Yesterday morning, we woke up extra early in B&B Gioli in Berceto. For the first time since long, it had not been hot in the room. We slept at an altitude of 810m. Our alarms were set at 6h. We had to tackle one of the toughest stages of the Via Francigena. We were going to climb up and over the Cisa Pass into Tuscany. This involved climbing 1270m and descending another 1833m spread over 28km. Not a challenge we could handle without breakfast. Luckily, our host had prepared everything for 7h. We realised the B&B was very small with only 2 rooms. Breakfast was served in the living room of the owners with an amazing view over the valley. The friendly man waved us goodbye when we left.
In the center of Berceto, it was surprisingly busy. People were enjoying the fresh mountain air and a good coffee. The church was open. It was pretty dark inside. Hidden in the corner, there was even a little museum free to visit. Time for some action. And the path would test us from the beginning. The first 6km involved a steep climb to the summit of Monte Valoria. Most of the uphill was done in the shade of trees. We kept a good pace. The climb asked a lot of energy, so there was not enough breath for long conversations. At the top of this high bald mountain, we were rewarded with 360° views. We dropped our backpacks and took lots of pictures around the monument and the mile marker. Down below, we could see little villages and the highway disappearing into a tunnel. When we continued, we followed a ridge for 2km to the famous Cisa Pass. Charlotte thought it was named after her and Cindy: CIndy SArlotte = CISA. Here you come to a road, so suddenly it's busy. There were probably around 30 motorcycles parked here and luxury porsches and lamborghinis drove past. This pass is very scenic and part of different popular roadtrips. There are two bars here. We found a bench in the shade for lunch and ordered fresh drinks. Afterwards, we scored a stamp in our passport, took a picture at the sign, bought a souvenir and visited the little church with beautiful glass windows. When you are around, skip the tunnel and drive over the pass, it is worth it. We almost felt like tourists. But we still had lots of work to do. We were still 20km from our destination Pontremoli. Behind the church, we left the region of Emilia Romagna and entered Tuscany. Here we heard thunder for the first time. The forecasted storms were on their way. Would they miss us again? The first part followed a descending path through a beautiful forest. We covered a good distance the first hour and kept each other entertained by playing word games. Later, it was time to climb again to an obelisk on top of a mountain at 994m. From here, we had a stunning view over the mountains and valleys around. But we also saw something else: a big thunderstorm. I thought it would miss us. Charlotte and Cindy were convinced it would hit us. I was wrong. It made a turn in the sky and came straight for us. Continuing on the ridge with lightning so close was far too dangerous. But there was no shelter around either. So we had to hide under some trees, but they didn't keep us dry. Lightning struck at less than 2 km from us. We were happy to have a rain jacket. Only after an hour and pretty wet, we could continue. Clouds were hanging in between the mountains which made it all look mysterious. After 100m, I slipped but luckily didn't hurt myself. But it was a warning. The slippery rocks would make the descents treacherous. We reached Groppoli without further damage and crossed a river on a big suspension bridge. Here we realised we were far behind on schedule. It was 17h and we still had to walk 12km on slippery paths going relentlessly up and down. Not an easy job after a long day. But we were not going to give up. After the hamlet of Previde, there were 5km left to climb. The little villages hidden in these mountains were fascinating. Often only a couple of houses far away from civilization. In Toplecca di Sopra, a sign said only 5 people live here. A man in a suit warned us it was still 2 to 3 hours of walking. He was worried and offered us a ride in the car. We friendly refused the offer. On the trails between the villages, hundreds of old stones covered the path and ancient bridges spanned the creeks. Progress was slow and we were getting more and more tired. For a couple of minutes, it started dripping again but luckily no new thunderstorm followed. We reached the last summit around 20h. From here, it was still 5km downhill and 2km to our airbnb. Halfway the descent, we passed the beautiful village of Arzengio. Two old ladies just came back from a walk to the cemetary. One of them lived in Charleroi, but came here for a holiday because the weather in Belgium had been horrible. After the village, it was getting dark and we got our lights out. Just before entering Pontremoli, we got surprised by animals jumping onto the road: wild pigs. They can attack if they feel threatened, but we managed to scare them away. Walking into Pontremoli, we saw the whole city center was blocked off. It was the first day of Medievalis, a 4 day medieval festival that is organised here every year. Nice for tomorrow, now we were exhausted. We bought a durum along the road and around 22h, we finally arrived at our air bnb. The key was under the mat, the apartment had everything we needed. Time to recover after one of the toughest walking days in a long time. Luckily, today is a rest day which I will spend together with Cindy and Charlotte. I will also try to rest and clean all my gear before continuing for another couple of tough stages. Cindy and Charlotte will stop their Via Francigena here in Pontremoli. They return home on Saterday morning. Best friends ever, we had a great time. The blisters and sore muscles will heal, the memories will last forever.
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AuthorMy name is Dimitri and I'm turning 40 in 2023. Through the years, I have tried to live my dreams. Everything is possible, the sky is the limit as long as you believe in your dreams and work hard to make them happen. Do what you never did before. Go where you have never been before. It will be scary, but it will also be worth it! Archives
July 2024
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