Impatient with the continued poor weather, we got up early and scrambled up to the top of Monte Berlinghera before the bad weather could close in again. It’s not the biggest of mountains and certainly not the tallest (+/- 1,950 metres) but it has a satisfyingly mountain-like shape and the views it affords – down the Lago di Como to Bellagio and Varenna; up the Valtellina towards Morbegno; up the Valchiavenna, with Chiavenna itself a miniature town in the valley below; the Swiss Alps – are stupendous. Just by the summit are the ruins of a viewing platform and, having been to the Forte Montecchio, we knew that this was one of the Fort’s observation platforms to help the gunners’ accuracy. It must have been a great hardship posting in the winter! The rain began again as we made our way back down but by then we had had an eagle’s eye view of the world and so were glowing inwardly with the satisfaction of the effort and the reward.