Any search for books about the Apennines which aren’t travel guides, leads inexorably to one book: Eric Newby’s ‘Love and War in the Apennines’. It’s a book I can relate to in two very important respects.
Read moreFeeling at home in the Apennines
Apennines
A stroll up Monte Terminillo and the Elephant Mountain
There are signs of civilisation all over Monte Terminillo, but its accessibility is one of its attractions. An hour and a half’s drive from Rome and visible from the outer ring road, it’s a popular place for alpine climbing, and gave us a fantastic winter walk.
Read moreThe Abruzzo Quartet: an autumn feast of mountains
Over the last two weekends we visited Abruzzo National Park and climbed the big four peaks. Abruzzo has provided a feast of mountains for us throughout 2015, and although it’s a close call, I think these have been my favourite of all of them.
Read moreMonte Amaro, a mountain worth drinking to
The ascent of Monte Amaro in the Italian Apennines is a magnificent skyline walk in a moonlike landscape over peaks and along ridges, but could it be that the mountain is named after an alcoholic beverage?
Read moreThe Corno Grande aperitivo: highest mountain in the Apennines
We were determined to climb Corno Grande at our third attempt. The mountain that had given us such trouble in winter became an enjoyable appetiser to a feast of mountain hiking in summer.
Read moreTrailblazing up Monte Sirente
Our third trip to the Apennine Mountains took us to an area we hadn’t visited before. Our ascent of Monte Sirente was a good day out in the mountains, with some tough trail breaking through deep snow and an exhilarating climb.
Read moreThe Corno Grande Saga, Part 2
This is a short sequel to a post I wrote last month about a reconnaissance trip to the Gran Sasso massif in Central Italy, when we made an abortive attempt on 2912m Corno Grande from the north. Last weekend we had another go from the south.
Read moreA Gran Sasso reconnaissance
I was dimly aware of the Apennine mountains running down the spine of peninsula Italy, but I’d never given them much thought. I discovered the Gran Sasso massif is a hill walkers’ paradise, with attainable mountains even in the depths of winter.
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