Sunday, June 3, 2012

The Lost Railway


Who would imagine that a railway once ran just beneath Monte Cusna, the second highest mountain in the northern  Apennine chain. 

 Starting from Rescadore near Febbio (RE)  I took the  609 footpath which  picks up the route  of a  narrow gauge railway built towards the end of the First World War to carry timber down to Quara (RE) 16 kilometres away to were the road into the mountains  ended (Roads in the high Apennines did not arrive until the 1950’s).

Remains of the mountain railway, Febbio (RE)

Remains of the mountain railway, Febbio (RE)

Remains of the mountain railway, Febbio (RE)

Remains of the mountain railway, Febbio (RE)

Remains a mountain railwaybridge, Febbio (RE)
 
The railway was built on top of an older mule path called the Via Maremmana  for  some of the way. In one place the old railway and the cobbled mule track run parallel.
Via Maremmana, Febbio,RE
The next objective of my walk was to reach  Passo di Vallestrina at the head of an impressive corrie on the 611 footpath.  The view towards the pass is startling as one emerges from the thick woodland  in front of the
amphitheatre.

Lame Grassa, Febbio RE

Lama Grassa, Febbio RE

Passo Vellestrina, Febbio RE

Passo Vellestrina, Febbio RE

Passo Vellestrina, Febbio RE
Emerging  at the top of the pass  I could see the top of the main mountain chain in front of me  covered in cloud caused by the humid sea air colliding with the mountains.

Passo Vellestrina, Febbio RE

Passo Vellestrina, Febbio RE

Passo Vellestrina, Febbio RE

Passo Vellestrina, Febbio RE
For the last part of the walk I descended back down to Febbio using the Passone (the big pass) one of the most popular routes up to Monte Cusna . This path is much less interesting than the much less used Vallestrina Pass.

Il Passone, Febbio, RE

Il Passone, Febbio, RE

Pian Vallese, Febbio, RE