Sunday, 25 July 2010
Back to the Alps
Slightly longer break than hoped for, but am back out to the Alps tomorrow to continue. Foot still not perefect, but improved, and besides we have eaten all the strawberies. A visit to a podiatrist suggested that the probelem was with the second metatarsal (either a hairline fracture or other inflammation) due to likely putting too much weight on it due to defective big toe joint. Best way to avoid problems with it seems to reduce the amount of bending, and in the circumstances his recommendation to do this was just to wear stiff boots. Discussed what I am planning but it seems that if I can carry on without it hurting then shouldn't be making it worse. So, am headed back out tomorrow, with plan to walk in heavy walking boots. Much less suitable for wlaking long distances on paths, but we will see!
Thursday, 8 July 2010
Visit home
Unfortunately foot not improved so rather than make it worse am back home to Aberdeen for a visit to a podiatrist - hopefully back on trail soon! Anyway, a good time to visit...went out and picked almost 10 lb of strawberries from our back garden today.
Saturday, 3 July 2010
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.
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.
Friday, 2 July 2010
Venice
No, Graham hasn't taken a wrong turn, I'm off to meet Graham in Venice today - if I recognise him under his beard. I'm sure there will be an update in the next few days. Over the last couple of weeks Graham has been crossing from Italy to Switzerland on a regular basis, and going past ski resorts like St Moritz and other places. He's catching a train over to venice. I think a few days of heavy ice cream consumption and a bit of sight seeing will make a nice change.
I'm sure there will be many new photo's next week
I'm sure there will be many new photo's next week
Monday, 21 June 2010
Bolzano to Tirano
Am in Milan for a rest and resupply day - mainly wahing and drying things! Last week has ben not ideal weather, in fact has rained most of the time. I needed to make up a route anyway to cut across from the vicinity of the yellow via alpina trail by Bolzano to the vicinity of the red trail by Tirano, so not a bad week to be putting together a not-quite-so-high-up route. The challenge is then to identify something that is suitable for the conditions but isnt just walking along the main road. (as commented previously, if I want to do the whole trip in the available time, then probably need to progress in some way most of the time, regardless of weather). This isnt helped by the Kompass Italian maps seeming rather less consistent on the trail marking than the Kompass Austrain ones - minor road / track in particlar seems to signify a wide variety of things, in one case being non-existent and in one case pretty much a high street, with everything in between. All in all have managed to put a good route togteher, with only a few very short sections of scurrying along the main road to reach the next track! There were some very satisfying bits also, managing to hit the high points at the breaks in the cloud - M Roen next to Bolzano, crossing the Passo della Forcola at the northern end of the Brenta dolomites, and also the high roads traversing the hills SE of Tirano (tarmaced and so a bit hard on the feet, but certainly no traffic and at just that right intermediate altitude to get superb views of everything).
Arriving in Tirano and in need of a night indoors to dry out, the whole town was full (tried 7 places) and no campsite. Therefore spent a wet bivvy and got the 6am train to Milan where I spent yesterday / last night snoozing and washing clothes. Off shortly for the usual map shopping, post last set of maps home, buy food, etc as always before back to Tirano. Might also look for some boots, have been doing the trip so far in lightweight walking trainers, very light and confortable and grippy but definitely limited ability to keep your feet dry in consistent wet conditions. Will also be doing more high level walking from here on (assuming the weather improves! forecast currently looking ok...) so more snow likely crossing likely.
Plan from here is to follow the red via alpina trail (weather and snow permitting) to Biasca, from there will have to see what date I arrive and work out a route on that allows me to get to a train station somewhere for meeting up with Gill for a long weekend start of July.
Languages also changing as I go of course. Was just srating to remember enough German when I crossed in Slovenia. No Slovenian but as I was only crossing the corner of the country for a few days have got by. Must get hold of an Italian phrasebook and pick up some Ialian - so far however, have been in aprts of
There is now a link to this blog also on the via alpina website...
http://www.via-alpina.org/en/page/754/and-those-who-are-setting-off
Arriving in Tirano and in need of a night indoors to dry out, the whole town was full (tried 7 places) and no campsite. Therefore spent a wet bivvy and got the 6am train to Milan where I spent yesterday / last night snoozing and washing clothes. Off shortly for the usual map shopping, post last set of maps home, buy food, etc as always before back to Tirano. Might also look for some boots, have been doing the trip so far in lightweight walking trainers, very light and confortable and grippy but definitely limited ability to keep your feet dry in consistent wet conditions. Will also be doing more high level walking from here on (assuming the weather improves! forecast currently looking ok...) so more snow likely crossing likely.
Plan from here is to follow the red via alpina trail (weather and snow permitting) to Biasca, from there will have to see what date I arrive and work out a route on that allows me to get to a train station somewhere for meeting up with Gill for a long weekend start of July.
Languages also changing as I go of course. Was just srating to remember enough German when I crossed in Slovenia. No Slovenian but as I was only crossing the corner of the country for a few days have got by. Must get hold of an Italian phrasebook and pick up some Ialian - so far however, have been in aprts of
There is now a link to this blog also on the via alpina website...
http://www.via-alpina.org/en/page/754/and-those-who-are-setting-off
Monday, 14 June 2010
Rest day in bolzano
Day later in Bolzano, everything washed and fixed and ready to go again, and in possession of maps, food etc for the next stage. Its quite tricky slecting the maps for a make it up yourself stage, as I'm not totally sure which way i want to go until i have the studied the large scale map plus all the ones that follow i in a prticalr direction. Have therefore been standing in shops with my european road map, folding and unfolding various maps and working out which follows which! Anyway all set, without having bought too many excess maps (although still probably the main source of unnecessary weight in my bag), next aiming point Tirano.
Sunday, 13 June 2010
Bolzano - overview so far
Am in bolzano and have internet access again. And, at an estimate, have now walked about 1000km, hurray!
Have not done much apart from walk, eat and sleep - therefore tired, but healthy and not particualr problems so far. Since my last post I have crossed into Slovenia and then Italy, across the Dolomites. Days have been getting longer, close to the kind of distances and ascents that I need to be doing to get all the way round (20 miles or so with anything up to 9,000 feet of ascent). Am starting to find the heat quite a challenge however - since about Lavamund in southern Austria it has been getting hotter and hotter, and in particular very often is totally still and humid - ability to walk uphill is very often limited by overheatibng rather than fitness. Very often getting through 4 or 5 ltr of fluid just during the daytime, and feeling the need to find more places to stay to find a shower (campsites good: have showers but can still get away early to beat the heat a bit). Also, there has been more 'mountainous' walking than previously. Most of the sections in Austria were relatively straightforward (apart from the snakes) and the difficulty could be pretty much expressed as x miles and y feet of ascent. Since then the route has been generally higher and rougher going: more rough ground and / or exposed paths, requiring more time and effort than previously. I therefore feel on balance rather less fit than a few week ago, but this is probably not the case!
Snakes - 7 so far, only one of them (a large, sleepy adder that gave me a bored kind of look and then curled up again) refusing to move from the path when I asked it too. Fortunately not too steep to go around!
The character of the trip has also been a bit different the last week or two. Previous to that my route pretty much followed the Via Alpina exactly, since Slovenia I have used it more as a general line but have made up my own route. Various reasons for this. As a general one, the Via Alpina was marked on all the Austrian maps but not always since, and with the instructions from the internet not always being definitve the route has felt generally less definitive. Then more specifically. In Bovec (Slovenia) I couldn't find any maps for cross border into Italy, so ended up follwoing a minor road (marked on my map of Europe!) to get to Resiutta in Italy. Next, buying maps which didn't quite cover the right sections, so choosing a very close but parallel route instead. Finally, choosing a few alternative paths in expectation of too much snow on a few of the higher passes.
Last one is significant. I have been looking ahead at the route and anticipating any sections that, in the event of my not being able to get through (snow, bad weather etc), would give significant extra milage to either retrace my steps and / or find an alternative route. Am starting to realise that this is quite a long trip (if that's not a foolish comment) - although I am certainly not taking a beeline route (several detours have been slightly longer than necessary in fact), I am definitely looking ahead and ensuring that I go ways where there are alternatives, so that I will pretty much always be progressing in some way shape or form. The trip would just feel too big otherwise. Similarly there will be days when the weather will be too bad to go too high (although so far have generally managed to fit rest days around these), likewise will probably have to push forward on lower routes on these days given the time constraints.
On balance I have ended up doing a bit more distance but a bit less ascent than expected. The VA descriptions seem to be accurate on distance but several times have overstated the ascent.
Whether I will go back to following the VA more exactly we will see - the next section in any case is planned as a make it up as I go, to join the VA red trail in the vicinity of Tirano.
Have not done much apart from walk, eat and sleep - therefore tired, but healthy and not particualr problems so far. Since my last post I have crossed into Slovenia and then Italy, across the Dolomites. Days have been getting longer, close to the kind of distances and ascents that I need to be doing to get all the way round (20 miles or so with anything up to 9,000 feet of ascent). Am starting to find the heat quite a challenge however - since about Lavamund in southern Austria it has been getting hotter and hotter, and in particular very often is totally still and humid - ability to walk uphill is very often limited by overheatibng rather than fitness. Very often getting through 4 or 5 ltr of fluid just during the daytime, and feeling the need to find more places to stay to find a shower (campsites good: have showers but can still get away early to beat the heat a bit). Also, there has been more 'mountainous' walking than previously. Most of the sections in Austria were relatively straightforward (apart from the snakes) and the difficulty could be pretty much expressed as x miles and y feet of ascent. Since then the route has been generally higher and rougher going: more rough ground and / or exposed paths, requiring more time and effort than previously. I therefore feel on balance rather less fit than a few week ago, but this is probably not the case!
Snakes - 7 so far, only one of them (a large, sleepy adder that gave me a bored kind of look and then curled up again) refusing to move from the path when I asked it too. Fortunately not too steep to go around!
The character of the trip has also been a bit different the last week or two. Previous to that my route pretty much followed the Via Alpina exactly, since Slovenia I have used it more as a general line but have made up my own route. Various reasons for this. As a general one, the Via Alpina was marked on all the Austrian maps but not always since, and with the instructions from the internet not always being definitve the route has felt generally less definitive. Then more specifically. In Bovec (Slovenia) I couldn't find any maps for cross border into Italy, so ended up follwoing a minor road (marked on my map of Europe!) to get to Resiutta in Italy. Next, buying maps which didn't quite cover the right sections, so choosing a very close but parallel route instead. Finally, choosing a few alternative paths in expectation of too much snow on a few of the higher passes.
Last one is significant. I have been looking ahead at the route and anticipating any sections that, in the event of my not being able to get through (snow, bad weather etc), would give significant extra milage to either retrace my steps and / or find an alternative route. Am starting to realise that this is quite a long trip (if that's not a foolish comment) - although I am certainly not taking a beeline route (several detours have been slightly longer than necessary in fact), I am definitely looking ahead and ensuring that I go ways where there are alternatives, so that I will pretty much always be progressing in some way shape or form. The trip would just feel too big otherwise. Similarly there will be days when the weather will be too bad to go too high (although so far have generally managed to fit rest days around these), likewise will probably have to push forward on lower routes on these days given the time constraints.
On balance I have ended up doing a bit more distance but a bit less ascent than expected. The VA descriptions seem to be accurate on distance but several times have overstated the ascent.
Whether I will go back to following the VA more exactly we will see - the next section in any case is planned as a make it up as I go, to join the VA red trail in the vicinity of Tirano.
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