Day 48 Col du Grand-Saint-Bernard to Etroubles – 18th July

Distance: 13.8 km – Elevation +150 m -1380 m

Weather: Sunny. Temperature: High 10/27 degrees

The dormitory was warm and comfortable and surprisingly quiet considering all the beds were in use, so I slept really well. I took a short stroll outside in the cold morning air before breakfast which was again at the long tables in the dining room. We were joined at breakfast by Ann who we met yesterday. She had found a walking partner, Christina who was Italian. After breakfast, I explored the hospice and visited the Church and museum before we set off for our first day in Italy. We crossed the border from Switzerland to Italy at 10.20 am. It was a glorious morning now, warmer than earlier as we picked up the mule track which would take us into the valley below. Initially, the path down is relatively steep but from there the path levels out a little and takes you along rocky paths and mountain streams with extraordinary spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and valley below – it was very beautiful. We passed through our first Italian villages of Saint Rhemy en Bosses, Saint Leonard, and Saint Oyen before arriving at our destination of Etroubles where we had booked into the Ostello Dortoir.