Contents
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
October 2018
Updates
Stage 7:
The Mugello authorities have cleared the paths from near Colla della Maestà all the way to Colla di Casaglia as well as
Stage 10: the entire stretch from Passo del Giogo to Passo della Futa.
Sept 2018
it is stage 7 and 10 that are seriously overgrown in places - not Stages 4 and 5 as stated below. add at least 2 hours to each day.
Aug 2018
Stage 1: The road to the start of the trek is closed about 3km from Bocca Trabaria due to a land slip and there is no bus for the time being. It's possible to get a taxi from Sansepolcro to near the collapse and then walk to the start. (Road repairs are due to start soon - completion approx Nov 2018).
Stages 4 and 5 are seriously overgrown in places - add at least 2 hours to each day.
(Thanks to Graham Shorrock)
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
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
