All was going splendidly including the weather (on the chilly side even) until after an hour and a half (5 km) of walking we came to a sign that said the trail on the North side was shut due to rockslides. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT! This year has been bad with rockslides, but it never occurred to us to call ahead to ask. Not quite sure how to continue, we all headed down to the bottom of the valley, and Urs and Parkes decided to climb the 400m on the South side to see the lake as planned, operating on the principle that "The Destination is the Goal". I on the other hand, operate on the principle "The Journey is the Goal", and having done this hike twice before, once in each direction, I only wanted to do it again if I could do the whole loop, so I headed back by train to the Bernina Pass to wait for them to pass that way later.
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| We think it was this piece on the right where are large cleft was created, difficult and dangerous to pass |
For me, it was a disappointing venture. The entire trip hinged on this particular hike. Had we known we couldn't complete it, we would have picked some other excursion....
On the way back home, then, we stopped for an hour at the Morteratsch Glacier train station where there is a special little "cheese shop" where they make cheese all day over an open fire for tourists to watch. This, at least, was a success for our cheese-loving Parkes, who really got her fill of cheese on this European trip of hers. And this time we passed through the Albula Valley (Unesco World Heritage Site) which is a lovely journey and we still had evening light for it. Particularly pretty is the Landwasser Viaduct. Featured in the 2016 Film "A cure for Wellness" with a blatantly obviously photoshopped false background.... and train for that matter.
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| Our B&B in Campascio, and a very hearty breakfast lovingly prepared by our hostess! Too bad we only had half an hour to enjoy this, before racing off for the next train. |
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| Early morning waiting to catch our train in Campascio. |
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| Heading North past Lake Poschiavo toward the Bernina Pass. The weather looks promising so far! |
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| Early morning light is very pretty. Also, we are loving the trains with the windows that you can open and stick your head out! |
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| Climbing toward Alp Grüm and the Bernina Pass, this is the view South over the Poschiavo Valley |
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| Clouds are starting to form in the valley where we want to hike (to the back to the waterfalls... there is a lake up there) but we still have high expectations. |
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| Heading North along Lake Bianco |
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| The weather and temperatures were perfect for this first section of our hike, along Lake Bianco, across the dam on its South Side, and up to Sassal Mason (5 km) |
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| The dam on the South side of Lake Bianco. We crossed over this dam. |
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| Hiking up to Sassal Mason, it even started getting warm, even at these high altitudes. |
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| The hostel at Sassal Mason (Urs and I overnighted here in September 2013). Palü Glacier in the back. |
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| These special structures called Trollis are like cellars, and the restaurant keeps their wines cool in here. Slightly disappointed that the clouds are starting to throw shadow exactly where we want to walk. |
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| The Trolli cellars at Sassal Mason |
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| From Sassal Mason you get a great view South into the Poschiavo Valley. Below are the curves of the Rhaetian Railway as they pass the station at Alp Grüm (our ultimate destination). Lake Palü is usually turquoise blue but apparently there were thunderstorms and rain every evening for the past few days, which washes more glacier minerals into the lake. |
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| At this point the plan is still to walk along this side of the valley to Lake Caralin below the Palü Glacier at the back. |
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| Still all excited about the stunning landscape |
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| After finding our trail closed, we decided to descend to Lake Palü, and after some deliberation, I stayed a while down here, while the other two climbed to Lake Caralin along the South side of the valley. |
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| I spent some time down here, while the other two went up to the lake below the glacier. It's the brown part of the hill that wasn't passable. |
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| While I took photos of the waterfalls from below, Urs was photographing from above. |
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| Urs and Parkes made it up to the Lake. It took them about an hour and 45 minutes from the lower lake |
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| The river which leaves Lake Caralin and creates the waterfalls further below is as far as they could go. That sign also shows the trail is closed from the other side. |
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| I made another wide detour around this one. |
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| Last look at Lake Palü and the Palü Glacier above as I head to Alp Grüm. The other two are just starting their descent about now. It took them 1 hour 30 minutes to get back to the train station at Alp Grüm. |
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| Total kms walked by Parkes and Urs: 13.5 km, in about 5 hours. My accomplishment this day was 10 km (I did walk part of the way up, then turned back). |
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| Hiking from Bernina Pass to Lake Caralin below the Palü Glacier. Total approx. 14 km. We wanted to do a loop tour by walking on the North side to the lake, then returning on the South side. |
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| Heading back home the same way we came, via Morteratsch Glacier (Piz Palü on the left, we were on the other side of that). We made an hour stop here, not to see the glacier, but the cheese demo. |
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| At the little cheese hut we watched as they prepared their last batch of cheese this day. In this case it was cottage cheese, which is actually the second processing of the milk. The first processing of 200 L of milk produces 20 kg of cheese, and the whey that remains is cooked up again to produce a small amount of cottage cheese. |
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| On the way home we traveled via the Albula Tunnel and the Albula Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This is the village of Bergün. |
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| And the culmination of the trip through the Albula Valley is crossing the famous Landwasser Viaduct. |
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| This is the famous Landwasser Viaduct. Looks better if you can see the train coming out of the tunnel behind you.... |
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| And a few castles in the evening light.... |
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| Our massive 2-day tour to the far southeast corner of Switzerland: Engadine and the Poschiavo Valley. |
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