Day: |
051 |
Date: |
Monday, 2 July 2012
|
Start: |
Finkenberg
|
Finish: |
Pfitscherjoch Haus
|
Daily
Kilometres: |
28.8
|
Total
Kilometres: |
1219.5
|
Weather: |
Mostly cloudy and warm
|
Accommodation: |
Pfitscherjoch Haus
|
Nutrition: |
Fruit and yoghurt and rolls and jam for breakfast; muesli bars
and chocolate for lunch; schnitzel, chips and salad, and apple
strudel for dinner.
|
Aches: |
None
|
Pictures: |
Here |
GPS Track: |
Here |
Journal: |
I left the Pension after saying my goodbyes at 8:30am with rain
threatening. Sure enough I had only gone about 100m and some
big drops began to fall, but it never developed into anything and
the same thing happened throughout the day. I gather there is
a big weather system dumping a lot of rain on Switzerland and I must
be just on the edge of it, because the day was characterised by
fast-moving clouds overhead, some looking ominous.
For the
whole day I was going to be climbing gradually from Finkenberg
(859m) to Pfitscherjoch Haus (2277m), which didn't look to be too
tough and that's the way it turned out. Early on as I walked
to Ginzling, the trail-marking was again confusing and then some had
been closed because of landslides. There was a road
paralleling my route up the valley and I ended up walking alongside
that for a few kilometres, including through some long tunnels.
Although there was a footpath, it was an eerie experience, with the
sounds of the traffic (there wasn't a lot) magnified inside the
tunnel. I think there was some kind of mountain-bike tour
following the same route as me, because I was passed by many during
the first three hours walking.
I stopped for a break at
Ginzling, which wasn't much more than a hamlet and then followed a
picturesque country lane for a while alongside a stream with pine
forests higher up covering the lower slopes of the towering
mountains. The grade was easy and the walking pleasant.
The cooler temperatures seemed to have reduced the fly population.
At the end of the country lane the Via Alpina climbed up to a higher
forested valley which later became rural again with a huge dam wall
looming upstream. I found a nice spot for lunch by a rushing
stream and examined the mountains while I ate my muesli bars.
After lunch the trail went up to the base of the dam wall, which
was mighty impressive up close, and then climbed up the side of the
valley to the top. The dam was a bit of a tourist attraction,
with a few restaurants and quite a few sightseers, walkers and
mountain-bikers having a look around. The scale of the dam and
the streams and waterfalls filing it was impressive from the top as
well with a vast bowl of a valley at the far end still covered in
snow on its higher slopes. There was a kiosk where the Via
Alpina left the dam and I treated myself to an ice-cream and Coke
since I was making good time.
From there it was a steady walk
up a bare rocky valley, with some spectacular waterfalls coming in
from one side, to a ridge which marked the Austrian/Italian border.
I crossed into Italy with no ceremony (there was nobody there) and
immediately noticed the trail signs were much better (hope it keeps
up). I then walked about 500m to Pfitscherjoch Haus which was
obviously being extended, arriving about 4:30pm. Fortunately,
it was still open despite being an absolute building site with
tradesman everywhere (concreting the steps as I walk up and down!)
and a crane and bulldozer operating outside. Sadly I don't
speak any Italian, but with my limited German and their limited
English I managed to get a bed in a room I'm sharing with a
mountain-climbing couple from Austria. A warm shower was
included in the price and the dining room is fine, so it's not too
bad.
|
|
ADVENTURE LIST
Round Ireland
(2016)
Hume & Hovell Walking Track
(2013)
Via Alpina
(2012)
Australian Alps Walking
Track (2011)
Land's End to John O'Groats
(2010)
Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2009)
Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2008)
Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2007)
Australia Tip to Top MTB
(2006)
Adelaide to Darwin MTB
(2005)
Sydney to Melbourne MTB
(2004)
Three Peaks Race
(2004)
Appalachian Trail
(1986)
Alpine Track
(1983)
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