So skilful were these preparations that, in the early days of May, the greater part of his men and stores were near the lake of Geneva, whence they were easily transferred to the upper valley of the Rhone.

In order that he might have a methodical, hard-working coadjutor he sent Berthier from the office of the Ministry of War, where he had displayed less ability than Bernadotte, to be commander-in-chief of the "army of reserve." In reality Berthier was, as before in Italy and Egypt, chief of the staff; but he had the titular dignity of commander which the constitution of 1800 forbade the First Consul to assume.
On May 6th Bonaparte left Paris for Geneva, where he felt the pulse of every movement in both campaigns.

At that city, on hearing the report of his general of engineers, he decided to take the Great St.Bernard route into Italy, as against the Simplon.

With redoubled energy, he now supervised the thousands of details that were needed to insure success: for, while prone to indulging in grandiose schemes, he revelled in the work which alone could bring them within his grasp: or, as Wellington once remarked, "Nothing was too great or too small for his proboscis." The difficulties of sending a large army over the Great St.Bernard were indeed immense.

That pass was chosen because it presented only five leagues of ground impracticable for carriages.