Trekking in the Apennines. Gillian Price

      

      TREKKING IN THE APENNINES

      GEA – GRANDE ESCURSIONE APPENNINICA

      by Gillian Price

      2 POLICE SQUARE, MILNTHORPE, CUMBRIA LA7 7PY

      www.cicerone.co.uk

      About the Author

      Gillian Price was born in England but moved to Australia when young. After a degree in anthropology and work in adult education, she set off to travel through Asia and trek the Himalayas. The culmination of her journey was Venice where, her enthusiasm for mountains fired, the next logical step was towards the Dolomites, only hours away. Starting there, Gillian is steadily exploring the mountain ranges of Italy and bringing them to life for visitors in a series of outstanding guides for Cicerone. When not out walking with her Venetian cartographer husband, Gillian works as a travel writer www.gillianprice.eu. An ardent promoter of public transport to minimise impact in alpine areas, she is an active member of the Italian Alpine Club CAI and Mountain Wilderness.

      Other Cicerone guides by the author

      Across the Eastern Alps – the E5

      Alpine Flowers

      Gran Paradiso: Alta Via 2 Trek and Day Walks

      Italy’s Sibillini National Park

      Italy’s Stelvio National Park

      Shorter Walks in the Dolomites

      The Tour of the Bernina

      Through the Italian Alps – the GTA

      Trekking in the Alps (contributor)

      Trekking in the Dolomites

      Walking in the Central Italian Alps

      Walking in Corsica

      Walking in the Dolomites

      Walking in Sicily

      Walking in Tuscany

      Walking in Umbria

      Walking the Italian Lakes

      Walking on the Amalfi Coast

      Walking and Trekking on Corfu

      Walks and Treks in the Maritime Alps

      © Gillian Price 2015

      Second edition 2015

      ISBN: 978 1 85284 766 1

      First edition 2005

      ISBN: 978 1 85284 416 5

      Printed by KHL Printing, Singapore

      A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

      All photographs are by the author unless otherwise stated.

      Maps by Nicola Regine.

      Acknowledgements

      Heaps of thanks to Anna, Colleen, Daniele, Laura, Clive and Lucy for their immensely enjoyable company on the trail, Marty for a route check, the woodcutters and hunters who pointed us in the right direction the first time, CAI branches for practical information, the rifugi cooks for their delectable bilberry tarts and Giorgio Baruffini of Parma for his help with those place name explanations that so intrigue me.

      Thanks to my publisher Jonathan, who said ‘yes’ once again, the great team at Cicerone who put the book together, the many readers who kindly sent in updates for the first edition and, last but nowhere least, to Nicola for the maps.

      Updates to this Guide

      While every effort is made by our authors to ensure the accuracy of guidebooks as they go to print, changes can occur during the lifetime of an edition. Any updates that we know of for this guide will be on the Cicerone website (www.cicerone.co.uk/766/updates), so please check before planning your trip. We also advise that you check information about such things as transport, accommodation and shops locally. Even rights of way can be altered over time. We are always grateful for information about any discrepancies between a guidebook and the facts on the ground, sent by email to [email protected] or by post to Cicerone, 2 Police Square, Milnthorpe LA7 7PY, United Kingdom.

      Front cover: Between Monte Marmagna and Monte Braiola (Stage 22).

      CONTENTS

       Map key

       Overview map

       Preface to Second edition

       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