The Great St Bernard’s Pass was one of our objectives when we started out on our journey to Rome. The pass is pretty high at 2,469 m (8,100 ft) and will be the highest elevation we have ever walked up to – and yes, we did originally start at sea level!! But it was the timing that had to be right. The period when the Pass is reliably free of snow is mainly August and September according to all the guides, so we had to factor that into our calculations.

It is also a challenging route for anyone carrying a heavy backpack, and we are getting older. We would have rather done this a few years ago but various demands and events in our lives, plus the dreaded Covid, all got in the way. So we grabbed the chance when we could and here we are.

We walked up to Bourg St Pierre yesterday (16^th Sept) and had a cosy hotel room with a good view over the village and on to the mountains. This morning we got up and were surprised to see the mountains with a good dusting of snow on them and flurries of the stuff blowing through the air at our bleary eyes.

So we headed off with a little anxiety alongside our excitement as we had read that a few parts of the walk could be difficult, especially when wet or icy.

Well, it was wet, it was often snow covered and it was definitely icy, but it was also fabulous. What a gift! A landscape dressed in snow was not what we had expected, even when we saw on the forecast that a bit of sleet or snow might be in the offing.

What I had not anticipated was the cold. The wind was fairly constant in the background and, from time to time it was quite strong. It was also freezing, and I had no gloves (something I had intended to add to my bag in London but had left on the side… ). So, it was icy for my fingers at times but the walk was sublime.

Much of it was a lot easier than we had anticipated with rough roads and tracks, and other bits were tough, very steep and covered with snow and ice, or narrow and slippery mud, and of course some of the paths were really streams. But this was pretty much what you expect on any mountainside, anywhere and brought to mind times in places like the West Highland Way, Mull and Ben Nevis. But this was much higher than anywhere in the UK and the beautiful snow was ankle deep in places and hid holes and rocks superbly. The ice was thicker and more prevalent as we climbed higher and the wind was often, but not always at our backs. But it was wonderful to hear that fabulous creak that snow makes when you step on it. All things considered it was a wonderful walk.

One big difficulty we faced on this morning’s walk was that there was no where to stop. We were exposed pretty much the whole way and there were no places to sit or huddle either. So we went straight up with not much more than a series of short pauses and had a good meal on our arrival at the first place we came to at the top. In fact it was lovely as we were able to sit and share it with our fellow pilgrim Peter, from Sidney.

We have our bunk beds in the heavily wood panelled dorms and had a freezing stroll around and visit to the church (prayers, pictures and live organ music to accompany us) and the little museum was wonderful next to the church. Sitting in the very nice Salon writing this I can hear the wind whistle and moan in the background.

As for the pictures, the two at the start are to contrast yesterday afternoon and this morning. The Icon is from the church and the two figures from the museum are a fifteenth century Maddona and child and, the one of a woman is an early reliquary of St Perpetua (for Dominique). The big white building is where we are staying, a place that has looked after pilgrims and other travellers since the eleventh century.

The two pictures of cattle include one with two young bulls fighting in the background and a line of cows that filed off to the right to let us past on the path. Thank you all!

And so, here we are at the top and happy to share today’s pictures with you.

Tomorrow we will set off on our way down from the Pass to Aosta, which is a decent distance of 28.8 Kms and a total descent of 2,347 metres. We expect to be pretty knackered by the end of the day so we have booked into a hotel with a restaurant so we don’t have to wander around looking for a place to eat. The next day to Chatillon is going to be as far and as hard but once we have got that section and the one to Verrez the next day, things will get better for a while.

Farewell Switzerland and tomorrow we say hello to Italy xxx.