AS a wave of ice-cold water pummels me in the face, I gasp and brace myself for another.
My husband Tom yells: “Are you OK? You’re getting hammered!”
6
6
6
I catch my breath and shout: “Yes! This is bloody brilliant!”
We are white-water rafting down northern Italy’s Dora Baltea river in Grade 4+ rapids, which have been topped up by a night’s worth of heavy rain.
I can’t feel my hands, thanks to the 5°C glacial waters running straight from Mont Blanc and, despite the other four oarsmen in our boat being stocky athletes from a kickboxing team in Milan, I seem to be bearing the brunt of every wave.
But as we cruise down slightly calmer waters, I’m overwhelmed by a sense of achievement of what we’ve just conquered with our raft captain Juan – especially with one of Europe’s highest mountains dominating the backdrop.
And this is why I love the Alps so much. With just one adventure, you can be utterly humbled by how minute you are in the world, but also feel like you’ve taken it on and triumphed.
Today, it’s river rapids: 0, Lydia: 1!
River-rafting experiences cost from £42 per person (Totemadventure.com).
Lush lodgings
Thankfully, after my attempt to embody Meryl Streep from ‘90s classic The River Wild, Totum Adventures’ hot showers are just what the doctor ordered, followed by a fluffy robe, slippers and an aromatherapy massage, £113 for 50 minutes, at the five-star Montana Lodge & Spa.
The hotel lies on the edge of the chocolate-box town of La Thuile – Aosta Valley’s last Italian bastion before you hit the French border.
Its interiors are suave, with inviting brown leather sofas and resin stags’ heads adorning the walls.
The 55 bedrooms are modern and spacious, and ours has a sun-soaked balcony with a mountain view – perfect for a post-hike G&T at sundown.
Downstairs, we find a heated indoor pool, an outdoor hot tub, saunas, ice-bucket showers and floor-to-ceiling windows looking up the valley.
Montana’s Bistro Alpino uses local produce and serves up delicious white rabbit ragout with black summer truffle pasta, £34.
Hilly hikes
We decide on a big hike the next day, and out of the 150km of trails on offer, the three-hour trek to Italy’s biggest waterfall, the Cascate del Rutor, appeals most.
Handily, the hotel provides a shuttle to the start of many trails, so just five minutes later we begin our ascent.
The path is rocky and steep, but the view is utterly breathtaking as the water thunders down and rainbows pop up in the glistening spray.
6
6
6
Fantastic food is in abundance in the valley, too.
La Maison De Laurent serves freshly made ginormous pizzas topped with local mozzarella and pistachio pesto, from £5.50 (Ristorantemaisondelaurent.it).
Another day, La Grotta proves a great spot to watch the world go by.
Its £21 lunch menu includes an antipasto plate, three types of pasta served on one divided plate, dessert – the tiramisu is immense – as well as espresso and limoncello (Lagrottalathuile.com).
Fancying an easier trail for our last morning, we take the 30-minute walk up to the stunning Lake D’Arpy.
Tom is brave enough to dip his toes into the icy water, while I wince at those taking a dip – but it’s yet another bella vista snap of one oar-some trip.
BTW
Double rooms at The Montana Lodge & Spa cost from £161 (Montanalodge.it).
Return UK flights to Geneva cost from £58.
