Marlowe goes hiking in northern Italy, summer 2002

Dwight Peck's personal website

Marlowe goes hiking in northern Italy,
summer 2002

Summer 2002 swooped in fast, blasted by over our heads with an acrid smell, and disappeared over the horizon. Mr D. Peck, for a large number of work-related reasons, was unable to plan any holidays from 2001 right all the way through 2002, and probably well into the spring of 2003 for that matter.

Nonetheless, Ms Marlowe Tyson Peck was able to take time from her busy schedule to come over for a two-week visit in mid- to late August 2002, during which time she camped on Mont Tendre, hiked in Italy, and went to see Colmar and Strasbourg in nearby France. And played computer games.

You may not find this interesting unless you're included here, so this is a good time for casual and random browsers to turn back before they get too caught up in the sweep and majesty of the proceedings and can't let go.

Here are some of Marlowe's hikes on the south side of the Alps, but first . . .

between her visits to Colmar and Strasbourg and her hikes in northern Italy, Marlowe looked in at the Castle of Grandson on Lac Neuchâtel for an afternoon, and then . . .

got beatified with her own halo on a hike to the Chalet à Roch Dessus (more wall paintings here). Now we're off to Italy in good earnest . . .

Ms M. T. Peck at the Grand St. Bernard pass from Switzerland over into Italy, with the famous smelly Grand Saint Bernard dog kennels up on the right.

Dad, friend Lisa, and Marlowe at the Grand St. Bernard pass, with Switzerland behind, preparing now to drive down the far side of the pass to the Val d'Aosta, and then turn up into the Valpelline, and then turn up into the Val d'Ollomont, for some hiking and hearty dining. (Photo credit: Dante (André).)

Marlowe and almost-doctor Andrea (Dante) preparing to walk up a path through the headwall near the waterfall to a hanging valley part-way up towards the passes over to Switzerland (down which Marlowe's dad and friends stumbled just a few weeks earlier).

From part-way up the path, a view back down at the Val d'Ollomont, with the village of Vaud (1482m) in the center, a "suburb" as it were of the village of Ollomont (1356m), and the genuinely strange hotel Mont Gelé just visible as the view turns round the tree-covered buttress on the left.

The farm building, or half a farm building apparently, of Cheval Blanc (2009m) in the hanging valley of By -- this is as far as we're going up today.

Near Cheval Blanc, André, Lisa, and Marlowe view abandoned farms in the hanging valley to the left and prepare to dart downwards towards dinner.

Marlowe near "Glacier", heading for the Hotel Mont Gelé and dinner in Ollomont.

Marlowe in Ollomont the next morning, drawing attention to the wonderful stone-and-wood architectural combinations characteristic of the region.

At the dam of Place Moulin (1960m) at the head of the Valpelline, almost-Dr André, Marlowe, and Lisa prepare to march to the Rifugio Prarayer, a rainy ways to the north.

En route for Prarayer -- the last time Mr Peck was here (a mere month earlier) it was bucketing down with rain, so this drizzle can be seen as a blessing.

Marlowe hiking in northern Italy, August 2002.

The Rifugio di Prarayer in the distance, and Mr Peck's route a month ago up to the right.

The Rifugio di Prarayer, with the lake of Place Moulin extending southward. Here, Lisa ate some soup and we went home, vowing to come back another day, Bog willing.

Another hike to the Rifugio di Prarayer, October 2014

Marlowe Tyson Peck