The Tour of the Bernina. Gillian Price

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СКАЧАТЬ feel like a wash and change at this point – using your own towel and possibly soap too. Bathrooms are mostly simple affairs with a couple of hand basins, mirrors and toilet cubicles (toilet paper is always provided). There is always a hot shower (doccia calda/warme Dusche) unless specified otherwise. Some huts charge for the privilege, in which case you’ll be given a token to insert in the shower box: don’t forget that the hot water is time-limited. Afterwards you may consider washing out your day’s clothes; these can be hung outside on the clothesline unless there happens to be a drying room. Don’t leave your washing hanging outside overnight, as the dew will soak everything.

      The refuge café/bar is always open if at any time you feel like a soft drink, cup of tea, slice of cake, glass of beer or whatever. Tap water is drinkable unless specified non potabile/kein Trinkwasser. Dinner is generally a set meal, the same for everyone who has opted for half board. A three-course affair, it begins with soup or pasta, proceeds with a meat dish and vegetables, and concludes with some sort of dessert or fresh fruit.

      Breakfast (colazione) tends to be a light affair in Italy, with a choice between caffé latte (coffee with milk) and tè (tea) served with bread, butter and jam (pane, burro, marmellata). The superior quality Swiss version (Frühstuck) usually means cereals, yogurt, cheese and cold meat as well.

      Meals are covered by half board – mezza pensione/Halbpension – with drinks such as beer, wine, and hot beverages billed extra. At the time of writing, charges were around €50/SF60 for members in Alpine Club huts in Switzerland and €58/SF70 for non-members. On the other side of the border, charges in Italy are a third lower – around €43 for members and €56 for non-members. For non-alpine club refuges expect anything between €35 and €60.

      Hut lights-out and silence is usually from 10.00pm to 6.00am. The generator may be switched off, so keep your torch or headlamp handy in case you need it during the night.

      During the refuges’ closed period, unmanned premises are accessible at most alpine club huts for emergency use. The Winterraum in German and bivacco/locale/ricovero invernale in Italian usually contains bunk beds, sometimes blankets, a stove, basic food and a note about where to find water. Self-sufficient walkers passing through when the refuges are not operating will greatly appreciate these facilities.

      One well-equipped unmanned bivouac hut is encountered (on Stage 7 of the Tour of the Bernina), but unless you split the stage in two you should not need to use it. If you do, take your own provisions. Please note that where a refuge is described as being open ‘some weekends’, this refers to weekends outside of the main summer and autumn periods.

      Reservations

      Advance booking is a good idea for both hotels and refuges in midsummer. Some of the places listed accept reservations by email, but by no means all, so book by phone to be sure.

      At the huts, members of affiliated overseas alpine clubs are eligible for reduced rates; UK residents may wish to join a British branch of the Austrian Alpine Club (http://aacuk.org.uk), if not the Italian (www.cai.it) or Swiss (www.sac-cas.ch) counterparts. At the time of writing, membership of the Swiss club does not include insurance cover, unlike the other two clubs – see Emergencies below.

      Reservation is not compulsory at the huts, but it is a good idea for 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 СКАЧАТЬ