Starting from Alagna, there are only two possible destinations, but with unstable weather the choice quickly narrows. We reach the palace that is the Resegotti Hut, and I try to smoke the place out a bit to get rid of some of the humidity. The attempt works as hoped, with the small side effect of filling it with smoke. Dinner is sumptuous, and the wake-up call for the next morning is mercifully late. At 6 a.m. we set off, with Jacopo reminding me that Mattia isn’t there and that it would be better if I slowed down a bit. I go along with it, and so my plan to climb the ridge in 2 hours 30 minutes fades away. Shortly after 9, I hand over the lead to Jacopo, who quickly reaches the Margherita Hut. It’s 9:40, and we feel compelled to have breakfast all over again, with a generous slice of cake. We rest a bit, then start heading back down, meeting roped teams coming up with a Himalayan pace and packs to match. A nice climb, but honestly I was expecting a bit more.