The Alpine Road over the Stelvio Pass (Continuation)

Appendix.

The Alpine Road over the Stelvio Pass. 3/6

(Continuation.)

The road now continues further uphill, partly hewn into the rock and partly in several switchbacks to avoid steep gradients, reaching Piatta Martina, which is notable for two small valleys where frequent avalanches occur. Two bridges have been built over them, a wooden one, like the one at the bath gallery, and a stone one, with a chord of 15 and a versed sine of 5 metres. The nearest mountains consist of limestone and gypsum. The former provides excellent masonry lime and good quarry stones; it has also been used with advantage for metalling the road. Near the stone bridge one sees the first refuge house, the Cantoniera di Piatta Martina *).

From here, again via several windings of the road, one reaches a point called the Diroccamento (the collapse). On both sides rise high and precipitous cliffs, often projecting far into the valley, over which the snow breaking loose from the higher mountains plunges in enormous masses. In order to carry the road past this point, it was necessary to blast these rocks and construct masonry galleries, which now serve as avalanche deflectors, as the snow rolls over them. Other galleries are hewn through the rock, so that often up to six such passages of both kinds follow one another, and the vaulted road has an overall length of 689 metres (= 2,121 Parisian feet). In some places, avalanche deflectors were created by leaving the rock standing in the form of an overhanging arch above, where its nature permitted, and blasting away below only as much as was necessary for the road space. Including these sections, the entire Diroccamento is 887 metres (= 2,731 Parisian feet) long. Sturdy parapets are installed on the side of the abyss, so that here, despite the initial sight of the road inspiring dread, the greatest safety of travellers is ensured throughout.

Following the Diroccamento, which ascends quite gently and uniformly, is another no less remarkable section, la Sponda lunga (the long parapet). Before reaching it, however, one passes the second cantoniera, where a post station is also located. The Sponda lunga is a rocky ridge ascending between the Adda Valley and the deep Val de' Vitelli up to the summit, widening progressively upwards so that it presents a triangle whose apex points downwards. One crosses the Val de' Vitelli on a stone bridge and now climbs the rocky ridge quite easily by means of eight switchbacks, reaching an altitude where one sees only barren rock, but also the first Casino de' Rotteri (hut of the snow shovelers); a pleasant sight for the traveller, who finds comfort in discovering living beings of his own kind in these desolate spaces of creation. These small houses can also accommodate travellers if necessary.

The road now proceeds further uphill to the Bocca (mouth) del Braulio, where the valley walls converge so tightly from both sides that barely a narrow passage remains for the road. Here, over a high stone bridge, the road crosses from the left to the right bank and then continues in a fine straight line to the Piano (plain) di Braulio, a valley basin with many projections and enclosed on all sides by rugged cliffs. Here stands the third cantoniera, along with two small open stables to shelter the herds driven to this basin in summer to graze on the sparse grass growing there.

From here the road continues straight for some distance, and then, by means of two switchbacks, reaches the pass of Santa Maria, from which a bridle path leads down to the village of the same name in the Val Müstair. Near this pass stands the fourth cantoniera, a post and toll house **). Since the Adda Valley ends here and the border between the Valtellina and Switzerland (Grisons) runs along the mountain ridge, the road had to be directed southward again from this point to satisfy the requirement of not touching foreign territory. It thus ascends approximately another 300 metres to reach a plateau, and then the Stelvio Pass (Giogo di Stelvio), situated directly above the Tyrolean valley of the same name on the other side. Here the nature of the soil changes noticeably; beneath a firm and dense limestone crust one finds an entirely disintegrated clay slate.

To the left of the pass lie the tripoint borders between the Valtellina, Switzerland, and Tyrol; to the right rise the peaks of the Ortler, clad in eternal snow. The Stelvio Pass lies 2,814 metres (= 8,663 Parisian feet) above sea level and is the highest point of the road. The famous roads over the Great St Bernard, the St Gotthard, and Mont Cenis do not reach this altitude, and the first two are furthermore not even passable for carriages ***).

*) There are several such refuge houses along the road at equal distances from one another. On the ground floor they contain a large archway beneath which the road passes, a kitchen, and stables; on the upper floor likewise a kitchen, a communal heated hall, and eight rooms. The road menders (cantoniers) live in these houses; they are obliged to provide themselves with everything that travellers may require and, with the help of day labourers employed for road maintenance who also reside here, to render assistance in emergencies. These houses can accommodate around twenty travellers, and more if necessary. — They also possess pipe-fed fountains to which water is channelled from neighbouring springs.

**) These buildings have an altitude of 2,500 metres (= 7,700 Parisian feet) above sea level, and are thus situated considerably higher than the hospice of St Gotthard, whose elevation, according to Saussure, is only 2,075 metres (= 6,388 Parisian feet), and which was previously regarded as the highest permanently inhabited place in Europe.

***) The altitude of the Stelvio Pass is here given as 2,814 metres; according to others it is said to be 2,830 metres (= 8,712 Parisian feet). Here follow the altitudes of the other famous Alpine passes:

Great St Bernard . . . 2,491 m (7,668 P. F.)

Little - - . . . 2,192 „ (6,748 „ „ )

St Gotthard . . . . . . . . . . 2,075 „ (6,388 „ „ )

Mont Cenis . . . . . . . . . . 2,066 „ (6,360 „ „ )

Montgenèvre . . . . . . . . 2,033 „ (6,258 „ „ )

Simplon . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,005 „ (6,172 „ „ )

Splügen . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,925 „ (5,926 „ „ )

Col de Tende . . . . . . . . . 1,795 „ (5,526 „ „ )

Brenner . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,420 „ (4,371 „ „ )