Monte Marsicano up the back side: 8 summits in one day

June 27, 2018 Trip reports abruzzo, apennine 2000ers, apennines, cicerone guides, club alpino italiano, edita, europe, hill walking, italy, monte marsicano, peak bagging, wildlife 2 Comments

Since climbing Monte Marsicano from the south on one of our first visits to Abruzzo National Park, we’d had in mind to climb the mountain via a longer route from the more remote northern side. This route took in no fewer than 8 Apennine 2,000ers in a single day.

Introduction to the Apennines — Part 2: Maiella

April 18, 2018 Opinion and advice abruzzo, apennines, cicerone guides, hill walking, introduction to the apennines, italy, maiella, monte acquaviva, monte amaro, monte morrone, wildlife 3 Comments

Maiella is Italy’s equivalent of the Cairngorms, but at a much higher altitude. It’s a huge plateau of multiple summits linked by broad ridges, and divided by deep, mouth-watering gorges. You can walk for miles without dropping below 2,000m.

Introduction to the Apennines — Part 1: Gran Sasso

March 7, 2018 Opinion and advice abruzzo, apennines, cicerone guides, corno grande, corno piccolo, gran sasso, hill walking, introduction to the apennines, italy, monte brancastello, monte camicia, monte corvo, pizzo cefalone, pizzo d'intermesoli 3 Comments

Without doubt the Gran Sasso massif is the crowning glory of the Apennines. It contains its highest and most dramatic peaks, limestone cathedrals, ruled over by 2,912m Corno Grande, the highest mountain in the Apennines.

The Brecon Beacons: our Welsh Apennines

February 21, 2018 Trip reports brecon beacons, britain, cribyn, edita, fan y big, hewitts, hill walking, italy, marilyns, nuttalls, peak bagging, pen y fan, wales, waun rydd 1 Comment

It’s been four months since we moved back to London, and we’d not been out into the UK hills. It takes effort to get out of London for a weekend of hill walking, but the effort is always worth it, and the Brecon Beacons are not so far away.

A short walk in the Sesto Dolomites

October 18, 2017 Trip reports dolomites, edita, gaston rebuffat, italy, monte piana, simone moro, tre cime di lavaredo, trekking, via ferrata 1 Comment

The Apennines were our home from home while we lived in Italy, but I always wanted to visit the Dolomites at some point too. I finally had the opportunity in the very last week before I moved back to London.

Some thoughts on hiking in the Dolomites and via ferrata

August 2, 2017 Expedition dispatches austrian alpine club, cicerone guides, dolomites, edita, italy, tre cime di lavaredo, trekking, via ferrata 3 Comments

We looked upon our four days in the Dolomites as a reconnaissance: an easy hike from hut to hut, carrying little more than a day pack. We had no set itinerary, and chose our route from day to day. We also wanted to do some research with a view to climbing the famous via ferratas.

Unfinished business on Corno Piccolo

July 29, 2017 Expedition dispatches abruzzo, apennines, corno grande, corno piccolo, gran sasso, hill walking, italy 2 Comments

Our big adventure was due to start in the Dolomites, but just before we left Rome, we had one final opportunity to sneak up Corno Piccolo, the last major peak in the Gran Sasso range to elude us.

The Corno Grande and Corno Piccolo traverse

July 19, 2017 Trip reports abruzzo, apennines, corno grande, corno piccolo, edita, gran sasso, hill walking, italy, pizzo d'intermesoli, scrambling, via ferrata 1 Comment

The Corno Piccolo and Corno Grande traverse is a classic day hike and scramble that is not for novices. It’s a must for any fit and experienced hill walker who visits the Apennines. Here it is, described in English for the very first time (I think).

Monte Acquaviva: the Maiella massif from both sides

July 12, 2017 Trip reports abruzzo, apennines, edita, hill walking, italy, maiella, monte acquaviva, monte amaro 0 Comment

I wanted to climb Monte Acquaviva, the second highest peak in Maiella, from the east. I believed it would be a more unusual and quieter route, but it was a 2,300m ascent. Neither of us had climbed that amount in a single day before. Was it possible, or should we climb it by another route?

The Lithuanian conquest of the Apennines

June 28, 2017 Trip reports abruzzo, apennines, corno grande, edita, gran sasso, hill walking, italy, monte brancastello, monte prena, monte sirente, monte velino, sirente-velino 0 Comment

Recently I had a chance to return to Monte Sirente, a mountain Edita and I attempted in winter a couple of years ago. The occasion was a visit from two of Edita’s Lithuanian relatives, her sister Jolanta and niece Bernadeta. For them our visit to the Apennines was an unforgettable experience.