Logistics

The venue and general information

The conference will take place in Champoluc, a town located at approximately 1600m in the Ayas Valley within the Valle d'Aosta region in Italy. The conference will be in the auditorium of the Monterosa SPA starting in the morning of Monday September 12 and ending in the afternoon of Friday September 16. Transportation will be provided on Sunday September 11 and Friday September 16 (see below for details).

A map of the area can be downloaded from here

Funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme FEEDGALAXIES (Grant agreement No. 757535) will help keeping the participants' costs to a minimum. Registered participants will be asked to contribute to the costs of the event via a conference fee of 350 EUR (reduced to 300 EUR for Early Bird Registrations), inclusive of lunches and transportation. Tickets for the conference lunch with excursion will be at 50 EUR. The organizing committee is aware of the uncertainty surrounding international travels during the covid-19 pandemic, and will try to accommodate as much as possible last minute changes due to, e.g., travel restrictions. We hope this will be an in-person event, but we will keep monitoring the situation and allow for online contributions should it be impossible for some speakers to travel at the time of the meeting.The organizers will endeavour to refund, on a best effort basis, all or part of the conference fees in the event of covid-19 related travel disruptions, excluding however costs already incurred at the time of cancellation.

Restaurants

There are several restaurants in the area and in nearby towns. As we head towards the end of the tourist season, however, some restaurants may be closed. Please check the opening times before venturing too far!

Some restaurants have confirmed with us that they will open. The list includes:

Hotellerie de Mascognaz
Le Vieux Lyskamm
Le Petit Coq
Hotel Castor
La Brasserie du Breithorn
Cliffhanger's Grill
Kondor
Hotel Punta Zerbion
Resto Tata
Le Petit Monde
Crest Alpine Lodge

We expect other restaurants to be open, it's just they have not replied and confirmed with us.

Accommodations

Participants are kindly requested to arrange for their own accomodation in one of the many hotels, apartments, and B&B available in the area. To aid the process, we will liaise with participants and hotels during the month of April. Champoluc is a very popular holiday venue, and different types of accommodation can be found in town, within walking distance from the auditorium. People who prefer accommodations out of town (e.g. in nearby villages) should consider that public transportation is somewhat limited (see the Verrès – Ayas – Champoluc – Saint Jacques timetable here).

Please note that the first part of September is still considered high-season at least till the start of the school year in Italy (generally around September 10-15) so we recommend booking in advance (before May) if possible.

Travel information

A bus transfer to Champoluc will be provided on Sunday September 11, leaving from Milano Centrale train station in the early afternoon (approximately 2:00pm) with a stop at Milano Malpensa Airport (expected departure from the airport around 3:30pm) to arrive in Champoluc by approximately 6:00pm. Likewise, on Friday September 16, a bus transfer will be provided from Champoluc (departure approximately 2:30pm) arriving to Milano Malpensa Airport at approximately 5:00pm and Milano Centrale train station at approximately 6:30pm.

The best way to reach Champoluc from Milan when traveling independently is by Arriva bus (more information here), leaving from Milano Lampugnano (on the Metro M1 line) and stopping at Verres and changing bus to Champoluc (information on the route Verrès – Ayas – Champoluc – Saint Jacques can be found here). A taxi between Champoluc/Verres can be a good option to reduce the time waiting for connection.

People traveling to/from MXP have two options to consider. The first option is to catch a train to Milano-Garibaldi from Terminal 1 in MXP, and reach Lampugnano via metro (M5/M1 lines) to board the Arriva bus to Verres (see here). The second option is to get a FlixBus (see here) from MXP Terminal 1 to Novara (Veveri A4) and board the Arriva bus to Verres from there (see here).

Verres can also be reached by train from any main city (although only via regional - no high speed - trains).

Taxi transfers are also available in the area (also to/from Milan Malpensa), although they can be a bit expensive (~300 eur between Champoluc and Milan). We set up a #share-a-taxi channel on slack for people looking to share a ride.

Social events

On Wednesday September 14th, we will have a conference meal in the Alpine Restaurant "La Maison du Braconnier" in a town called Barmasc around 1:00pm. A bus transfer will be provided for participants who have registered for the meal, leaving shortly after noon from the conference venue. The restaurant is at almost 2000mt, so expect cool/windy weather even on a sunny day. In the afternoon, there will be plenty of opportunity to relax in the area, or walk on the many trails (for all levels) departing from Barmasc. Buses will return to Champoluc departing around 6:00pm.

Group hikes near Champoluc are also planned (weather and time permitting) for the afternoons of Monday and Tuesday.

Champoluc is very much a family friendly location, and the organizers welcome participants who plan to join with family and young children. The organizers are exploring the possibility to arrange for childcare and daily activities for young guests. Please contact the organizing committee if interested in this option and for any special requirements.

Information on events or activities in the area can be found online (e.g. https://www.visitmonterosa.com/en) or by contacting/visiting the local tourist office.

Safety and wellbeing of participants

Emergency services are available dialling 112. For less urgent matters, please refer to a member of the organizing committee who will try to help.

September is a fantastic season to visit the Alps, with a comfortable but cool weather during the day. However, significant drops in temperature can occur at night, during storms and at high altitude. Participants planning to hike on one of the many trails in the area should be well-equipped and should notify colleagues or a member of the organizing committee of planned itinerary when alone. Mobile phone coverage is good in town but patchy or absent in the surrounding mountains. The area outside town is rich in wildlife, including poisonous snakes which tend to be found near rocks and in tall grass. Please wear walking shoes or boots when on trails and keep on trails at all times, refraining from walking in tall grass (which is most often on private land for pasture). Grass and rocks at high altitude can be particularly slippery even in dry conditions, and icy can be present. Bring water.