August, 2021
now browsing by month
Italian Alps (2)
1. After the Sommeillier, we reached the Pass delle Finestre. Arrived in late afternoon in a thick fog, we decide to sleep there in the hope of better weather the next day.
2. Early next morning, the fog fell slightly.
3. It gradually dissipates, giving a glimpse of the trail driven the day before.
4. Last switchbacks before the pass.
5. North side.
6. South side.
7. Backlight…
I wanted to continue by the Pass dell Assietta track but a municipal decree forbids access to vehicles from mid-June to mid-September. Undoubtedly the result of intensive attendance in recent years by groups of 10 to 20 4×4 mainly from Germany (these organized tours have become very popular with Germans who don’t have such mountains in their country). Therefore, we descent the southern side of the pass and do to Sestriere where we do some shopping to fill the fridge. Emile chose a succulent sheep’s cheese there after tasting it in the grocery shop!
We go then discover the superb Argentera Valley, still wild on its upper part since a 4×4 is needed to access there.
8. We find a great boondocking spot next to the river.
9. VivaLaVida in the distance.
10. Upper Argentera Valley.
It is already Friday and I decide to cross toward the Pyrenees to enjoy these other mountains, knowing that I will land Emile in Corrèze for the rest of his vacation in two weeks.
11. After half a day on the road, another boondocking spot in la Drôme.
12. Calm sunset atmosphere.
To be followed in the next article. 😉
Small handling error
Sorry if you received an email today announcing the publication of a new article. This is my handling error.
The rest of the story is coming soon. 😉
Summer trip 2021, start in France and Italy
Both Emile and I were eager to hit the road after two years without traveling in VivaLaVida. However, while we planned to leave on a Monday, trying to crank VivaLaVida the previous Thursday, no way to start it! I do the diagnostics and identify that it was the injection pressure regulator that was out of order. I ordered the part in the United States with express shipping and received it next Monday. The time to install it and check that everything was fine, we finally left on Tuesday at the beginning of the afternoon …
1. First stop at Fairies lake, in Beaufortain.
2. The next day, we go to the Iseran Pass, more than 9,000 feet elevation.
3. Emile building a kern.
4. View of the mountains where Isère takes its source.
5. Emile in front of an orientation table.
6. We find a place under the pass to boondock.
7. There is a torrent, Emile throws some stones at it!
87. All happy!
9. The sun hides behind the mountain until the next day…
10. The next day, direction Italy in the Rochemolles valley via Mont Cenis.
11. The pleasure of the first campfire of the trip.
12. Dinner!
13. The following morning, we go up to the Scarfiotti refuge and its small lakes. I give up going up to the Sommeillier Pass because you have to pay to take this dead end track and there was a lot of people.
14. Waterfall behind the refuge.
Continuation of the story in a few days… 😉
Long mechanical stop finally resolved…
It has been more than two years since I published anything here: VivaLaVida was at a standstill awaiting a solution to a mechanical issue hampering the hot start. It was only at the end of last year that I was able to organize myself to carry out this work.
1. Installation in the garage of my good friend Benji.
The problem arises from the high pressure hydraulic circuit that controls fuel injection. An o-ring seal deteriorates with vibration. This is a weakness of this engine as almost all present this problem between 200 and 300,000 miles. However, to replace it, the engine must be removed and that needs 40 hours according to the technical documentation.
2. Start of disassembly: you have to dismantle the entire front…
3. …because the engine is “buried” under the dashboard.
4. After 4 days of work, I can finally lift the engine with the crane.
5. And here is the guilty part.
6. I take advantage of the engine being out to install reinforced cylinder head studs, removing another potential engine weakness.
7. Reassembly of cylinder heads and timing.
8. After 6 days of work, the engine is ready to return to the vehicle.
9. You need a shoehorn to get it back in!
10. After 3 more days of work, it’s almost over.
These two weeks were followed, a few months later, by a frame treatment to stop the rust which was starting to redden the underside of VLV. Thus, it’s in great shape that VivaLaVida took to the road again last July to discover some places of the Italian Alps and the Spanish Pyrenees.
I will tell about that very soon. 😉
D5 Creation