Traverse of l’Om

September 4th

Itinerary:  Motta (1700 m, above Poschiavo) – Alp Braga – Bocchetta di Braga – l’Om (2789 m) – Pass da l’Om – Alp Albertüsc – Motta.
Distance:  14,4 km (1,5 km along the frontier)
Time: 5 hours 15 minutes (plus 50 minutes for the stops)
Vertical distance:  1190 m uphill and downhill

The weather was reasonable all day, clouds and some sun but no rain.  I had a problem getting away, then drove up as high as I could along tracks leading to mountain dairy farms, and had to stop at just over 1700 m by a sign only allowing agricultural traffic beyond that point.

An interesting incident:  about half an hour above Alp Braga I met two hunters, each of them dragging a dead chamois behind them, head first, down the long grass that covered the path at that point.  Presumably they would carry their prizes over their shoulder when the path was stony.  They greeted me “Bon di” but otherwise ignored me, and I did not dare take a photo.  Was this the hunting season?  Were they poachers?  Down at Alp Braga there had been two men drinking wine (at midday) and I wondered if they were waiting for the hunters.

According to the guide book, l’Om is derived from the Italian “uomo”, meaning “man”.

Night: Hotel Posta, Prese