Change of plans again. I'm on a train to Milan where I will get on another train taking me to Bellinzona, there Arturo will pick me up. It snowed last night in the mountains, down to an altitude of 2000m and I spent all night thinking about my knees and whether it was wise to attempt descents of more than 1000m in the next days. So when Arturo finally called to say that they urgently needed a capannaro for next week at Soveltra it seemed almost like a sign. I'm not all that happy with the situation and am not completely convinced I am doing the right thing but maybe it's just best for my knees.

This means I will not continue the high routes in Aosta next week but go directly down into Piedmont. I will just have to return one day. The past two days were idiotic, leaving Torino to go to Aosta and then to Courmayeur for nothing. Or almost nothing. I had the injection which I really believe helped, but I will not be able to have the second one unless I manage to find someone in Locarno or surroundings and leave the hut for a day.

We will see. Now I am once again heading towards Arturo's house and tomorrow I will go up in the helicopter again. The hut will be full this weekend because there is a big dinner and mass celibrating 100 years of Campo Tencia hut. A cross will be carried up to and erected at Campo Tencia peak and there will be a lot of people. Unfortunately I will not be going up, 1500m up and down are two much for my knees.

So, dear readers, from tomorrow there will - most likely - be no more posts for a week. And as soon as I reach the border today I will switch to my Swiss number again.