Bivio and retreat

Waking up after a full and satisfied night sleep following the superb dinner last night and the comfortable bed, the wind was rattling out side the window... ominously.

Opening the curtain let in an eerie white light - the cloud was below the hight of the hotel and there was snow floating horizontally.

We were not going anywhere high today... checking the weather showed it was her for the day ..  making the avalanche risk high for tomorrow ... and with more to come the day after, there was not much chance of more touring this trip.

So we packed up the van and pointed it towards Chur and the long journey home.

Sils and Muott Ota, Switzerland

Better night with the abrasive sheets ...  sleeping in the duvet, and time to move on again ...  nothing booked, just see how we go today.
Heading up towards Maloja..  the first intention was to do the "fish shop" route, but something persuaded me to head towards Sils.
Parking in the underground car park - after exploring all other places and finding them blocked.

First a walk up the track behind the hotel on the hill, the taking to the ski de fond tracks ...  and a very round about way to move up the valley.

By now frustrated with progress, we could see where we had to go but no direct routes. Eventually we got up to the first col at the end of what is a long linear ridge.

Then it was up the snowshoe tracks ...  but this was easier than making our own, especially as it got steep in parts.

All the time getting higher, but still in the trees. We had to break out before we would be able to see where to go.

As we broke out of the trees the first top looked above us..  The map showed this to be the first bump on the ridge with a number behind

The ridge had more false summits than anything I have been on in a long time. I lost count after 4 .. even then when we stopped rising there was another .. but needed some down hill skinning.
This last 50m of height gain would come back to haunt me later

The spot height beyond the named summit .. the guide book has this in it as the point to turn, the map shows the one before.

The benefit of the spot height ... powder down the side.
A good start to the descent.

In general the descent was OK ... picking the right places to descend and when to traverse dictated the ease

The descent finished at a Lama farm, opposite a restaurant. Most people caught a horse drawn carriage ride up here had lunch and went back. .... we tried the ski de fond track, but there was not enough down slope to make the difference and we ended up walking.
and walking
and walking.

Finally a respite as we hit a Rodelbahn track ...  this we could ski, and it took us down to the lake.
before more walking to get back to the van.

And lots of drink.

Now a spot of surfing  ... internet variety to find somewhere to stay .,. this valley was too expensive and we looked at going over the pass to Bivio ..  a nice hotel had some spaces there ...but first we checked out the ospis on the pass .. this had some bunkhouse space, but was quite expensive.
So we booked into the Hotel Guidon The room was clean - the sheets soft, and they had a bath ...  after today just what I needed.

However the best bit by far was dinner .. soup, pizza, salad, steak and potato, then alcoholic torte ... just the perfect feed for a weary body. Watching the sun set and the full moon rise out of the restaurant window.

Diavolezza, Munt Pers and reconnaissance, Switzerland

After yesterday's long day .. height and distance wise, today was always going to be a shorter route, and also include some exploration. Added to this neither of us go much sleep ..  too hot, the sheet was more like an abrasive pad and the piste basher started up really early.
So combining the exploration and a route we decided to do a short route - Munt Pers - from the top of the Diavolezza lift up the valley to the south.
We declined to come back down the glacier as this would need us carrying ropes, harnesses, etc. so the idea was to climb back up to the top station and then down the piste.

Parking in the lift car park we paid for a one up ticket, and rode the crowded cable car up to the top.

Up at the top station we could look back down the motorways to the valley, and also across to the very top - just over 3000m.

Our first view of Munt Pers was disappointing... the usual route seemed to be a walking route ..  the early morning and the cold night meant his was frozen and we should have brought crampons and ice axes - in place of the skis and skins...

The descent from the top top also looked less appealing, and meant a 200m climb up from the glacial moraine.

We settled on a view of Piz Bernina, a shoulder used by a lot of guided parties directly across from us, Piz Palu, and Bellavista.
We tried to identify the route to the hut on Piz Bernina, but this was in conclusive.

I liked the reflection in the restaurant windows.

Then we charged down the piste ..,.  black from top to bottom.
A bit annoyed at the lack of doing anything, but also our foresight.

So a time for exploration ...  first up to the hospis at the top of the pass, which confirmed that there was not much to interest here at this time.
Then down to the main valley and up to Maloja at the end of the valley ...  we noted two routes here, Muott Ota from Sils we would do tomorrow, and one up the back of a fish shop to Piz Grevasalvas ... for another time.

Then we went up the Julier pass ... it seemed to be open now .. both as a way home but also as a source of routes.
Up at the Hospis there was a large number of possibilities (also a large bowl of soup, and a coffee)

Back at the hostel ...  the sheet was no better, so innovation was called for.
The hospis was on the other side of the valley to the town, next to the railway station.
We went for an afternoon stroll. across to the town before dinner ... soup, salad, tiramsu, and ? better than yesterday, but still not enthusiastic.