Welcome to Val dal Fain

I slept much better and was up early, to walk into the „Valley of Hay“, or Val dal Fain. It’s not a spectacular or very well-known walk, so not many people go there; but I love the valley for its flowers and marmot colonies. 

Last year, I did the same tour just a week earlier than this time. But what a difference it was. Because of the warm weather this spring, many flowers have already finished, and the cattle are out for grazing. 

The gravel road up the valley crosses a massive enclosure full of calves and heifers. Some of them were still quite small, and obviously not yet used to being out there without their mothers, as I would find out later.

The day was heating up quickly, and I didn’t go as far as I had planned; but far enough to sit down near some marmot burrows and watch the marmots feed, groom themselves, and watch out for predators. I took a lot of pictures, but my dear old Panasonic camera let me down today. All the marmot photos were more or less out of focus. I made a collage from the best ones - see extra #2.

I then decided to turn back, because of the heat. We‘re having 25°C in the shade today, which is a lot at 1800m altitude; but there was absolutely no shade in the valley, and no cooling breeze either.

Then something strange happened. While I walked back, the calves seemed to hope that I was taking them home to their mums, because they started to follow me. First one, then two, then a whole group. 

So, I walked along, always hearing more „bings“ and „bongs“ of cow bells, and whenever I turned around, I saw my entourage of up to a dozen calves walking behind me. A couple of hikers coming the other way even asked me if these were my cows!

Just before I reached the gate of their enclosure, they overtook me, and stood between me and the gate. I had to walk around and between them, and make sure that none followed me out. They looked so disappointed, I  felt quite sorry for my walking companions. 

Now, after 18K steps for today, I need to go shopping for lighter hiking clothes. I had packed for spring, not for high summer…