Trekking in the Apennines

Map key

Overview map

Introduction

The Apennines

The GEA trek

Highlights and shorter walks

Wildlife

Plants and flowers

Getting there

Local transport

When to go

Accommodation

Food and drink

What to take

Maps

Emergencies

Using this guide

The GEA

Stage 1 Bocca Trabaria to Passo di Viamaggio

Stage 2 Passo di Viamaggio to Caprese Michelangelo

Stage 3 Caprese Michelangelo to La Verna

Stage 4 La Verna to Badia Prataglia

Stage 5 Badia Prataglia to Rifugio Città di Forlì

Stage 6 Rifugio Città di Forlì to Passo del Muraglione

Stage 7 Passo del Muraglione to Colla di Casaglia

Stage 8 Colla di Casaglia to Badia Moscheta

Stage 9 Badia Moscheta to Passo del Giogo

Stage 10 Passo del Giogo to Passo della Futa

Stage 11 Passo della Futa to Montepiano

Stage 12 Montepiano to Rifugio Pacini

Stage 13 Rifugio Pacini to Pracchia

Stage 14 Pracchia to Lago Scaffaiolo

Stage 15 Lago Scaffaiolo to Boscolungo

Stage 16 Boscolungo to Lago Santo Modenese

Stage 17 Lago Santo Modenese to Passo delle Radici

Stage 18 Passo delle Radici to Passo di Pradarena

Stage 19 Passo di Pradarena to Passo del Cerreto

Stage 20 Passo del Cerreto to Prato Spilla

Stage 21 Prato Spilla to Lago Santo Parmense

Stage 22 Lago Santo Parmense to Passo della Cisa

Stage 23 Passo della Cisa to Passo Due Santi

Appendix A Route summary table

Appendix B Italian–English glossary

Appendix C Useful contacts

Appendix D Background reading

Walking maps showing details of landscape features, contour lines, road passes and settlements are an essential aid for walkers on this trek. The sketch maps provided in this book give as much detail as possible, and are intended as a guide to show the location of the route with access/exit routes. Due to limitations of space it is not possible to show all landmarks essential for navigation, and sometimes a shortened placename appears on the sketch map, for example Poggio Travi (Poggio delle Travi is used in the route description). Good user-friendly walking maps – carta escursionistica in Italian – are published by Kompass and Selca.

Four handy waterproofed Kompass 1:50,000 maps cover the GEA, with the exception of the very start and the final stage.

Sheet 2459 for Stages 1–5 Sheet 2453 for Stages 6–10 Sheet 2452 for Stages 11–16 Sheet 2451 for Stages 17–22

Selca does a good series. While not covering the entire trek, the following are helpful:

Valtiberina e Marca Toscana 1:50,000 for Stages 1–3 Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi 1:25,000 for Stages 4–6 Alto Appennino Forlivese 1:50,000 for Stages 5–7 Alto Appennino Imolese 1:50,000 for Stages 8–11 Alto Appennino Bolognese 1:50,000 for Stages 12–15 Alto Appennino Modenese 1:25,000 for Stages 15–17 Parco Nazionale Appennino Tosco-emiliano 1:25,000 for Stages 18–22 Alto Appennino Parmense est 1:50,000 for Stages 21–22/first part of Stage 23 Alto Appennino Parmense ovest 1:50,000 for last part of Stage 23

Many maps are available in towns and villages across the Apennines, as well as the occasional local tourist office. Sansepolcro at the very start of the GEA is well supplied. Overseas suppliers include The Map Shop www.themapshop.co.uk at Upton upon Severn, Worcestershire and Stanfords stores in London and Bristol www.stanfords.co.uk; otherwise order from the online bookshop in Florence www.stella-alpina.com.

July 2023

Rigoso B&B

August 2021

Stage 5

October 2018

Updates

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