Skip to main content

Monte Bianco and the Giant's Tooth


Panoramic view as seen from the charming town of Pre-St-Didier in Valle d'Aosta.
Monte Bianco on the left, the Giant's Tooth on the right, signaled by an arrow.

3rd day, Courmayeur — The big alpine blue. It just takes your breath away. The sun is mercilessly harsh at this altitude, and the mighty Monte Bianco has to be one of the most impressive of natural wonders in Italy. We were nearing the region's northern border again, avoiding the Mont Blanc tunnel leading into Chamonix, France, and getting close enough to gaze in wonder at what is known as the 11th highest peak in the world. She is majestic at 15,781 feet above sea level, and therefore demanding the sort of climbing skills way beyond our experience.

We'll probably never visit during the busy ski season but there's one unique feature that nature buffs would appreciate - il Dente del Gigante - the Giant's Tooth. Second in popularity to Monte Bianco, this "tooth" is surrounded by myth for which I share an adaptation of the original. The giant in this case is Gargantua (of François Rabelais lore, not the japanese version). Upon his death, arrangements had been made for his tooth to be thrust into the icy white of Monte Bianco. Legend has it that within the tooth malicious spirits are desperately trying to escape. Let's hope they never do.

Once upon a time evil spirits roamed free in Valle d'Aosta. Desperate to be rid of such miserable trouble, the populace sought help from a magician in a faraway land. Moved by the people's distress, the magician went up into the valley uttering strange words, luring the attention of the unholy beings. They swarmed down the mountainside in large numbers: from the ravines, from the forests, from streams and rivers formed by the melting snow. Unable to resist the magician's pull, they followed as he led them all to Monte Bianco. Once there, the spirits were thrown into an icy abyss by an unseen force, to be imprisoned forever with the door of the Giant's Tooth.


A section of the Grandes Jorasses, northeastern range of the Monte Bianco massif


Three waterfalls cascade from melting glacial snow

Comments

Amber said…
My quads hurt at the mere thought of climbing about there... but what stunning views!
'Stunning' doesn't do those view justice. Wow! Simply breathtaking.

So interesting on the "dente del gigante" story, too. Can't wait to make it up there myself!
Rosa said…
I have only ever seen this from a birds eye view, flying over with the plane. Always breathaking!
casalba said…
Sorry to be repetitious, but those photos... stunning, breathtaking and all that jazz. Great job, Rowena.
Barbara said…
Hi Ro,

Aoste is a special place for D & I too.
I've always related very well with mountains since I've been in Europe. There's a special energy & feeling up there.

Thanx for sharing :)
Rowena said…
Amber - my jaw must've dropped a meter gazing up at this place. It suddenly makes you realize how tiny we are in the whole scheme of things.

Peter - a shame that we didn't hike anywhere near here, but at least now we know better to go when the temps are a bit cooler. Truly awesome area!

Scintilla - at some point while taking in the scenery, I wished that I could fly like Superman!

Casalba - thank you kindly, but the next time I hope to be shooting from the top instead of the bottom. ^-^

Barbara - I couldn't agree with your more on that sentiment. Majestic, mighty, marvelous...there simply are no words that truly capture the emotions that these mountains bring out in me.
Brad Farless said…
That's definitely some beautiful scenery. I've always enjoyed walking about in the woods, or, when I lived in El Paso, on the mountains.

The story reminds me of the Pied Piper a bit...
Anonymous said…
Your pictures are stunning - so hard to take good photos of such big scenery, but you really capture the feeling. Love the story, too...
Rowena said…
Brad - that must've been great living in El Paso. Just the skyline alone...wow!

Farfalle - thank you ma'am, and you are so right on scenic photography...it seems almost ridiculous when trying to resize them into a more manageable upload.

Foodie, Kat - I voiced those exact sentiments. It really does leave you at a loss for words.
Anonymous said…
The pictures are gorgeous! It reminds me a bit of Patagonia.

My knees still hurt from climbing to get the best view there :$
Rowena said…
Zhu - one day we'll get to Patagonia...for me it is the ultimate dream destination. Heaven on earth!

Popular posts from this blog

Hi-Yo, Silver, away!

Slowly, but surely, Miss Maddie the alpine westie is gaining back her strength and stamina on these brief walks that we take around the mountainside. The hot summer temps are fading away, maybe too fast for my liking, but in the coolness of digits less than 70°F, the dogs handle it much better outdoors. We came across an old hotel over the weekend, its exterior still in good shape even if the property was no longer in operation. Along the outside wall, iron rings were firmly attached for way back in the days when people traveled by horse. An iron boot remover/puller was firmly embedded right next to the entrance. I've never taken riding lessons, but now I'm thinking, wouldn't it be fun to go on a vacation through the italian countryside only on horseback? I believe there are already these types of eco-tourism here, and I've read about one where you travel by donkey instead. The dogs would probably prefer to walk it themselves, as long as the pace was kept to a t...

Welcome to Lake Como (guest blogger)

As the main focus of this site is to promote the beauty of the northern italian lake areas, the following article and images comes from Chiara who manages the blog Italy Lakes.net. Welcome to Lake Como Lake Como is one of largest and the most well-known of northern Italy's lakes. Thanks to its beauty, the diversity of its landscapes and its mild summers and winters, the Como area is a favorite destination for tourists from all over Northern Europe. Among the most famous of Lake Como's localities is undoubtedly Cernobbio. A popular holiday resort at the foot of Mount Bisbino, Cernobbio is also well-known for its numerous elegant and luxurious villas, the most famous of which is Villa d'Este. As well as Villa d'Este, must-visits in the area around Cernobbio include Villa Erba, Villa Pizzo, Villa Fontanelle, and Villa Bernasconi. Then there are the Buco della Volpe – Fox Hole – and Zocca d’Ass caves. Last but not least, there is the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Mary...

Good day for a hike: 2500 feet, 23 km and 7.5 hours

A hunk of bread, a wedge of aged sheep's cheese, a couple canteens of water and some fruit. I regret not being able to share a more thorough and detailed trail description but this was more for practice and not for the lofty views. Ever since the movie The Way , we both had to know what one 20 kilometer day (12+ miles) would feel like if we were to embark on, at most, the 40-day 800 kilometer Camino de Santiago in Spain. That's a lot of walking. I think I would get real skinny if I missed a meal. Lecco's mountains are covered in so many up-and-down trails that all you need do is get to any village above the lake. We started at an altitude of 670 meters and walked up another 762 to the top of Monte Tesoro in Valcava. That's a height difference of 2500 feet, 8 kilometers and 2.5 hours at a steady pace with Maddie and Mr B in tow. From there we made a loop trip back down, stopping often to munch on vittles and to take a look around. Altogether a total of 23 kilom...