Tirano to Bellinzona

Am in Venice for a long weekend with Gill, having headed out from Bellinzona on the train yesterday...was quite satidfying to head across italy on the intercity at speed for several hours...seemed a long way back across the country!

Varied section again. Despite the weather forecast of grim weather returning, this did not happen (hooray!) and weather was uniformly good, a very welcome change compared to the previous week! Still evidence of the bad weather however in the form of a significant amount of fresh snow around the Bernina area, down to not much over 2000m in places. Therefore again, more devising my own route...after starting on the Via Alpina from Tirano, headed further north to go over trails south of the Bernina pass, and then followed along above the north side of the valley system, opposite the Piz Bernina and Piz Badille. This was now in Switzerland, which you could tell by the comprehensive signposts, it took half an hour sometimes just to read all the destinations, couldnt possibly get lost...awesome! Fortunately (hurray again!) the new snow was pretty much confined to the area around the Bernina itself, so was able to still follow a good route...very good views from the balcony trail above St Moritz, and subsequently (after passing the Maloja pass) ver the Val da Cam (almost 2,500m, the highest point on the route so far in fact).

Unfortunately after this things slowed down a bit, due to a sore right foot. I think I have been too successful in accustomising the muscles in my feet to walking over uneven ground in light footwear, and the other parts were therefore a bit bruised after some big days. Various shorter and longer days followed...past Chiavenna and over the Passo della Forcola (very fine but very hot...7,000 feet of ascent with a starting temperature of 30degC in the valley...once more the umbrella invaluable for sun as well as rain. very fine bivvy spot also at Alpe de Quarnei). However, the foot was definitely objecting, so have had a copule of rest days in Bellinzona, linking into the long weekend planned with Gill in Venice. Foot definitely better than it was, but slightly concerned that it might end up requiring the simple, effective and easily available remedy I dont want to give it i.e. spend a while not walking long distances on it. Have my boots (thanks to Gill, with many other small but critical requests for assorted materials) for the next section so will see how it goes with a bit more prtoection.

Into July then...have worked out that have covered about 1400km (almost the same each month at 700km, June would have been bigger if not for slow down over last week), so assuming no long term problems with the foot am roughly on track. So far despite my constant route variatons I have roughly covered the same distance as the Via Alpina would to get to the same point. Might however be trying to take a slightly more direct route on the next parts to get to Monaco not too long after the start of August, in order to ensure plenty of time in France and Switzerland (as far as I remember from doing things like the Tour de Mont Blanc, its not quite so hot and not so many snakes, which continue to here and there consider the path a good place to go to sleep on).

Have confirmed with Nathalie at the Via Alpina that there is a bug in the height calculator in their data, so my observation that the ascent is overstated is correct. This is reassuring, both in terms of the route ahead and also in terms of the route so far, where I have done about 70% of the ascent I expected...nice to know that this is probably comparable and am not missing out (people might start thinking this is a holiday or something!). Also reassuring as I think the amount in my figures would in fact not be possible for me in the timescale, given the heat in particular.

Anyway, off for beer, concert tomorrow, sightseeing in Venice etc and then back to Bellinzona Tuesday, arriving mid afternoon for a hot walk along the valley.