Day 12 & 13 Contrast & Injury

In Italy certain things you only discover by speaking to the locals. We arrived in a tiny village not far from Cogne, in a narrow valley, where we planned to ski. We entered a little bar - which turned out to be also someone's home - to ask for information. The owner told us that her father founded the local ski club 1951. She explained that at that time they didn't have a machine to prepare the slopes, the children did that themselves, simply using their narrow ski's. Those were different times she said. When we told her what piste we were looking for, she sent us to a completely different piste, we didn't even know existed. It turned out to be a small and unspoiled paradise. And to keep it that way, I won't mention where it is. So there we were, at 2000 meters high, looking at this amazing view! 

Once we completed this area, we skied at the piste that we planned for our journey, but not without saying hello to the lady of the bar. She told us we absolutely had to try their local liquor, which is called Genepi. It is made by steeping the aromatic flowering tops of select Artemisia trees. We tried to explain to the lady, that we don't drink while skiing, but she wasn't having any of it and there was no way back. She said it is not very alcoholic, and poured two (not very small) glasses. Personally, I can't drink on an empty stomach, so not to offend the lady, Eleonora had to drink my glass as well. The lady was very proud and said that normally this drink contains 45% to 50% alcohol, but hers has hardly anything in it, just about 35%!!!!!!!  

And off we went and I did feel sorry for Eleonora, as we still had to ski 15 km.. The hilarious thing was that after a couple of kilometers, it wasn't Eleonora, but me who fell and nearly flew into the river. 

And so I injured my shoulder, and struggle to put strength on my ski stick (which is needed to push myself forward in this sport). Thanks to my friend Emanuela Tellatin, who is an orthopedic surgent and who gave me some very useful tips - including lots of ice (of which I had plenty) - it is already a bit better now. 

The next day thankfully, I did manage to ski, we were in Rhemes-Notre Dame, an adjacent valley in Valle d'Aosta, at 1800 meters with stunning slopes, but for some reason, they had just decided to not prepare the slopes. So the day before we found a perfectly groomed slope that is not even found on internet, and instead, in this place, the tourist board  advertises fantastic pistes, but couldn't be bothered to prepare them at all, which meant 7km of ice through the forest and worst of all... they even make you pay for this leg-breaking-piste. So, I don't think I will be back here soon!!!

Do you also want to support the pigs? We hope to raise 10 euros for every kilometer for a documentary that House of Animals will make about pigs. All costs for this trip are financed by ourselves and in some cases sponsored by companies and hotels. If you also want to support us, know that 100% of your donation goes to House of Animals.

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