While Emile spends the first week of his fall holidays with me, we go to Savoie for a few days in VivaLaVida to enjoy the fall colours already present at altitude.
 
 
1. Mountains of Tarentaise, above Meribel.
 

 
 
2. From the Pass of Tougnète where we spend the first night, view of the Aiguille du Fruit.
 

 
 
3. Emile drives offroad! 🙂
 

 
 
4. Our first bivouac at almost 8,000 feet with a lovely campfire.
 

 
 
5. The sun bows out in a cloudless sky.
 

 
 
6. Waking up to a sky as clear as the day before.
 

 
 
7. Small lake called “Large Lake” above Levassaix.
 

 
 
8. The mountain has already donned its fall hues.
 

 
 
9. We go discovering the Val des Encombres, with the hope of reaching the Maurienne Valley via the pass of the same name.
 

 
 
10. It is a gorgeous rather wild valley where only the hamlet of Bourtacombe, a few mountain pastures or herds embody human presence. It is unfortunately disfigured by a high-voltage line which crosses it from top to bottom and which I try to hide in my frames.
 

 
 
11. Alpine pasture of the Cariots,
 

 
 
12. The trail rises in the upper valley.
 

 
 
13. View of the valley already driven.
 

 
 
14. VivaLaVida on the trail.
 

 
 
15. Altitude marsh.
 

 
 
16. Arriving at the pass, at an altitude of 7,800 feet, we notice that the descent to the Maurienne Valley is impassable. While the beginning of the trail would be passable, this is not the case further down, where it has partially collapsed on an unstable slope, leaving only a quad path, far too narrow for VLV. Moreover, a recently posted sign prohibits access from the pass to any motorized vehicle.
We therefore turn back to a boondocking spot we spotted on the way up.
 

 
 
17. View of the Maurienne from the Petit Col des Encombres.
 

 
 
18. Our bivouac, with the Mont Blanc – the highest mountain in Europe – in the background.
 

 
 
19. Soft light at sunset…
 

 
 
I take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a very happy 2026! See you here next year. 😉