APPENDIX A. NOTES FOR TRAVELLERS.

The following notes have been framed for use with the 'Alpine Guide,' and make no pretence to be complete in themselves. Besides the necessary references to Mr. Ball's book, they consist of such corrections and additions as I should have supplied had a new edition been in immediate prospect. The edition referred to is that in 10 small sections (2s. 6d. each), Longmans & Co., 1873. The sections which include the country here dealt with are three—'The St. Gothard and Italian Lakes,' 'East Switzerland,' and 'South Tyrol and the Venetian Alps.'

The best maps for use in the country here described are, for ordinary travellers, Mayr's 'Karte der Alpen' (Ostalpen, Sheets 1 and 3) corrected by Berghaus (Perthes. Gotha. 1871), and the Alpine Club Map of the Central Alps, Sheet IV.

Mountaineers will also require the Swiss (Sheet XX.) and Lombardo-Venetian (Sheets B. 3, 4; C. 3, 4; D. 3, 4) Government Maps. The new survey of Tyrol by the Austrian engineers has been completed, and its result will shortly be given to the public. The existing maps of S. Tyrol and the Trentino are most inaccurate.

CHAPTERS I., II. VAL MAGGIA—VAL VERZASCA—VAL CANOBBINA.

Approaches and Carriage-roads.

From central Switzerland by the St. Gothard road or Gries (mule-pass); from the west by the Simplon road and Val Formazza; from the south by Lago Maggiore.

There is an omnibus twice daily up Val Maggia between Locarno and Bignasco, and once daily between Bignasco and Fusio, to which the carriage-road now extends. The carriage-road in Val Verzasca extends to Sonogno, but there is no public conveyance beyond Lavertezzo.

The carriage-road up Val Onsernone is open as far as Comologno.

The road from Locarno to Domo d'Ossola is not, as stated in the 'Alpine Guide,' practicable throughout for cars. There is a break of some length near the frontier.

The road from Canobbio through Val Canobbina to Val Vigezzo was still incomplete in 1874.

Inns.

Val Maggia.

Cevio. An Inn well spoken of by German travellers.

Bignasco. The house kept by Da Ponte, mentioned in the 'Alpine Guide' still 'very fair' (1874). The 'Posta' supplies clean beds and good country cooking, and is in a charming situation (1874).

Fusio. Inn and pension frequented by Italians, and said by F. Devouassoud to promise well externally (1874).

Val Verzasca.

Lavertezzo. A poor-looking Inn. There is a roadside tavern, where bread and wine may be obtained, below the bridge over the stream of Val d'Osola. At Sonogno there is no inn (1874).

Val Vigezzo.

Santa Maria Maggiore. A fair country Inn (1874).

Peaks and Passes.

The ascent of the lesser peaks of the Ticinese valleys scarcely repays the labour. The Basodine and Piz Campo Tencca are mentioned among the passes. No riding animals are to be found in Val Maggia: they must be brought from Faido or Premia. The master of the Tosa Falls inn is a good guide to the Basodine, and peasants are doubtless to be found in Val Bavona who would undertake to lead a traveller to the top.

Val Formazza to Val Maggia.

Premia or Andermatten to Cevio by Val Rovana, horsepath. See 'Alpine Guide,' vol. ii. p. 311.[76]

Andermatten to Bignasco by the Forcolaccia and Val Bavona, 6½ hrs.; foot.

Andermatten to San Carlo in Val Bavona by Passo d'Antabbia; foot; probably fine.

Tosa Falls to San Carlo and Bignasco; by Passo del Basodine; foot; rope necessary. See p. 15-16: or Bocchetta di Val Maggia; foot; either pass about 10 hrs.

The Basodine, 10,748 feet, can be climbed in ½ hr. from the former pass. See p. 15.

For the passes from Val Bavona to Airolo, and to Val Peccia. See 'Alpine Guide,' pp. 311, 313.

Val Maggia to Val Leventina.

Airolo to Fusio by Val Lavizzara, see 'Alpine Guide,' p. 311. There is a more direct foot-pass between the two there mentioned, the descent from which on the E. side is by a goat-track down a steep face of rocks.

Faido to Fusio. See 'Alpine Guide,' p. 311.

Faido to Broglio and Bignasco by Passo di Campo Tencca. Through the gap between the N. (highest 10,099 ft.) and central peak of Piz C. Tencca; see p. 20-25; foot, 10 hrs. It is not necessary to go round by Prato to enter Val Lavizzara, but the short cut to Broglio is rather difficult to hit off in descending. See p. 20.

Val Maggia to Val Verzasca.

Broglio to Sonogno; Passo di Redorta, through Val di Prato and Val Partusio, foot, 6 hours. See p. 29.

Bignasco to Brione; Passo d'Osola,[77] through Val Coccho (foot), probably the most interesting path between the two valleys.

I can add no information to that contained in the 'Alpine Guide' as to the other passes from Val Maggia to Val Verzasca, or as to the passes from Val Verzasca to Val Leventina.

Routes.

Carriage travellers can only drive from Domo d'Ossola to Canobbio (with the break mentioned above), and up and down Val Maggia, Val Verzasca, and Val Onsernone.

For riders and moderate walkers perhaps the best route is

From Faido to Fusio by Campolungo Pass, thence to Bignasco; spend a day in Val Bavona, and cross by Val Rovana to Val Formazza or Val Onsernone.

For mountaineers—

Ascend the Basodine from the Tosa Falls, descending through Val Bavona to Bignasco; thence cross Piz Campo Tencca to Faido; drive down to Locarno and up Val Maggia (or by Val Onsernone and Val Rovana) to Bignasco; cross the Passo d'Osola, returning to Locarno by Val Verzasca.

There are many ways through the hills between Locarno and Domo d'Ossola, but none probably to be preferred to the route through Val Canobbina.

CHAPTERS III., IV. THE PEAKS AND PASSES OF VAL MASINO.

Approaches and Carriage-roads.

The villages of Val Bregaglia are half-a-day's drive from Pontresina or St. Moritz, or, coming the opposite way, two or three hours from Chiavenna. The baths of Masino are a short day's drive from Colico, or about five hours from Sondrio. The road to the Baths is the only one inside the district practicable for carriages.

Inns.

Bregaglia. See 'Alpine Guide,' p. 386.

Maloya. Much improved; good accommodation, but a bear for a landlord (1873).

Val Masino.

I Bagni. Clean beds, untidy rooms, excellent food, and much civility, with rather high prices to passing travellers (1873).

Val Malenco.

Chiesa. Two fair country Inns, improving (1873).

Chiareggio. Very rough quarters, and little food to be depended on (1873).

Val Codera.

Codera. Two very primitive Inns kept by tidy and civil people (Tschudi's 'Schweizerführer').

Passes of Val Masino.

No good glacier guides are to be found in Val Masino or Val Bregaglia. At Chiesa in Val Malenco there are several men who have made glacier excursions, and two or three (Flematti of Spriana, Joli of Torre) who have recently been up the Disgrazia.

I Bagni to Val Codera.

There are three passes, all only practicable on foot: I. Over Alp Ligoncio to a pass at the foot of Monte Lis d'Arnasca and through Val del Pussato—the easiest. II. Through Val Porcellizza to Alp d'Averta. III. A rough way, wrongly marked on maps, between the two last. All lead through gaps in an almost perpendicular granite wall. The scenery of the upper portion of Val Codera is wildly beautiful (Tschudi's 'Schweizerführer').

Fuorcla di Rocchette.

I Bagni to Castasegna. Two steep and rough foot-passes; crossing between them one of the heads of Val Codera.

Passo di Bondo.

I Bagni to Promontogno. A difficult glacier pass, involving the descent of an ice-wall, only to be attempted by practised climbers. The pass we crossed lies at the head of the most easterly of the glaciers seen from Alp Mazza in Porcellizza. In descending the Bondasca glacier it is generally best to keep to the right. The spot at which to leave the ice for the pasturages is easily recognised. See p. 73.

Passo di Ferro.

Val di Mello to Promontogno. A fine glacier pass, difficulty varying according to the state of the crevasses. In ascending from Val di Mello keep the E. side of the Ferro Glacier. See p. 49.

Passo di Zocca. (Forcella di S. Martino of Swiss map.)

Val di Mello to Vico Soprano, a glacier pass well known to people of the country. No difficulty with a rope. 'Alpine Guide,' p. 407.

Passo di Monte Sissone.

Val di Mello to Maloya. See p. 61. A fine and long, but not at all difficult, glacier pass. Monte Sissone is easily recognisable on the S. side. In descending to the Forno Glacier bear along the N.E. ridge until it seems easy to get down. The right-hand side of the glacier is the best.

There are two passes known to the shepherds, connecting respectively the lower portion of the Forno Glacier with the châlets at the foot of the Albigna Glacier, and these with the highest pasturage in Val Bondasca. An active walker starting from the Maloya Inn would have little difficulty in crossing both in the same day. Owing to the much lower level of the starting-point, the excursion, taken the other way, would be too fatiguing to be recommended.

Passo di Mello.

Val di Mello to Chiareggio. Glacier pass, liable to be difficult on the E. side if the rocks are icy or the glacier much crevassed. The gap is that nearest the Pico della Speranza. See p. 68.

Passo della Speranza and Passo della Preda Rossa.

Val di Mello to Sasso Bisolo Glacier;

Sasso Bisolo Glacier to Val di Torre; Form together a high-level route from the Baths to Sondrio, passing under the Disgrazia.

From Val di Mello make for the pass at the W. foot of the Pico della Speranza; the 2nd pass is conspicuous to anyone on the Sasso Bisolo Glacier. See p. 87.

These are not the passes alluded to by Mr. Ball ('Alpine Guide,' p. 408). There is a lower pass from Val Torreggio to the Sasso Bisolo châlets. The range S.W. of the Disgrazia is very badly laid down in all maps except the A. C. map of Switzerland.

Peaks.

Monte della Disgrazia, 12,057 ft. See p. 84, and 'Alpine Guide,' p. 408.

In ordinary circumstances, about 5 hrs. from the highest Sasso Bisolo châlets, or 9 hrs. from the Baths. Has also been ascended by Italians by the Passo della Preda Rossa starting from the Alpe Rali on the Val Malenco side.

Monte Sissone, 10,800 ft. (?) See Sissone Pass.

Cima di Rosso, 11,024 ft.

From the Maloya, an easy snow-peak, ascent 5 hrs., descent 2¼ hrs.

Cima del Largo, 11,162 ft.

From the Maloya; a steep ice-wall near the top. Requires a good guide. Ascent 6 hrs.; descent 4½ hrs. This peak can undoubtedly be reached from the head of the Albigna Glacier. See p. 77.

Punta Trubinesca, 11,106 ft.

From I Bagni; easy for good walkers. Rope and ice-axe necessary. Ascend glacier W. of the peak and gully at its head to the gap between the P. T. and the Cima di Tschingel. Thence by the ridge. See p. 81.

Cima di Tschingel, 10,853 ft.

From I Bagni, lower and more difficult than the last. Ascent 6 hrs.; descent 4 hrs.

Monte Lis d'Arnasca, 10,500 ft. } Monte Spluga, 9,933 ft. }

(?) No information; quite unknown to English mountaineers.

Routes.

Carriages can only go to the Baths and back. Riders may visit Val Bondasca from Promontogno, the Albigna Glacier from Vico Soprano, the foot of the Forno Glacier from the Maloya Inn, and Alp Mazza in Porcellizza from the Baths. For climbers, the following route embraces the most inviting peaks:—Ascend Cima del Largo from Maloya Inn; descend on to Zocca Pass (new, but perfectly practicable); sleep at La Rasica. Ascend Disgrazia, return by Val Sasso Bisolo. Order a car from Baths to meet you at Cattaeggio. Ascend Punta Trubinesca. Cross by Val Codera to Splügen road. The two last may, no doubt, be combined in the same day.