Welcome to this, the second in my series of Apennine ‘up the backside’ posts, so called because I tackle the mountain from the opposite of its usual side. I have previously talked about an ascent of Monte Marsicano via its
Read moreMaiella
Dreams of Maiella: a shepherd’s life in the Apennines
Maiella is a high tableland on the eastern side of the Apennines in central Italy. Recently I read a book about it that brought back a few memories. I made three visits there with Edita to climb Monte Amaro and its surrounding peaks from various directions.
Read moreIntroduction to the Apennines — Part 2: Maiella
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.
Read moreMonte Acquaviva: the Maiella massif from both sides
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?
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?
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