Up at 7 as usual, time for leisurely breakfast and sandwich-making before setting off at 8.30. Bright sunshine with not a cloud to be seen. Wide, drivable tracks today for most of the route through the valley, and we passed several pretty restaurants. As on every other day, I was soon coated in a mixture of suncream and gritty dust. Glad to have trail runners on as it got quite hot later in the day. The landscape was stunning, sheer, jagged rock faces rearing up on either side, cataracts with waterfalls, lush green meadows with grazing cows and their clanking bells. After a few hours we arrived at our desk station, the venerable Berliner Hütte, built in the late 1800s and with space for 180 people. The interiors are magnificent, replete with dark oak panelling, chandeliers and huge rooms with high ceilings. A special place with a very long history. It sits below a (now sadly reduced) glacier and at the centre of a network of trails. A forceful river rushes past. A few of our group were ambushed by a pair of charming local pigs who had to be sternly deterred from eating stuff from people’s rucksacks in a rather jolly manner. We stayed there quite a while before setting off to retrace our steps. Half hour drive back and I was straight into making dinner for 14. A bit stressful and I was worried my chicken would be rubbery, but it turned out fine in the end and several people had seconds. I didn’t sit down for those couple of hours but I had dinner ready by 7.15 rather than the usual 8 o’clock, which I think everyone appreciated. It’s a very long wait when you’re tired and hungry! By the time we sat down to eat I was boiling hot and not really very hungry. After dinner we all looked at the Ibex photo competition entries together and voted, which was fun. Now finally to bed at last. Heavy rain forecast for tomorrow, which is timely. Possibly rain and cloud also on Thursday
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