Etape 6 - Refuge Jervis – Villanova – Bobbio Pellice

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# Val Pellice
Valle Pellice or Val Pellice in Italian, or "le Val Pellice" in French, is a valley in the Cottian Alps in the former province of Turin. It lies to the north of Mont-Viso and borders on Haut-Guil. It owes its name to the Torrent Pellice, which flows through it from the heights of Monte Granero (3,170 m) in the Cottian Alps. It is the largest of the three Waldensian Valleys.
The lower valley as far as Bobbio Pellice, open to the east, is the main residential area, with numerous farms. As soon as you leave Bobbio at 750 metres altitude, the valley becomes increasingly rugged. Most of the hamlets, borgata, are abandoned, and ruins abound.
Villeneuve's borgata, Villanova, is the highest, at just 1,250 meters above sea level, and was once home to a Carabinieri barracks. Today, it's the starting point for hut climbs and hikes over the passes to neighboring Queyras.

# Torre Pellice
Torre Pellice is the best-known commune in Val Pellice. It is the main seat of the Waldensian Evangelical Church's institutions, in particular the Waldensian House (Casa valdese), where the Waldensian Synod meets, the Waldensian Temple and the Waldensian Cultural Center, which houses the museum and library.
All these buildings, dating from the second half of the 19th or early 20th century, are grouped together along the Via Beckwith, named after John Charles Beckwith, an English general who helped finance the Waldensian Quarter and several schools in the villages of the three valleys.

# Centre culturel vaudois
The Fondation Centre culturel vaudois was created in 1989, bringing together under a single management the rich historical and cultural heritage that was then scattered around, with the aim of making it available to a wider public: the library, museum, archives and collections.
Situated in the heart of the Vaud valleys, the Foundation is located in a frontier zone and, in the context of a European reality under construction, wishes to be a place of encounter and exchange in a spirit of cultural pluralism.
If you book in advance, you can take a guided tour of the museum, temple and historic sites in the Waldensian valleys (in various languages).

In spring and autumn, conditions are changeable, and even snow-free trails can be icy. As a result, the reflex in the mountains is to "go out well equipped". In my bag, I slip or hang crampons and poles.

In winter, the right reflexes are: snowshoes, poles, gloves, hat, sun cream and... a survival blanket! Experience is essential, and knowing when to give up is sometimes preferable to taking risks. And if you're new to the mountains, don't hesitate to call in a professional! Before going out, I check the Météo France Montagnes and BERA bulletins (risks and avalanches).

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