Yesterday, after lunch in Solden, I wandered slowly up through flower-filled meadows, with great views of snow capped mountains and to the music of thundering streams, to reach a bivouac site at about 3,200m. It wasn't the most comfortable bivvy on a pile of stones, but what a spot! The full moon shone down on the glaciers opposite and it felt very special sleeping on the mountain, as part of nature. Not for long though - breakfasting only on a chocolate bar, I set off at 4.40 am over very awkward, loose and broken ground, then ploughing through diabolical, unfrozen, wet snow a metre deep. I made the main objective of the day, a 3,500m peak, before descending again to Solden, having seen nobody all day. And in answer to my prayers, my leg was far better and stood the test of a long descent.
Now I've climbed back up about 1,100m to the Tabaretta hut, where at 5.00pm I'm sitting out the afternoon storm. The weather looks set to follow this pattern for the next week. So far I've climbed 33 mountains and 20 via ferrata, through Slovenia, Austria and Italy. I'm now a third of the way (not sure whether to think that's a third full or two thirds empty!). 38C tomorrow!
Looking back at the mountain I climbed by mistake.
This is the worst heatwave in the Alps since 2007
ReplyDelete