Prof. Bertinetto Bartolomeo Davide: settembre 2023

domenica 3 settembre 2023

Pian Muné - Casteldelfino, to Alpina Bookstore by Fusta Editore and back

Alpina Bookstore - Fusta Editore

Today's adventure to Alpina Bookstore by Paolo Fusta Editore was truly exciting. I ascended to the mountain cabin on Friday night, spent the night there for convenience, and woke up at dawn around 5:30 am for final preparations. By approximately 6:15 am, I was already on my way towards Rifugio Bertorello. As the sun rose, the view of the first waterfall was breathtaking as always. From that point onward, the road became less of a path and more of a narrow trail. The ascent was rather steep before reaching Pian Pilun. Even though the distance wasn't excessive, the elevation gain was concentrated.

At Pian Pilun, I spotted the first cars of the mountain farmers who had spent the night there with shepherd dogs and grazing cows. A wonderful sight! The weather was excellent, especially at that early hour. Upon reaching the top of the ascent, which was also quite steep but better distributed, I enjoyed the panorama while having a quick snack, taking advantage of the clear sky!

Map of the Route

I continued along the downhill dirt road towards Becetto, encountering some pedestrians, including a couple on horseback. There was an abundance of water here, and the fountains were truly generous, so I frequently filled my water bottles (this time, I had two with me, a wise choice finally!) to continue the descent.

Pian Pilun

Unfortunately, after passing Becetto, I realized I had taken the wrong road and retraced my steps to the path just below, descending from a slight rugged and overgrown grassy slope. Regrettably, I inadvertently stepped my left foot into a practically invisible hole, causing a nasty sprain. My ankle gave way, bringing my foot into sudden supination with all my weight, as I was also jumping. I heard a concerning crack, and the pain was excruciating for a few moments. It later subsided, and I continued on the correct path, but while walking, my foot was pronating (the opposite movement to the sprain), and I felt intense stabs, so I limped along (later, I realized there was significant swelling by the end of the day)...

Panorama from Col del Prete

I arrived in Sampeyre, and as always, there was a coffee break. After a brief wait at the crowded Saturday cafe, I resumed the journey beyond the town. I followed the long Varaita river, facing a climb of just over 10 km towards Casteldelfino. At times, the climb was gentle, other times steeper. I crossed beautiful meadows and various small bridges along the way. At one point, I even noticed an old bunker that had lost its foundations due to water, resulting in a paradoxical tilt. I took a photo of it. I continued and passed Torrette, where there's a convenient fountain. Once again, I filled my water bottles. After a couple of hours or so, I arrived in Casteldelfino, completing the journey in 5 hours and 42 minutes for 29.6 km. I wandered through the narrow streets of the beautiful historic center, filled with artistic shops, and then entered Alpina Bookstore by Barbara and Paolo Fusta Editore, where I was warmly welcomed. It's a place of great cultural value with numerous publications from various authors. Definitely a must-visit if you're in Casteldelfino. After some chatting and a bit of rest, I picked up some of my books and took the customary photo to pay tribute to this beautiful adventure.

Templar Pillar in Becetto

Bunker Description

Tilted Bunker

Upon leaving the bookstore, the rain began to make its presence known, but I took the opportunity for one last coffee in Casteldelfino. Then I faced a fast descent along the same route as the way there. In the meantime, distant lightning and gray clouds at times forced me to put on my rain gear. I briskly made my way, with technology turned off due to lightning, which always makes me anxious at high altitudes. In the end, I reached the starting point, completing almost 60 km in nearly the same time it took for the outbound journey, but without any stops.

Coffee in Sampeyre

Coffee in Casteldelfino

This adventure was also planned following my Weekly Single Training Technique, as described in the book published by Fusta, titled 'UltraTrail with the Single Training.'

Live video of the walking adventure:

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sabato 2 settembre 2023

Travel Trail in Spain of 37km, from Sant Pere Pescador to Figueres (Dalí Museum)

The adventure on foot (a mix of running and walking) that follows was once again prepared thanks to the content of the book on Weekly Mono-Training Technique published by Fusta: UltraTrail with Mono-Training.

I should mention that the Travel Trail detour was entirely feasible thanks to the Weekly Mono-Training strategy, given its infrequent nature, which allows for outings even during travel, ensuring solid progression in any situation related to long-distance walking!

In front of the Salvador Dalí Museum

This year, I was on the brink of skipping my walking adventure. The original goal was Cadaqués, but upon examining the various routes, I found that it was inaccessible due to a bypass road that blocked every easy passage... I had chosen that destination because it was relatively close to the camping area and the birthplace of the painter Salvador Dalí. An artist I've admired all my life for his completely unique works, including melted clocks, which today could easily be compared to some computer-generated graphics!

Route map for the outbound and return journey

No problem, as I discovered the Dalí Museum in Figueres, not far from my location, just under 18km from the camper parking spot. So, everything brightened up, and every motivation sprang back to life in my mind.

On the morning of Saturday, July 29, 2023, I woke up at 4:30 AM, hastily prepared my backpack, supplies, and everything needed, had a good breakfast while being careful not to wake anyone in my family, and then I set off. However, as soon as I stuck my head out of the camper, I realized that at 5:15 AM, it was still completely dark, and I was also without a headlamp. No problem, I waited in the garden for a while, enjoying the unusual silence of the campsite, and then took a few steps towards the sea to watch the sunrise...

Before dawn, looking towards Cadaqués

A few weak rays of light on the marshland

The sun making its entrance on this new hot day

At the first light, I set off just before 6:00 AM, leaving Camping Nautic Almata near Sant Pere Pescador, deep within a natural park... A beautiful place.

Sunflowers before the sun's rays

Sunflowers shortly after the sun, well-oriented!

My journey took me in the dark through vast rice fields, with only one wrong turn a few kilometers from the start. These deserted country roads would have been impossible to navigate without GPS directions, but the advantage was the still very cool weather, given the early hour. Going further, the rice fields turned into sunflower patches, and it was fascinating to see them with their heads down in the absence of the sun, and then as soon as the first rays appeared, they lifted to follow our star. Soon, the dirt roads turned into paved ones, and I continued along the edge to reach the first village, "Fortià," which appeared ancient with its imposing Church situated on a gentle hill in the historic center. But as I passed through and headed towards the outskirts along the main road, it became an extremely modern town.

Impressive Church in typical Spanish style

I continued for a few more kilometers, following the asphalt, and then I took another well-maintained dirt road. Here, as time passed, I started encountering some people on bicycles. I entered another village that was labeled "El far d'Empordà" on the map, another village with a grand Church. I love examining the older religious sites; the Churches in Spain have an imposing yet "rough" appearance due to the typical stone colors they're made of. I moved on and soon entered a heavily trafficked road, with the powerful four-lane bypass mentioned earlier in the background, and on the horizon, the city of Figueres began to appear, my destination.

Sant Jordi i el drac, from Merce Riba

I didn't lose heart because the kilometers of this adventure were not many, and they flowed smoothly under my feet. I crossed an overpass and also encountered the first person on foot, whom I greeted as I passed (buenos días). I caught a glimpse of the first houses on the outskirts on both sides, and after a few tens of minutes, I realized I was about to enter the city center.

The people approaching the center appeared calm and uninterested in me (a person running with sticks and a backpack), occasionally walking. Keeping an eye on the GPS, I tackled a short ascent, and suddenly, I saw the Dalí Museum building in front of me, which I had previously only seen on the web. I stopped in the adjacent square to occupy a bench and had my small meal (the only one of the adventure). A coffee at the bar was a must, even though my Spanish was really poor; I spoke in Italian, and they understood me perfectly on the first try!

I began the return phase, perhaps a bit faster this time due to the slight descent, but I also took almost no videos or photos, which had characterized the slowdowns on the way there.

However, after 10:00 AM, the heat started to be felt, and instinctively, my eyes kept searching for water, even though I still had some left in my water bottle, but I couldn't find any!

Step by step, I retraced all the points I had seen a short while ago, and when I found myself in the rice fields, the heat began to be truly intense, even though it was dry. There, I noticed some irrigation pumps and thought I could use them to cool down, but their configuration prevented me from doing so, so I continued despite it all.

I approached the campground, and this stretch was truly unbearable due to the high temperatures, making the road of a few kilometers seem endless.

I conclude this beautiful adventure with an artistic background that anticipates my visit to the Dalí Museum, which I will do on the last day of my vacation. I can't wait, as this experience will undoubtedly lead me to recreate one of his works.

I completed the journey in a total of 5 hours and 51 minutes, covering a distance of nearly 37km. It may not have been a long adventure, perhaps more of a training run, but it further convinces me that the Mono-Training Technique can evolve into something systematic for Travel Trail adventures around the world. As soon as I am free from my study commitments, I believe I will explore this idea in-depth with travels far and wide, visiting distant places on foot.