Blanchard - Bivacco Mariano - Lago Tzère

A long, atmospheric route that climbs from Blanchard, at 1,731 metres on the Val d'Ayas hillside, to Lake Tzère, a high-altitude mirror at 2,870 metres, touching the Mariano bivouac along the way. Nine kilometres and more than eleven hundred metres of ascent, on experienced-hiker terrain: the woods are soon left behind for high pastures, moraines and the scree that precedes the lake. The bivouac offers a base in a secluded, little-visited corner of the valley, while the lake, set among the rocks, gives the stillness typical of high glacial basins. Walk it with trained legs and an eye on the weather, since afternoon storms are common at altitude; best in summer, once the snowfields have melted.