Trekking in the Apennines

This guidebook describes the Grande Escursione Appenninica (GEA), a nearly 400km long, three week trek crossing the Appenines in 23 stages, from Bocca Trabaria to Passo Due Santi on the edge of Liguria. The route dips in and out of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, never dropping below 400 metres. Best walked between spring and autumn, it is suitable for any reasonably fit walker. Highlights include Monte Prado – Tuscany's highest peak – friendly villages and comfortable hotel-style accommodation, memorable meals and yet few walkers, besides the Casentino National Park and Franciscan sanctuaries, the WW2 Gothic line, open ridges on the northern stretch, alpine-style lakes in the Apennines National Park, magnificent beech woods and alpine flowers.

The guidebook provides step-by-step route descriptions, accompanied by detailed mapping. There are transport options for joining and leaving the walk at a number of points, making it perfect for undertaking in small sections or single-day walks. There are suggestions for accommodation en route in comfortable guest houses and alpine-style huts, making it essential reading for anyone undertaking the GEA.

The Apennines are Italy's best-kept secret. Forming the rugged spine of the Italian peninsula, this range provides thousands of kilometres of marked trails over rocky crests and ridges and explores extensive forests and meadows, following routes established long ago by traders, pilgrims and shepherds and little affected by mass tourism. Dotted throughout are historic sanctuaries, national parks and nature reserves, wildlife and wildflowers, incredible roads and passes, and stark memorials to the terrible events of World War II.

July 2018

Stage 4 :Sections between Chiusi della Verna and Badia Prataglia + stage 5 : San Godenzo (Passo Muraglione) to Colla di Casaglia are reportedly blocked by fallen trees, requiring scrambling to get around. Some trails are overgrown with brambles and tall ferns, and rife with ticks.

Stage 7: Colla di Casaglia - the Locanda no longer offers accommodation but a resto/hotel will pick up walkers, give them a room and meals and drop them off at the trailhead next morning: Le Spiagge Albergo Ristorante, Loc. Alpe-Palazzuolo sul Senio. tel. 055812281; cell 3393863056.
(Thanks to Ricia Gordon and William Dixon)

Oct 2017

p120 Lovely Albergo Carpe Diem at Passo di Pradarena at the end of Stage 18 has changed management and is now thankfully open once again:

tel 0522 899113 or mob 388 6471360, email: info@albergocarpediem.com

(Thanks to Barbara O)

August 2016

p72 Locanda della Colla www.locandadellacolla.it

p120 Albergo Carpe Diem is currently closed. Stay at Rifugio Bargetana on the previous stage.

p141 Locanda degli Aceri is closed so go to the Ostello. Contact via email forestalepassocisa@libero.it or phone: mobiles 328 8741814 or 347 4197674. The land line 0525 629072 no longer works.

p145 Zum Zeri website no longer works

(Thanks to Martin and Sue)

Oct 2017 -Barbara O'Loan

We completed stages 15 - 19 of the Apennines GEA using Gillian Price's Guide book. The paths were very well marked and Gillian's descriptions accurate and kept us right!

"Just to thank Cicerone for the recent re-issue of Gillian Price’s excellent Trekking in the Apennines – the GEA.

The GEA was a fabulous experience. Very best wishes for continuing to bring Italy and other locations to life so well. We've greatly valued Cicerone guides for many years and it's refreshing when the enthusiasm for the places shines through the text.

Best regards,

Peter and Judi"

In the words of Gillian Price, the author of this guidebook, "The mountainous Apennines. without doubt, are Italy's bestkept secret." She goes some way towards rectifying that situation for English-speaking hikers.

The route in question covers about 400 kilometres of the northern part of the range, mainIy in Tuscany, and is roughly bisected by a line drawn from Bologna to Florence. The route was designed in the early 1980s and was opened by no less a figure than Reinhold Messner in 1983. The walking is straightforward on paths, forest tracks and lanes, but parts of the northern section are on exposed crests, which can be avoided if necessary. The route is divided into twenty-three sections, the longest section being 25km.

The guidebook itself is a handy pocket-sized volume in the style of the Cicerone series. lt is profusely illustrated with delightful pictures and route sketches in colour. The author points out that the sketches are not sufficient for naVigation and that 1:50,000 maps should be used. The sources for such maps are indicated. The altitude profiles are useful and include symbols for accommodation and transport connections so that such planning is simplified. Generally, the profiles and maps are on the same page or on a facing page, and can be viewed togethel~ In a few instances the profile is on the reverse of the map, making its use a little awkward.

Single-day or multiple-day walks are very feasible, thanks to the excellent public transport network to the villages and mountain passes. The author suggests a number of these of up to three days in duration.

With Aer Lingus and Ryanair serving both Pisa and Bologna from Dublin. any of these options is readily accessible and this guidebook is a very worthwhile companion for this long-distance trail.

Kevin Higgins.

Hillwalker, mountaineer, secretary of Tyndall Mountain ClUb, Kilkenny

Review published in the Irish Mountain Log, Spring 2016