For now I don’t use any electronic assistance during my runs, instead I rely on my senses, accidental human encounters, a simple tourist map with hiking trails and road signage. In this way I hope to get a better insight in how we can use future technologies to enhance these kind of experiences. Meanwhile, the road up gets steeper and steeper and every now and then I pause to catch my breath and enjoy the sight and sound of the running and falling water from the mountainside and along the riverbed.

Watching out for signs along the road I never see the sign that points the trail back in the direction of Sant Orsola, but reading the landscape, noticing the changing vegetation, I’m beginning to suspect that I am already beyond that point. I run further uphill, I don’t want to go back down to check.

Then I run into some guys who are checking the water pumps, they are not from the area and cannot tell me where I am exactly, but they assure me that if I run a little further there is a road toward the main road to Sant Orsola. A little further I ask a farmer, who knows. He answers me in German and I realize I am in different territory, in Palú del Fersina. It is beautiful; fresh and cool mountain air. I can take some other hiking trails back, just a little bit more climbing.

I run up to Sontbisen and look forward to run down through the forest, but I am in for a surprise. The path apparently is not used a lot, it is full of weeds and last night’s rain made it more into a stream than a path, I slide and wade down before the path improves. Then beautiful Anish Kapoor-like sculptures of green moss line the path.

On reaching another diversion I stay on the downhill path, even though there is no sign to give me any idea this is the right direction. Luckily I run into a forest guide with his shepherd dog. He tells me to continue and go left to take the paved road when I cross the stream. At the cross-road there is actually another forest trail that will take me to Sant Orsola. Yes! Running downhill on soft forest soil!

In Sant Orsola I enjoy some yogurt con frutti di bosco and a coffee before I run my last stretch, mostly downhill, the last part straight up to the farm. My shoes never became dry.