Contura – Autumn/Winter 2013/14

offer a 2.5 day tour, including an overnight stay. On the first day, you
walk about eight to nine hours. From July to September is the best time.
Gian Luck: "Sunrise on the Bernina is absolutely fantastic", he enthuses.
And where passion comes into play, myths and tales are never far away.
Gian Luck also has a story to tell: "At the end of the 1970s, there was a
cat living on the Diavolezza, known as the Palü cat. It sometimes accompanied
tourers up the Piz Palü. It followed in their tracks right to the top.
One day when two climbers were on their way up the Bumillerpfeiler, the
weather turned bad. Arriving at the summit, they decided to pitch camp
there. They awoke in the middle of the night, hearing miaows, and were
convinced they were going mad or about to die. Imagine their relief when
they opened their bivouac sacks to discover that the Palü cat had sought
refuge there."
Of course, Gian Luck is happiest when he’s up on top. But he also finds the
Bernina "otherwise" beautiful. For example, when viewed from the train
on a trip through the UNESCO World Heritage site. "Anyone who has ever
travelled on the Bernina Express
and enjoyed the splendid views of
the Bernina range is unlikely to
forget this wonderful landscape.
Alpine lakes of every colour and
the lasting force of water, which
has formed our valleys. And here
and there an animal, timidly surveying
its surroundings. What
could be more beautiful?" asks
Gian Luck, a passionate mountain
guide who takes a philosophical
view of a region that means everything
to him.
Text: Angela Cadruvi
Where Gian Luck is in his element: guiding
climbers on the Bianco ridge of the Bernina.
www.bergsteiger-pontresina.ch
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www.rhb.ch/contura