I got up in plenty of time for the 0557 tube, only to find it had been cut. I had to wait another 5 minutes at Kings Cross, so, by time I got to Heathrow, I had to go straight to the gate for the 0745 to Zürich. This was not straightforward. As I had an ice-axe on my rucksack, I had to be escorted to the gate. Since 11/9/2001, you have to check in your ice-axe, so best to leave it strapped to your rucksack & put it in the hold. At Zürich Airport, I took a train to the HauptBahnhof and then, one to Chur 595m, where it was quite hot. Using my brolly as a parasol, I found the path by the Rhine and walked to Tamins 662m, which took 2 1/2 rather boring hours. There was no obvious hotel in Tamins, so I asked a local and was directed to the only one. This was outrageously expensive. A single room without shower was 50fr and breakfast (the timing of which I had to argue about) was 9.40fr extra. Cheek. At least, dinner was only 14fr. The proprietor had been an immigrant to South Africa (!) and had come back, as he said 'it was no place to bring up children'.

This is the Tamina Tal, limestone cliffs and an obvious Valkyrie practise area. Then, the path drops and climbs back up to Valens. This was very exhausting and it was clear at Valens that the rain was falling as heavy snow above. There would be no point in staying there and trying to go to the Pizol Hut the next day, my intended route. I had more lunch and staggered down the valley in my anorak to the river bank and along to Bad Ragaz 502m. I had to stop in a wood store hut for a while to recover part way. I eventually found the Hotel Garni (but with a restaurant) Jerger in Bad Ragaz.

Bad Ragaz - Taminatal through the notch.