There
Are Two Main Passes From Fusio Into The Val Leventina - The One By
The Sassello Grande To Nante And Airolo, And The Other By The Alpe
Di Campolungo To Dalpe.
Neither should be attempted by strangers
without a guide, though neither of them presents the smallest
difficulty.
There is a third and longer pass by the Lago di Naret
to Bedretto, but I have never been over this. The other two are
both good; on the whole, however, I think I prefer the second.
Signor Guglielmoni led us over the freshest grassy slopes
conceivable - slopes that four or five weeks earlier had been gay
with tiger and Turk's-cap lilies, and the flaunting arnica, and
every flower that likes mountain company. After a three hours'
walk we reached the top of the pass, from whence on the one hand
one can see the Basodino glacier, and on the other the great
Rheinwald glaciers above Olivone. Other small glaciers show in
valleys near Biasca which I know nothing about, and which I imagine
to be almost a terra incognita, except to the inhabitants of such
villages as Malvaglia in the Val Blenio.
When near the top of the pass we heard the whistle of a marmot.
Guglielmoni told us he had a tame one once which was very fond of
him. It slept all the winter, but turned round once a fortnight to
avoid lying too long upon one side. When it woke up from its
winter sleep it no longer recognised him, but bit him savagely
right through the finger; by and by its recollection returned to
it, and it apologised.
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