No, that is not my supper, but it looks very nice, doesn't it? Like a giant rose in a fairy tale forrest.

There used to be a hotel on Piumogna plane. It was built in the late 19th century and destroyed in 1925 by an avalanche.

I walked downhill for a long time and actually met someone, a hippie-like man with long grey hair, who was leading a goat and was accompanied by five sheperd dogs. The walking was mainly in the woods, but not easy walking because of all the stones, roots and hotbot grass. Some parts were like a swamp, I'm glad I didn't have to build a castle in it (har, har). I came through all these tiny villages. First Cala, which I didn't actually mean to, but I took a wrong turn, it wasn't a problem, but I lengthened my walking day and added some additional metres to today's balance of ups and downs. Then there was Doro and then Ces, which apparently was a hippie commune with ecological products on sale. Very nice. Then Gribbio, where I took a short break. And then Piumogna plane here in the photo, with Campo Tencia in the background, this time from the other side.

This is Sponda hut in the morning when I left. In the background are the mountains I came down from, but Bassa del Barone is hidden behind the corner. I was packing my backpack when I heard the helicopter, it was delivering goods and men who came up to do work like renewing the water pipes. We had a nice Chat and they invited me to stay, but I had a long day in front of me and was already leaving later than I had planned.

Look at all that water, it is amazing. I don't know how many rivers I crossed and the last bit was often like walking through marsh lands. I feel exhausted from the digging episode in the snow but at least my finger nails are really clean now! My left hand feels a little burnt, snow burnt? I saw some marmots and a pheasant (?) On the way to the hut. The weather was really good for walking, but the forecast was actually - and still is - for really good weather. Nothing but clouds since I arrived at Sponda. Glad to be here, if had walked the other way round and had seen all that snow I wouldn't have gone up. But from the Bassa I didn't see any snow and after that first part of the descent which was really bad, I decided to go through with it and now all is well. Maybe even my shoes will be dry tomorrow.

No more snow but loads of water! And rivers and streams to cross. That was really difficult because the water was deep. There was one place I wasn't sure I would be able to pass. A possibility would have been to take of my shoes, but seeing my left foot was already completely wet from the episode in the snow I thought it would only be fair to get the other foot wet too and it was slurp slurp for the next hour and a half to Sponda.

I could't see any snow from the pass so I started to descend. Horrible descent, lots of scrambling and moving rocks, very steep, some snow and ice. Thank god my foot was ok. When I came to better ground I saw all that snow and was not too happy. Orientation wasn't the problem, I saw enough signs and I had my gps, but I was afraid to fall into a hole. Put on the crampons and was greatly relieved to find that I could very well on the snow which tends to become very soft at this time of the year. I tested the snow with the sticks before each step but that didn't always help. I went in with my left leg again. Really deep and I was stuck. I didn't panic, but it cost me a lot of strength to dig myself out again. Zigzagged my way to rocks and left the crampons on, just in case there was more soft snow. Only after a while I felt relaxed enough to look back and take a photo. The problematic passage is way back in the clouds.