The weather has been very unstable in the mountains so
far this summer. Saturday was forecast as being fine all day for the Apennines
in the province of Modena.
So it was up and off early to avoid a stiff climb in the July heat to Lago Santo. This is one of my favourite
places in the Apennines.
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| Lago Santo, MO |
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| Lago Santo, MO |
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| Lago Santo, MO |
After a fifteen minutes leaving from Lago Santo one arrives at Lago Baccio. This is one of the best
panoramas in the whole of the Apennines with the chain of mountains behind the lake,
especially impressive in the early morning light.
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| Lago Baccio, MO |
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| Lago Santo, MO |
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| Bee Orchid |
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| Gilio di San Giovanni, Lillium Bulbiferem |
I then decided to proceed towards Monte Rondinaio before
swinging east to the Finestra del Rondinaio
(Window of the swallows nest). On the way I came across
several dew ponds that are usually dry at this time of year.
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| Under Monte Rondinaio, MO |
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| Under Monte Rondinaio, MO |
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| Under Monte Rondinaio, MO |
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| Under Monte Rondinaio, MO |
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| Semprevivo Maggiore (Sempervivum tectorum L. - CRASSULACEAE) |
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| Semprevivo Maggiore (Sempervivum tectorum L. - CRASSULACEAE) |
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| Semprevivo Maggiore (Sempervivum tectorum L. - CRASSULACEAE) |
The Finestra del Rondinaio drops down almost vertically
to Lago Turchino were a spring supplies lovely cold fresh water, a godsend in July, much better
than the tepid bottled water I have in my rucksack.
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| Finestra del Rondinaio, MO |
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| Gilio - Lillium Martagon |
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My eventual destination was Lago Nero were I hoped to
arrive at the Refuge in time to get something to eat. From the lake I climbed up to Foce
Giovo where a road built in the Eighteenth Century to link Modena and Lucca crosses the Crinale, At the Foce the Orrido di
Bottri can be seen in the distance.
Next stop Passo di annibal, were tradition says that Hannibal
passed whilst invading Italy.
At the Dente della vecchia (The Old Women’s Teeth) it was now time to head
south into the province of Pistoia and down to Lago Nero.
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| Lago Nero, PS |
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| Lago Nero, PS |
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| Alpine Newt, Lago Nero, PS |
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| Alpine Newt, Lago Nero, PS |
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| Alpine Newt, Lago Nero, PS |
At the Refuge I was early, the refuge was just opening.
The people who run it have to arrive themselves on foot with all the provisions for the
refuge. So instead of the rubbish I
carry to eat, I had some strong local cheese with Tuscan bread, washed down
with a couple of glasses of wine.
Contrary to expectations the weather seemed to be
changing. So it was time to head
back. By the time I got back to Foce di
Giove I could hear thunder in the distance. Passing by a memorial to someone
who had been struck by lightning up here did not tranquilize me!
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| Add caption |
At the Foce di Giove I took the 519 footpath that drops
violently downwards, before continuing fairly
easily back to Lago Santo. It was now raining as well.
The weather forecast had not been very accurate today.
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