.
Day 4 – Carcoforo to Rima – 10 km
In the morning we had breakfast at separate tables. At dinner the night before, we ordered our breakfasts from a checklist like back in Corona times. Everything was perfectly ready for us when we came down at 7:30.
Ascent out of Carcoforo
The ascent out of Carcoforo was steep and filled with switchbacks. We leap-frogged with Silke and Uli for a while on the way up. A group of 4 Italians and a dog passed Maja and I as we literally sat on the trail taking a break.
On the way up, we could sometimes see Carcoforo and sometimes it disappeared behind a hill or trees. There were a few false summits on the way up, always teasing us with thinking we were almost at the pass. We stopped at some old stone huts which were falling apart to apply sunscreen. It always seemed like we were about to get to the top but then it just kept going and going. We saw Eckbert and Tanja resting on a giant boulder as we zig-zagged up the mountain.
Colle del Termo
Finally, we got to the top of the pass. Silke and Uli who reached it at the same time as us, continued on to take a break out of the wind. Eckbert and Tanja soon joined us and Regina had been on the neighboring summit also came down for a break. We snacked and chatted a while. The Italians who had passed us were enjoying the view, and then returned down the mountain the way they had come up. Shortly after, we headed down into the next valley.
Descent to Rima
I couldn’t believe it, but going down took just as long as climbing up. Luckily, it wasn’t as steep, but had a zillion zillion switchbacks. Maja and I reached a house with a chill dog hanging out in front of it. We were about to walk by when three other angry dogs came barking out from behind. We could hear bells of livestock behind the house and were worried the dogs would try to protect the herd. Maja began to take a shortcut to avoid the switchback close to the house and the dogs. But now the goats were curious about the commotion and began to get closer to us! I followed Maja between the pine trees and slipped. I skid until the next switchback, scraping my arm along the way.
Happy to be far away from the mad dogs, we reached another stone hut, this time uninhabited, with a spring. I used the water to was the pine needles, dirt, and goat poop from my arm. A butterfly landed on me and stayed a while. I thought it was very sweet after such a tough descent; the butterfly probably just wanted the salt from my sweat.
Rima
It wasn’t much further to Rima. The village is full of stone roofed houses with the most beautiful balconies and flowers. The posto tappa here is fantastic and gorgeous! The house is newly renovated with two rooms of bunks downstairs with a living room/kitchen to prepare breakfast and then two rooms of bunks upstairs. We paid just 25€ each which included a bed and as much as you could eat for breakfast.
Gipsoteca
After an amazing shower, we wandered around town and hung out at the bar overlooking the valley. The guide book recommended visiting the “Gipsoteca” where you can see the workshop for artificial marble. Rima is traditionally known producing this artwork in famous buildings all over Europe. I asked the young women who showed us the hostel if it was possible to see. Unfortunately, she replied that the person with the key to the atelier had gone home. I was disappointed, but then surprised about 10 minutes later when she came over the terrace of the bar to tell me I could go see it! The man with the key was back and enthusiastically showed Maja and me the shop. Students come from all over the world to Rima to learn how to create the artificial marble. He explained to us how it is made and showed us a few special works in the basement, which is a little exhibition room. One wall is covered in a collage of old postcards. Men from the village went all over the continent for months at a time to install the “marble” and would write home from the many cities they worked in.
Another exquisite dinner
Dinner was not included at the posto tappa but it was recommended that we eat at the restaurant of the bar. It was housed in an amazing, old building. The room we ate in reminded me of a billiards room. The one next to us was impressively outfitted with the imitation marble. We ate with Regina, Eckbert, and Tanja who were all in the posto tappa with us. The others had hiked a bit further to get private rooms or a step ahead on the trail.
Dinner was amazing. The waiter would ask “would you like this or that?” And we just said yes to everything. First, we got a salad with all sorts of veggies and olives and a wonderful dressing. Next we had minestrone soup which was also really fantastic. Then he offered us spaghetti with tomato sauce or polenta with cheese. Since we all had a lot of polenta the night before, we went with spaghetti. The waiter was a bit sad about this because he said the cheese was really so fresh and had arrived today. When he came to ask about dessert, we asked if it was possible to have another portion of pasta because we were all so hungry. He asked if we were really sure about the polenta because it is so good. I said yes to polenta, while my tablemates went for more spaghetti. I was not disappointed. The polenta with cheese was SO GOOD! It was filled with tons of butter and was a huge portion. Then we really did eat desert, which was a chocolate mousse on a chocolate cookie base with whipped cream. We could have eaten three of those each!
Nearly the end
Sadly, there are just three more days and two more dinners on this magical, magnificent hike! In the meantime, check out some of my other favorite long distance hikes – the Westweg, the Mauerweg, and the 66-Lakes-Trail!