Baita Fogliolina, La Thuile Mont Blanc, Aosta Valley
Private experience on demand, also on working days.

In short: an individual experience in which we will explore and experience the mountains, sharing ideas, emotions, joys and hardships, as well as meals and the same roof. For the occasion I will host you in my off-grid chalet, located at 1900 meters above sea level in front of Mont Blanc, in the Upper Aosta Valley. From here we will leave to explore this extraordinary territory, also meeting those who live in these places and know them deeply.

Per l’Esperienza in Italiano: clicca qui

I looked for it for many years, finally, I found it: it’s Fogliolina, my chalet in front of Mont Blanc!

Exploring the Hidden Wilderness Ring® in 2019, I thought the chalets on this side were among the most beautiful I had ever seen. Can you imagine the wonder when, after years of research, I found a place to live right on the trekking ring that gives me the most joy to hike?

This chalet literally made my dream of living in the mountains come true:: renovated from a pre-17th century mountain pasture house, located at 1900 meters, a hut altitude, completely off-grid. The water comes from a very pure, non-chlorinated source. The heat is generated by a large stove, on which it is also possible to cook. The surroundings are simply spectacular. We are in that thin line where the larch forest gives way to the alpine meadow, which begins just above the house. Starting from here, in just 2 km of walking you are at over 3000 metres, on one of the most panoramic peaks in the Aosta Valley. At night the darkness is absolute, as is the silence, after all we are 15 minutes by private road from the small town of La Thuile.

Such a special place deserves to be shared, so I decided to open my cabin for equally special proposals, the Mountainscaper® Experience.
These are individual proposals, open to just one person at a time or at most to a couple of partners or friends.

We will spend 3 days together in which we will not only explore the mountains, but we will experience it to all intents and purposes, in an intense and radical way.
We will share ideas, emotions, joys and efforts. During the day we will do some simply spectacular trekking in the La Thuile area, in front of Mont Blanc. We will be able to agree on the difficulty of the treks, so that you can push yourself exactly as far as you want, without forcing yourself into anything. On one of the three days, I propose a special meeting (see below).
In the evening we will retreat to the cabin, light the stove, and relax in this magical place. At night we will be able to admire endless stars, and, if we are lucky, wild animals such as roe deer, deer and even wolves, present precisely on these slopes.

Welcome to Fogliolina!

PS: the cabin is covered by an absolute No-Tale Agreement. It is a unique and special place, as well as private, and I invite you not to spread its coordinates.

Meet a person who live the mountain:
Total immersion in the mountain environment also involves meetings with those who live and work in these places. I want to introduce you to at least one person to whom I am deeply attached, both people who teach me so much about how to connect to the environment. For this reason you have the opportunity to choose between two possible meetings, to which we will dedicate one of the three days together.
The first meeting I propose to you is André Roveyaz, a childhood friend of mine who has always lived in these places. Over the years André has become passionate about nature photography, specializing in the extraordinary wildlife of these valleys. He founded the Nuovi Equilibri project, which, also through the publication of a beautiful photographic book, is documenting the return of the Wolf in the Mont Blanc area.
The second meeting is with Chiara Cenedese, my partner. Chiara has extraordinary skills and sensitivity in the field of wild herbs for food and forest bathing. Her project Madreselva® proposes wild practices in nature to rediscover your sense of belonging and cultivate hope. Chiara will guide us on an immersive walk around the hut, moving away from the classic trekking approach: she will propose practices to awaken the senses, as well as showing us some wild plants that can be used for food purposes.
My invitation to you is to choose between one of these two meetings, however, if you prefer to dedicate yourself exclusively to the experience with me, please make this clear to me during registration.

General program:
– Thursday: arrival between 6pm and 10pm, alternatively you can arrive on Friday morning by 9am
– Friday: day dedicated to meeting André or Chiara
– Saturday and Sunday: days dedicated to trekking at high altitude starting from the hut
We will finish on Sunday between 6pm and 8pm
We can agree in advance on changes to the program according to your preferences. I reserve the right to change the program in the event of, for example, dangerous weather on a single day.
The Experience is available also on working days, out of the week-end.

Price:
1600 € for one person
1700 € total for two people

If you book the experience for Monday-Friday I will reserve you a 10% extra discount.

Deposit: 500 € via Paypal or wire transfer
Balance at the meeting point in cash.

By signing up with good advance, in addition to getting a discount, you help me with the project, giving me confidence and making it more beautiful and complete.

Application form:
Fill the form here: link
or
via email hello@luca-fontana.com

To complete registration, an interview and payment of the deposit are required. The balance will be paid in cash upon arrival.

If for any reason you decide to abandon the experience halfway through, you will not be refunded the registration fee or part of it.
If for objective safety reasons or absolute lack of collaboration or disrespect for the places I live in, I reserve the right to interrupt the experience at any time, without returning the registration fee or part of it.

The fee includes:
– 3 days in a private high altitude off-grid chalet
– overnight stay in a private room with shared bathroom
– all meals during the overnight stay (please inform me of any allergies when registering)
– certified hiking guide for 3 days
– certified forest bathing and forager guide for 1 day or…
– …professional nature photographer for 1 day
– advice on the field
– photos taken by myself during the experience
– transport at the beginning and end of the La Thuile experience
– wood for the stove and petrol for the generator

The fee does not include:
– anything not specified above

What I ask you:
– respect for a special and private place
– desire to share a unique experience
– awareness of your physical fitness and your ability to walk in the mountains
– adherence to the Non Tale Agreement*

Materials needed (I will provide you with a detailed checklist):
– trekking clothing and shoes
– backpack of at least 30 l
– toiletry kit, shower towel
– charged mobile phone
– trekking poles, camera and power bank (optional)
– a good book, or whatever you want to bring to relax and enjoy this special experience

Cancellation and deposit refund policy:
The deposit is refundable only in case of cancellation of the experience by the organizer. Cancellation of the trek means its cancellation without the proposal of a new date by 2024. In case of cancellation by the member, the deposit will not be refunded. This applies in any case (for example: accidents, illness, unexpected commitments…). For more information on my cancellation policies click here

In case of unsuitable weather or other adverse conditions:
Unsuitable weather means conditions that compromise our safety, therefore red level weather alerts. In case of simple rain, the Experience will not be cancelled: we are here to experience the mountains, not to idealize it, and it is essential to stay with what we receive from it.
In the event of a red level weather warning, we will agree on a new date by 2024.
If we cannot agree on a new date, 50% of the value of the deposit will be returned to you.

Difficulty and commitment of the hikes:
The Mountainscaper® Experience is completely customized to your wishes and abilities. Communication between us is fundamental, for this reason during the registration phase I ask you to make a phone call, in which I will ask you about your trekking experience, your physical abilities and how much you want to push yourself to the limit. In this way I will be able to offer you treks of difficulty and physical effort suited to your conditions.
Particular conditions not communicated, just like bad faith regarding one’s psycho-physical state, jeopardize the experience. At any time I reserve the right to modify our programs in order to guarantee the safety of both of us, without having to refund the fee paid or a part of it. Safety information and insurance coverage: click here

* Non Tale Agreement: There are places so rare and precious that they deserve not to be told. This is to protect both the environmental integrity of the place and to avoid transforming them from wild destinations into tourist spots.
By choosing my excursion proposals, you are choosing to take an exploratory journey outside the most common destinations, and for this reason I ask you to cooperate with me in safeguarding them. I therefore ask you not to publicly reveal the locations of this excursion in detail, and when we publish stories or images of our adventure on social media, we will maintain confidentiality about the names of the places and the exact itinerary we followed. Protection depends on the individual conscience, and discovering a high altitude place with a light step is very different from seeing it on social media and wanting to visit it at all costs.

If you have any questions you can write to me or call me:
+39 342 705 4372
Or send me an email:
hello@luca-fontana.com

Here are some photos of the wonderful area surrounding Fogliolina: