author, mountaineering writer – books, blog, opinion
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).
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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?
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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.
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Monte Prena and Monte Camicia are the two highest peaks on a jagged 20km ridge, the Cresta Orientale, in Gran Sasso, the most dramatic mountain range in the Apennines. We climbed both peaks in mid-May, while they were still clad in winter white. It was one of our favourite trips in Italy so far.
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Monti della Laga is one of the forgotten mountain ranges of Italy’s Central Apennines. It was our third visit there, so we knew what to expect from the mountains, but another factor gave us cause for uncertainty. Last August, it was the site of a tragic earthquake.
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The summit of Monte Corvo is my favourite view in the whole of Gran Sasso. There is a real sense of space, and to the east is a multitude of rocky summits, emerald green basins and horseshoe ridges, with many summits to explore.
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