The Tour of the Bernina. Gillian Price
all concerned: for the staff as it helps them calculate the food that needs preparing (and whether to cater for vegetarians or guests with special allergy issues), and for intending guests as it guarantees a bed for the night – you may be turned away if a hut is full, if not bedded down in the attic. A reservation also acts as a safety mechanism for walkers: if you don’t show up, search procedures may be set in action. So be warned, should you change your mind and route, do phone to cancel or you may be billed for unnecessary and costly rescue operations.
For payment, while credit cards are usually taken at most hotels, it’s always a good idea to check beforehand. It’s best to assume that huts do not accept credit cards (unless specified otherwise), so carry a reserve of euros and Swiss francs in cash for paying your bill. All main towns and important villages have ATMs.
Remember that while euros are the currency of Italy, Switzerland uses the Swiss franc: as a rough guide, calculate CHF10 = €8.10. Just to confuse things, payment is often accepted in euros as cash in Swiss establishments (including all Swiss Alpine Club huts) – and change given in Swiss francs.
Full contact details of places to stay are given at the appropriate spot in the Tour of the Bernina and Alta Via Valmalenco route descriptions, as well as in Appendix B.
Food and drink
Grocery shop at Maloja
Specialities of the Engadine include compact creamy cheeses, dark malt-flavoured bread and warming soups. Baked cabbage rolls stuffed with rich cheese and sausage are known as Capuns, while Maluns are grated potato and flour cooked in butter and served with apple. Pastry cooks excel in divine walnut tart.
Things to look out for in Valmalenco and Val Poschiavo include manfrigole – little crepes filled with local cheese. Many traditional restaurants serve taròz, a filling vegetable purée with a golden crust – usually potato, green beans, onion – blended with melted butter and flavoursome cheese. But the most popular dish is wholesome pizzocheri – short flat strands of buckwheat pasta tossed with potato and greens and a rich sauce of melted cheese. Another pasta combination to look out for is tagliatelle con ragù di cervo/lepre (ribbon pasta with venison/hare sauce). Polenta – a filling soft corn porridge that accompanies stewed meat, melted cheese or mushrooms – is also common. Once cooked, it may also be grilled. Bresaola is fragrant air-dried beef, usually sliced paper-thin and seasoned with oil and lemon.
On the sweet front there is panùn, made with wholewheat flour and dried figs and walnuts, while delicious cupèta bars of chopped walnuts and honey travel well and make perfect snack food.
The Bernina region yields some excellent wines. The south-facing Valtellina in Italy is crowded with terraced vineyards that produce notable red wines such as Inferno, Sassello and Grumella. Veltins is the German version of Valtellina, often found on labels, and Swiss wines include Blauburgunder/Pinot Noir.
As regards drinking water, the majority of alpine villages and farms have a drinking fountain or taps where passers-by can replenish their bottle – unless a sign says non potabile/kein Trinkwasser (unsuitable for drinking). Tap water (acqua da rubinetto/Leitungswasser) is always safe to drink and can be requested in cafés and restaurants instead of the bottled mineral water that causes so much unnecessary pollution as it is transported back and forth across Europe.
For picnics, hotels and refuges sell snacks such as biscuits and chocolate bars, and will prepare simple packed lunches (sandwiches or a roll) for walkers if given a little advance warning – preferably the evening before. It’s worth bearing in mind that many of the summer dairy farms encountered on the way sell their homemade cheeses (formaggio/Käse), made with blends of tangy goat, sheep and cow’s milk. A special treat!
What to take
Rifugio Carate Brianza (TB Stage 5, AVV Stage 5)
The bottom line is… much less than you think. Basic items for personal comfort and gear to cover all weather extremes are essential, but be strict with yourself and remember you have to lug your stuff over the mountains for days on end. Do you really need to take that paperback? The 10.00pm ‘lights out’ rule in huts precludes bedtime reading, and communal meals are perfect for socialising and trying out your language skills with Italian- and German-speaking walkers.
Moreover, the safety factor should not be underestimated: a heavy rucksack can become a hazard, tiring walkers and putting them off-balance, possibly leading to unpleasant falls and serious accidents. Thankfully a huge choice of reasonably priced lightweight gear is available these days at outdoor shops.
The following checklist will help new trekkers:
comfortable boots with ankle support and non-slip Vibram-type soles; preferably not brand new
rucksack – 35-litre capacity should do; plastic or stuff bags for separating contents
layers of clothing for dealing with everything from scorching sun to a snowstorm: T-shirts and shorts, comfortable long trousers (jeans are unsuitable), warm fleece, woolly hat and gloves
waterproofs: jacket, over-trousers and rucksack cover; a fold-up umbrella is a godsend for people who wear spectacles
light footwear such as sandals for evenings
sleeping sheet – silk is perfect
small towel, soap and personal toiletries – small quantities in plastic containers
water bottle
high-energy snack food such as muesli bars can be life-saving in an emergency or if that refreshment stopover happens to be closed
maps, altimeter and compass
credit card and supply of cash in euros and Swiss francs
alpine club membership card
telescopic trekking poles to help wonky knees on steep descents
small headlamp or torch and whistle for calling for help in an emergency
sunglasses, hat, chapstick and protective cream. For every 1000m you climb the intensity of the sun’s UV rays increases by ten per cent, augmented by reflection on snow. This, combined with the lower levels of humidity and pollution that act as filters in other places, means you need a cream with a much higher protection factor than at sea level.
mobile phone, recharger with adaptor
camera with extra batteries, recharger and adaptor. Hint: make sure your camera has a panoramic option
foam ear plugs – they occupy next to no space and ensure a good night’s sleep in a dormitory of snorers
first aid kit and essential medicines
microspikes (walkers’ version of crampons) can be very helpful for crossing extended snow expanses if it has been a snowy year and you plan on trekking before mid-July.
Waymarking and maps
Italian signpost showing path numbers and timings
Waymarking is good all the way round both treks. In Switzerland paths are indicated by a frequently placed painted red stripe on a broad white background, while in Italy there are equal red/white stripes, often with a distinguishing number. Markings are found on prominent fence posts, tree trunks and rocks. Path junctions also have a clutch of signposts. It’s helpful to remember that signs may bear the name of the final destination of the route, so check your map if you need an intermediate point.
All these numbers and routes are shown on commercial walking maps. While sketch maps are provided in this guide, limitations of space make it impossible to include full details, essential in an emergency,