hot and steamy

No not a racy novel but the weather in Bolzano. I'm in the wooded valleys for a day or two.  This gives relief for my long suffering left leg which has caused me much grief.  Thank God for poles.  The dolomites have been amazing.  I've managed 20 via ferrata up to grade 5. I've not met one person on any of these including some real classics like the Olivieri on the tofana or tomaselli on the punta fanes.  Now it's quite busy but with long days there is plenty of time to think.  The evenings with lovely light are particularly special. Without a computer I can't upload images so you'll just have to imagine it. Feeling better now but still have a cold and my leg muscles are like piano wire. I think I'm going to have to miss out the glaciated summits but will try to do as many others as possible. This is actually much more in keeping with the journey as a whole which is very largely a solo enterprise. Talking kit, the keen socks have been very comfortable and hard wearing, the Lowe alpine sack very well designed and the Lowe shirt remarkably unsmelly after a few days wear.  My mutant running shoes have superb grip on wet rock but are wearing thin on the sole now.  The black diamond collapsible poles have also been superb.  The legs are showing signs of several falls - scrapes, bruises and so on - the result of descending some truly hideous scree and rock faces at a high angle where everything is moving. The joy of forest trails tomorrow!