Alpine Pass Route | Hiking the Via Alpine or Alpine Pass Route Switzerland

Day 15: Sargans/Santa Croce 2nd Sep

Thu, 03 Sep 2015 03:24:41 +1000

Wednesday 2nd September: Cool misty morning, warm sunny day,hazy skies then misty rain: 12°C to 24ºC.

Weisstannen to Sargans (then Santa Croce): Jan and Ian 15K: 8.00am to 12.00pm: 4hrs plus 4hrs

Accommodation: Private Holiday Home Sante Croce

Hotel Gemse - our last APR hotel

Into the beech forest and mist

Don't go this way - but we did!!

Misty Forest walk

Time to smell the cows

Coffee break half way down to Mels

Been shopping in Sargans

End of Alpine Pass Route

Landwasser Viaduct Rhaetian Rail

On bus from St Moritz to S. Croce

Mark and Susan's House S. Croce

Celebrating the end of the APR

Highlight of the day was getting to Sargans, the official end to the Alpine Pass Route. However, the most fabulous scenery was on the bus then train from Sargans to Santa Croce. We travelled on the UNESCO recognised Rhaetian Railway over the Landwasser Viaduct near Filisur to St Moritz, then through the Bregaglia Valley into Northern Italy. Such a change of scenery from a misty morning walk to a stunning ride on the Rhaetian Railway.

Breakfast is at 7.30am at the Hotel Gemse and Ian and I have already decided to complete the last leg of our via Alpini and walk the last 15k into Sargans. Jenny walked this stretch yesterday after circuiting the Foo Pass and walking up the valley from Sargans. Graham decided to ….2b cont'd. Ian and I are off walking at 8.00am and Graham… well he's still fluffing around! Jenny and I agree with train/bus times to meet them in St Moritz to catch the 4.08pm bus to Santa Croce.

Gstaad 18th Aug

Sat, 25 Jul 2015 14:08:13 +1000

Tuesday 18th August: Thick cloud cold, afternoon intermittent sun and misty rain 15°C to 21°C.

Etihad Flight Brisbane to Geneva, Train Geneva to Gstaad: Arrived 6.09pm Gstaad

Accommodation: Post Hotel Rossli

Graham and Jenny on the Golden Pass train from Montreux to Gstaad

Highlight of the day was meeting up with Graham and Jenny at Montreux train station with only 4 minutes to spare to change platforms and catch the 4.40pm Golden Pass train to Gstaad travelling through the classic Swiss Alps behind Lake Geneva.

After a maginificent rain trip around Lake Geneva, we met Graham and Jenny at Montreux station with 4 minutes to rush to a different platform for the Golden Pass train. They had already been in Switzerland for 5 days and were unlucky to have their trekking poles go missing en route from Vietnam, necessitating a trip to the sports store to buy two new sets. The clouds were low and misty rain had set in as we travelled through the alps passing through typical Swiss villages surrounded by green fields.

Geographical Distribution of Languages in Switzerland

The first of many beers on the APR

At 6.09 we arrive in the very touristy town of Gstaad and easily find the Posthotel Rossli, just 400 metres down the road. Gstaad is the start of the German speaking area of Switzerland and for the rest of the Alpine Pass Route (APR), it will be all German.

Day 1: Lenk 19th Aug

Sat, 25 Jul 2015 14:08:13 +1000

Wednesday 19th August:Cool morning, overcast, sunny spots. Afternoon misty rain and cold. 12°C to 5°C.

Gstaad to Lenk: 17K: 9.45am to 4.45pm: 7hrs plus 20 mins cable car Leiterli to Lenk

Accommodation: Hotel Waldrans

Morning rain on first morning

Highlight was walking up the Turbach valley through green golf-course-like meadows intermingled with Swiss chalets. Next best thing was getting out of the mud at the top of the Trutlisberg pass and catching the last cable car down into the Lenk valley.

Breakfast at the Post-Hotel Rossli was absolutely magnificent. A full Swiss breakfast with an array of cheeses, meats, youghurts, burcher meusli, hot teas and coffees, and hot fresh bread. We all left the table feeling like stuffed pigs. Ian and I walked down to the local Coop, enjoying the pretty village of Gstaad, host to many famous tennis championships, obvious by the life size bill-boards of renowned tennis stars both past and present. Some cheese, butter, bread, lettuce, mayonnaise and chocolate later, and we're back at the hotel divvying up our haul between the 4 of us to carry for lunch.

Day 2: Adelboden 20th Aug

Sat, 25 Jul 2015 14:08:13 +1000

Thursday 20th August: Cool morning, blue skies: 10°C to 18°C.

Lenk to Adelboden: 17K: 9.15am to 4.15pm: 7hrs

Accommodation: BnB Bernahof Adelboden

Morning sorting at Waldrund Hotel

The highlight of the day was waking up to blue skies, after such a wet muddy day yesterday. At 17k, and only 1000m up to the Hahnenmoos Pass then 700 down, it wasn't a terribly difficult day from Lenk to Adelboden and the blue skies and dry tracks made for a wonderful day hiking in the Alps.

Ian and I are awake before 6am and time to catch up on blogging after being too tired last night to sort photos and type blog. Our Jet Boil was handy to have an early morning cup of tea set up on the tiled bathroom floor in our room. At 7am, Jenny and Graham are already downstairs and we join them for a magnificent breakfast with the usual full spread of cheeses, meats, fruits and meusli, and especially the freshly baked hot bread. A really nice breakfast at the Hotel Waldrand made up for the dodgy internet last night.

Ready to leave Waldrund Hotel

Lenk set in Green Valley

Stepping up and up

Coffee with a view half way up

Blue skies, white clouds green alps

The girls lag behind the boys

Lunch at the Hahnenmoos Pass

View from BnB Bernnahoff across to the Engstligenfalle

Salmon, cheese wine and washing

At 9am we're out the door of Hotel Waldrand but it's another 15 minutes of fluffing around before we leave and head downtown to the local bakery to buy a fresh loaf of bread which, together with last night's left overs, is enough to make do for a nice lunch.

Day3: Kandersteg 21st Aug

Sat, 25 Jul 2015 14:08:13 +1000

Friday 21st August: Cool morning, blue skies: 10°C to 18°C and down to 5ºC.

Adelboden to Kandersteg: 19K: 9.15am to 6.30pm: 9hrs 15 mins

Accommodation: Hotel Pension Spycher Kandersteg

Morning View from BnB Bernahof

BnB Bernahof - home for last night

Scything grass on steep slope

3hrs 30mins to Bunderchrinde Pass

Through meadows of fresh cut grass

Filling bottles with icy cold water

Coffee on a rock slab with a view

Looking back to Adelboden

Bunderchrinde Pass - window in alps

Track across the shaley scree

It's a steep slippery slope

Jenny & Graham tip toeing up scree

What a magnificent view of the alps

Not much of a flat spot for lunch

Lunch on top Bunderchrinde Pass

Highlight of the day was climbing to the top of the Bunderchrinde at 2385 metres to see the spectacular view of snow capped high alps where we’ll be tomorrow. This is the section that the American magazine Backpacker declared the best hike in the world.

Breakfast at 8am at the Bernahof Adelboden is simple but more than adequate - not the usual array of 10 different cheeses, 7 different meats etc, but a small splattering of fruits, meats, cheeses and yoghurts, with a real cappuccino. It's a bit late when we leave, as Graham insists on relaying to us the whole of the BBC news he has just listened to before breakfast.

It's 9.15am when we leave the B and B Bernahof, and return to the Coop for another loaf of freshly baked Swiss bread to go with the leftover cheeses. It's a 1000 metre climb today but first we have to descend 300 metres into the valley below Adelboden before climbing up the other side, making the total ascent more than 1,300 metres. The signpost in the bottom of the valley says 3hrs 30mins to the Bunderchrinde Pass, but in fact it took us almost 5hrs!

Day 4: Griesalp 22nd Aug

Sat, 25 Jul 2015 14:08:13 +1000

Saturday 22nd August: Cold morning, blue skies: 10°C to 20°C.

Kandersteg to Griesalp: 21K: 8.30am to 7.00pm: 10hrs 30 mins, including 30 minutes of cable car

Accommodation: Naturfreundehaus

Goodbye Hotel Pension Spycher

Strolling down to the gondola

Morning view of the alps

Alps behind Lake Oeschinensee

Steep climb to the top

Magnificent Lake Oeschinensee

Morning coffee with a cow plop

The alps on a magical day

The track gets steeper

Shrinking glacier near the pass

More Magical alp views

Near the top and nearly eighty!!

Lunch with a view

Highlight of the day was ALL day. From the moment we left the Pension Strycher in Kandersteg the weather was perfect - blue skies and 15ºC. The snow capped alps were perfect, the track was perfect - dry but steep, and there were hundreds of day walkers giving an air of "must be here" to the whole track from Kandesteg to Griesalp. Reaching the Hohturli Pass at 2778m with spectacular views was special.

The morning started at 6am for Ian and I, time to blog and sort out our gear,before breakfast at 8am with the usual fresh hot bread, cheeses and meats and meusli. We plan to be out by 8.30am to ride the cable car up to the first level of the Alps to Lake Oescheninsee, taking off a 500 metre ascent and almost 2hrs. The day will be long enough. We meet Jenny and Graham for breakfast, rush over to the backerei for a fresh loaf of bread, and we're out the door by 8.30am. The start of the gondola is about a 15 minute walk through the town. Kandersteg is the Capital of Mountain hiking in Switzerland and already there are hundreds of people on the streets decked in fashionable hiking gear, either lined up for buses to take them to the head of a hike, or rushing to catch the gondola, or just cruising around town being seen.

Day 5: Lauterbrunnen 23rd Aug

Sat, 25 Jul 2015 14:08:13 +1000

Sunday 23rd August: Cool morning, blue skies with the odd shower: 10°C to 5ºC up to 16°C.

Griesalp to Lauterbrunnen: 21K: 8.45am to 5.30pm: 8hrs 45mins, plus 30 minutes of train/cable car

Accommodation:Valley Hotel Lauterbrunnen

Goodbye Nauturfreundehaus

Sunny skies as we leave Griesalp

Follow the grey gravel track up

Coffee break half way upr

Graham eats nuts to save weight

Steep stoney track to top

268 step ladders to the top

Swedish friends are already there

Sefinenfurgge Pass at 2612m

Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau peaks

Rain sets in

Lunch under a poncho

Eiger Monch and Jungfrau

Day 6 Grindelwald 24th Aug

Sat, 25 Jul 2015 14:08:13 +1000

Monday 24th August: Cool morning, blue skies with the odd shower: 10°C to 8ºC up to 18°C.

Lauterbrunnen to Grindelwald: 12k: 9.30am to 4.30pm: 7hrs, plus 30 minutes of train to Wengen

Accommodation: Hotel Alpenblick Grindelwald

Cog train Lauterbrunnen - Wengen

Highlight of the day was the 15 minute cog train out of Lauterbrunnen to Wengen, walking 10k up 800 metres to the top of Kleine Scheidegg (2061m), then catching the cog train down to Grindelwald, all the time with misty views of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. We've decided today will be a relaxed walking day taking 2 trains.

It's cloudy with blue skies when we awake at the Valley Hostel in Lauterbrunnen, probably the most suitable accommodation we've had. So far this trip. At 7.30am, Ian nicks off to the local Coop for eggs and butter and at 8am we're all sitting downstairs in the hostel guests kitchen eating left over bread, cheese, boiled eggs and tea or coffee. A quick clean up and we're out the door to the train station to catch the cog train up to Wengen, saving us about an hour and a half walk and 500m ascent up the other side of the valley.

Day 7: Meiringen 25th Aug

Sat, 25 Jul 2015 14:08:13 +1000

Tuesday 25th August: Cool morning, Misty skies then sunny and warm: 9°C to 19°C.

Grindelwald to Meiringen: 13.2K: 8.45am to 2.15pm: 5hrs 30mins, plus 40 minutes of bus to Meiringen

Accommodation: Hotel Meiringen

Hotel Alpenblick

The Eiger is still with us and the highlight of the day as we climbed up 800 metres to Grosse Scheidegg at 1962m. Yesterday's Kleine Scheidegg at 2061m is supposed to be the lower than Grosse Scheidegg, but someone gave them their names before working out the heights and finding that Grosse is lower. No matter to us, today was still spectacular.

We eat breakfast with a view of the mist hanging over Grindelwald. Breakfast is a typical spread of meats, cheeses and yoghurts with hot breads. Swiss breakfasts are definitely better than French with just a croissant and jam. It's cold and misty as we leave to climb up to Grosse Scheidegg. The track winds backwards and forwards across the road which is closed to motor vehicles and only open to walkers, cyclists and buses. The mist soon rises revealing the Eiger as a backdrop over Grindelwald.

Day 8: Tannulp 26th Aug

Sat, 25 Jul 2015 14:08:13 +1000

Wednesday 26th August: Warm with clear skies all day: 19°C to 12°C to 19ºC.

Meiringen to Tannalp: 9K: 9.30am to 1.15pm: 3hrs 45mins, including 30 mins cable car to Tower Alpen

Accommodation: Berggasthaus Tannulp

Leaving Hotel Meiringen

A STUNNING SPECTACULAR DAY IN THE ALPS! Say no more. But I will. Perfect warm sunny weather at about 19ºC for most of the day, clear blue skies, 360º panoramic view of the snow capped alps and an almost level ridge walk of about 9k on a gravel track. We're not alone. Today there's hundreds of day walkers out – they clearly knew something we didn't about this area.

The day begins with a lavish breakfast at the Meiringen Hotel, once again the room full of tourists not hikers. Then over the road to Migros for a leisurely 15 minute shop to buy enough bread and cheese for the next two days. There's no shops and only a Guesthouse at Tannalp where we're headed.

Blue sky, snow on alps Meiringen

Last view of the Eiger

Top of Eagle Express, Planplatten 2240m, start of days hike.

Wetterhorn with its 3 peaks

Meiringen at 595m in valley

Jan stopping to stare at the alps

Graham and Jenny powering along

Stunning views all day long

A warm day on the track

Coffee at Balmeregghorn 2250m

First of lakes - Lake Melchsee

Ridge walk into Tannalp

More stunning photos near Tannalp

Trout fishing Tannalp See

Lunch over Tannalpsee

Beer to celebrate at Tannalp Berggesthaus

Cows, meadows and alps

We load up Graham with food, as we think he's been dodging the food carrying for a few days. Then it’s just 15 minutes up the road to the start of the gondolas. We've already decided to take the 4 stages to Plan Platten at the top at a height of 2245 metres, a would-be climb of 1600 metres. The first stage is to Reuti, then Bidmi, Magislap and then in the Eagle Express to Plan Platten. At 10am we're at the top and the 360º views are stunning. It's the start of an amazing day in the alps. Behind us is the last we'll see of the Eiger and ahead is the continuous wall of the Bernese Oberland with their craggy snow capped peaks, dominated by the Wetterhorn, one of the most celebrated and easily recognised mountains in all the Alps, although it is by no means one of the highest. There are three main peaks: the Rosenhorn (3689m), Mittelhorn (3704m) and the true Wetterhorn, the Hasli Jungfrau (3701m). It's peaks are often likened to a giant meringue topped cake. Further ahead over hanging Jochpass is the Titlis (3238m).

Day 9: Engelberg 27th Aug

Sat, 25 Jul 2015 14:08:13 +1000

Thursday 27th August: Very Warm with clear skies all day: 18°C to 25ºC.

Tannalp to Engelberg: 10K: 9.10am to 1.10pm: 4hrs, Plus 3hrs of cable cars to the Titlis and Engelberg

Accommodation:Jugendherbege Berggasthaus (Youth Hostel ) Engelbert

Sunrise from Berggasthaus Tannalp

Views to Wetterhorn from Tannalp

Leaving Berggasthaus Tannalp

Wetterhorn

Jenny strides out with steel legs

Milk cans hauled to dairy at top

Lake Englestensee

Morning Coffee at Jochpass 2200m

Looking down on Lake Trubsee

Lunch with Titlis in background

Looking down at Engelberg

Crowded cable car to the Titlis

25ºC at the top of the Titlis

Panrama 1

Panorama 2

Panorama 3

Panorama 4

Panorama 5

STUNNINGLY SPECTACULAR DAY - sounds like a repeat of yesterday and it was. Warm weather for most of the day, almost hot at 25ºC. After a 4hr walk, we spent the afternoon up and down in cable cars, reaching the Titlis at 3020m, with an amazing panorama over the alps on a gloriously warm day.

Another splendid Swiss Breakfast at the Berggasthaus Tannalp. The usual cereals, meats and cheeses with hot fresh breads and tea or real coffee. It's a glorious morning and our first step outside tells us it's already 18ºC - very warm considering we're at 2000 metres. The alps are glorious, the weather warm, and we've decided that it's such a magical day, that we'll take a cable car to the Titlis.

At 9.10am, we leave and hike the 100 metre winding descent to Engstlenalp, a beautiful village with an old Victorian hotel beside the Engstlenalp Lake in a small wooded area near meadows with fly covered cows. It's good dairying country and we pass a trolley laden with empty milk cans ready to be hauled on a cable to the top of the mountain where the cows are milked at the dairy. It's only a 2hr hike, and a 400 metre ascent out of Engstlenalp to Joch Pass at 2220 metres where we have coffee beside the chairlift station ferrying people from Engstlenalp on one side and Truebsee on the other.

Day 10: Altdorf 28th Aug

Sat, 25 Jul 2015 14:08:13 +1000

Friday 28th August: Hot with clear skies all day: 19°C to 30ºC.

Engelberg to Altdorf: 17K: 9.00am to 6.00pm: 7hrs - Bus (30min) Cable Car (30min) Walk (15k, 5hrs), Cable Car (30min) Walk (2k, 20min)

Accommodation: Hotel Zum Schwarzen Lowen Altdorf

Familiel and Jurgengherberge (Youth Hostel) Engelberg

Another STUNNING Day! But very hot and dehydrating - we were thankful for icy mountain streams. A mixture of buses, cable cars, 15k walk, more cable cars and a 2k walk into Altdorf. Highlight was the climb to Surenen Pass at 2291m through alpine meadows surrounded by snowcapped alps, closely followed by a DIY Cable car from Brusti 1000m down to Attinghausen!!

The day started with a scant breakfast at the youth hostel: one slice of bread, one slice of cheese, 1/4 of an orange, and the signs says don't take sandwiches for lunch! Ok, we wouldn't want to anyway, the breads stale. The freeby bus leaves from around the corner and Graham arrives half dressed and we see he's wearing Icebreaker jocks. In 30 minutes we’re at the Furenalp Base cable car station. The temperature's already 19ºC as we queue to buy combi tickets for the up-section to Furenalp and the down-section from Brusti to Attinghausen. We ascend 600 metres to Furenalp along with 30 other walkers. Within a short time, it's 25ºC as we stroll through alpine meadows amid snowcapped alps on a picture perfect warm day.

Day 11: Klausenpass 29th Aug

Sat, 25 Jul 2015 14:08:13 +1000

Saturday 29th August: Hot with clear skies all day: 20°C to 31ºC.

Altdorf to Klausen Pass Hotel: 17K: 11.00am to 4.30pm: 4hrs 30 mins - PLUS Bus (10min) Cable Car (30min)

Accommodation: Klausenpass Hotel

Altdorf is William Tell country

Highlight of the day was walking 17k on the Schachental Hohenweg at an average height of 1800 metres, with very little up and down. Far above the valley surrounded by alps, meadows, cows and dairy farms, the hike is spectacular.

The day begins with an ordinary breakfast - no one has slept much the night before with the constant noise of traffic and revellers outside and 24ºC heat preventing us from shutting the windows until 1am this morning. We're out the door before 9am and go hunting for a sports store to buy a new gas bottle but no store sells the isobutane with a screw top lid. Despite lots of help from locals and an hour wandering the streets of Altdorf, the only bottles we find are camping gaz.

As we leave empty handed from the last store, there's a bus at the bus stop with hoards of trekkers piling on and after checking its destination, we find it's headed to Burglen-Brugg where we intend to get the cable car up to 1600m at Briel to start our hike. So we climb on board. A few k down the road we spy the sports store Imholz that we have been searching for in Altdorf, so we hop off the bus. We're in luck and 2 gas bottles later, one each for the boys to carry, we walk 1k up the road to the base of the cable car. It's 31ºC and hot

Day 12: Braunwald 30th Aug

Sat, 25 Jul 2015 14:08:13 +1000

Sunday 30th August: Same as yesterday: Hot with clear skies all day: 18°C to 31ºC.

Klausen Pass Hohe to Braunwald: 12K: 10.00am to 2.30pm: 4hrs 30 mins - PLUS Bus (30min) to Urner Boden

Accommodation: Adrenalin Backpackers

9.22am bus over Klausen Pass

Highlight of the day was getting the bus down the very steep road from Klausen Pass into Urner Boden then hiking 12k to Braunwald and sitting with a beer watching the hang gliders over Linthal in the valley.

The day starts out pleasantly cool, with a view of the moon setting over the alps. The breakfast room is busy. There's 50 people there already. All those people we saw yesterday travelling to the Klausen Pass - trekkers, cyclists, motor cyclists, sports cars, vintage cars - have stayed the night in this quaint timber hotel. It’s a real tourist destination. The road was originally part of a cattle track between Altdorf and Linthal, then pre war, it was a famous 21.5k hill climb car race called the Klausen Run (Klausenrennen) from Linthal to the Klausen Pass with 136 curves climbing 1237 metres. More recently it attracts vintage sports cars emulating the race.

Day 13: Elm 31st Aug

Sat, 25 Jul 2015 14:08:13 +1000

Monday 31st August: Cool morning warm midday, hot afternoon, with clear skies all day: 18°C to 27ºC.

Braunwald to Elm: Jan and Ian 22K: 8.00am to 4.30pm: 8hrs 30 mins - PLUS Train (30min) to Linthal and cable car down: Jenny and Graham 15k: 5hrs General Suworow train Schwanden to Elm

Accommodation: Gasthaus Segnes Elm

Early start Adrenalin backpackers

Braunwald cog train to Linthal

Perfect hiking day with blue skies

Tunnel on the way up to Richetli

Steep climb with Martin and Terri

Coffee looking over to Braunwald

Retrieving bottle from cow muck

Steep climb through meadows

Pine Forests, alps and meadows

Still climbing!

Wildflowers still in bloom

A spectacular day in the alps

Snack at the Richetli Pass with Martin and Terri

Richettli Pass 2661m

View over the Pass

Highlight of our day was doing a 1600 metre climb to Rechetli Pass, then getting into Elm late in the day to find Graham and Jenny had already completed their 15k Valley Walk of General Suworow and were waiting for us with cold beers from the local supermarket.

Breakfast at the Adrenalin Backpackers is at 7am - spartan bread and jam with tea/coffee. Ian and I have decided to do the high route to Elm via Richetli Pass at 2261m, a climb of 1600metres from Linthal. Jenny has opted to catch a bus to do the General Suworow valley walk into Elm. Graham has elected to keep Jenny company on the valley walk called General Suworow! Ian and I are away at 7.30am, buying a loaf of fresh bread before catching the Braunwald cog train down into Linthal. .

Day 14: Weisstannen 1st Sep

Sat, 25 Jul 2015 14:08:13 +1000

Tuesday 1st September: Cool morning, cold afternoon, with hazy skies then misty rain: 19°C to 14ºC.

Elm to Weisstannen: Jan, Ian, Graham 24K: 8.00am to 4.30pm: 8hr 30 min: Jenny 15k: 4hr Mels to Weisstannen

Accommodation: Hotel Gemse Weisstannen

Jenny's doing her own 15k walk

Blue skies but clouds looming

Clouds darkening

Half way up Foo Pass

Dairy farm high in the alps above

A long climb up to Foo Pass

What's Switzerland without cows

Graham and Jan slogging uphill

Looking like rain in distance

Foo Pass 2223m

Jan and Graham at Foo Pass

Second coffee break just over pass

Long steep descent from Foo Pass

Balancing act on knob over valley

Highlight of the day was getting to the top of the Foo Pass at 2226m, our last pass of the Via Alpina, or Alpine Pass Route. This was a difficult day with no cable cars/buses/trains or any form of transport to exit. Once we started we had to finish.

Our day started with an early 7am breakfast - typical Swiss with meusli, breads, cheeses and meats. Jenny has decided to bus/train out of Elm to Sargans in the next valley and walk the 15k back up to Weisstannen through the pine forests. Graham, Ian and myself decide to tackle Foo Pass, at 2223m, an ascent of 1226 metres up from Elm, and a similar descent down to Weisstannen. At 8am, e say hooray to Jenny, then walk across the fields of Elm to the start of the climb which is signed as taking 3 and 1/2 hours.

Santa Croce 3rd Sep

Sat, 25 Jul 2015 14:08:13 +1000

Thursday 3rd September: Cool morning, warm cloudy day, blue skies then misty rain: 12°C to 24ºC.

Santa Croce: 15K: 10.00am to 5.30pm: Lazy day walking to Chiavenna

Accommodation: Private Holiday House Santa Croce, Italy

Walking the Val Bregaglia track

Following the stream to Chiavenna

Follow the leader down a 4m high stone wall that leads to nowhere

Trying to get off the stone wall

Jenny's stuck half way down

Coffee outside council chambers

Narrow streets of Chiavenna deserted between 12 and 3pm

Lunch on the Marmitte dei Gigante overlooking Chiavenna

Highlight of the day was just being in the Val Bragaglia, a beautiful narrow valley in the north of Italy that connects to St Morritz in Switzerland and seeing the change in building styles between the Swiss and Italians. You could say the houses in Italy are less neat and more higgledy piggledy but they certainly have a lot of character.

The morning started late. It's 8am when we are all awake in this quiet village of Santa Croce. There's no high mountain passes today, just a casual walk down the valley to Chiavenna, a larger village at the head of three valleys to Splugen, St Morritz and Lake Como. We pack a picnic lunch and head out down the valley along the track labelled Val Bregaglia. It's a very narrow valley with a busy road from St Moritz through the centre and a walking/cycling track weaving back and forwards across the road.

Santa Croce 4th Sep FINISH

Sat, 25 Jul 2015 14:08:13 +1000

Friday 4th September: Cool morning, warm sunny day, blue skies then a late storm: 18°C to 24ºC.

Santa Croce: 15K: 11.00am to 2.30pm: Lazy day walking around Bellagio, Lake Como

Accommodation: Private Holiday House Santa Croce, Italy

Train from Chiavenna

Waiting for ferry Verenna to Bellagio

Lake Como, ferry to Bellagio

Coffee break promenade Bellagio

Lost in Bellagio

Renno for sale

Apply here

Lunch in the park Bellagio

Newcastle cycling crew Bellagio

Beautiful evening on Lake Como

Ferry from Bellagio to Verenna

We've missed the train - 8pm cuppa

Highlight of the day was meeting up with Graham's cycling friends from Newcastle in Bellagio, Lake Como where they were midway through a cycle tour with Como Cycling tours. Such a co-incidence that they should be there on the day that we planned to take a joy ride on a ferry to Bellagio on Lake Como Northern Italy. One of the cyclists, Peter Shiels and Graham, were part of a 5 man group who surfed the world together for several years back in the 70's.

Our day started with a leisurely breakfast in Santa Croce - boiled eggs, meusli, bread, tea and coffee. It's 8.42am when we catch a bus from Santa Croce down to Chiavenna to meet the train connection to Colica. Then a second connection to Verenna from where we connected to a ferry, one of dozens on Lake Como, to Bellagio, on a peninsular at the junction of the 2 arms of Lake Como. Ten minutes later and we're on a packed ferry to Bellagio, the most touristy of all Lake Como villages.