Start 08h06 · Arrival 15h31. 13.7 km, +727 m, -764 m, 5h27 moving and 7h25 in total. A more breathable stage, but not a free one. It lets you get the body going again before the very big day that follows.
After the very demanding day up to Ballone, this fifth day feels like a kind of breather. Not because the stage is easy — but because the terrain shifts in tone. Little by little you leave behind the most brutal mood of the north, and the body is glad to no longer be constantly in the boulders and the relentless tension.
The first part descends, following the water. The river keeps you company as you go, with clear rock pools, sometimes almost turquoise, that make you want to stop. The morning is still cool, the packs are on our backs, the goal is far off — you look, you enjoy, but you don't settle in.
« And that wonderful feeling of crossing magnificent scenery without constantly fighting the terrain. »
What stands out most on this day is the unbroken beauty of the scenery. After several days of taking the mountain in its raw, mineral form, this stage offers something else: more forest, more water, more room to breathe. You move forward with that rare sense of being able to lift your eyes a little more often.
Mentally too, the day has something reassuring about it. Vergio is a real resupply point, and that counts enormously as you near the middle of the trek.
Arriving at the Col de Vergio almost feels like a brief return to civilisation. After several days of refuges and bare-bones logistics, finding a small but well-stocked shop changes everything. Fresh produce, bread, a few treats — at this stage of the trek, that kind of detail takes on huge importance.
Recharging the devices, sorting out the gear, looking ahead to what's next with a little more peace of mind: the Col de Vergio becomes a strategic point, a comfortable pause in the middle of a route that wears you down without let-up.
But make no mistake: this is not a rest day. The 13.7 km, the nearly 900 metres of descent and the accumulated fatigue are a reminder that the body is still working. It's simply that the feeling is different. Less technical stress, more flow. And that wonderful feeling of crossing magnificent scenery without constantly fighting the terrain.
You finish the day at the Col de Vergio, with the sense of having walked a stage that is essential to the balance of the crossing. Recover a little. Stock back up. And get yourself mentally ready for what's coming.