NIGEL'S RAMBLES

Sunday, October 21, 2012

An unpredictable Autumn in the Apennines

My latest two walks have centred around Monte Casarola (RE), both conditioned by the weather.

Monte Casarola, Collagna, RE

The first walk started at Passo del Cerreto passing Passo Ospedaletto and then from Sorgenti del Secchia. I intended to scale Monte Casarola on the 675 path. As I arrived below the mountain, the weather changed for the worse. The only thing to do was to turn back.

Monte Alto, Collagna, RE

French Empire border stone, Passo Ospedalaccio, Sassalbo, MC

Sorgenti del Secchia, Collagna, RE

The weather lower down seemed to be better. So I decided to do the footpath between Passo Pratizzano and Passo Scalucchia. Along this footpath one finds the “Recinti”. These are enclosed fields with heavy wooden fence posts. This landscape is very particular.

Sparavara above Valbona, Collagna, RE

The second walk started at Passo Scauccia and again had Monte Casarola as the destination.

Again the day started as a perfect sunny day.

Sparavara above Valbona, Collagna, RE

Monte Piano above Valbona, Collagna, RE

Below Monte Casarola, Collagna, RE

In the space of seven days the trees in the high Apennines had changed colour , the vast forests in this area had become like an orange sea.

Below Monte Casarola, Collagna, RE

As I climbed out of the forest the weather had again started to change. On the last leg of the walk the low clouds swirling around the mountain tops made for some interesting photographs. Again I had not got to Monte Casarola as the weather seemed to be on the point of worsening.

Below Monte Casarola, Collagna, RE

The view from just below the mountain is quite spectacular , with a narrow glacial “circus” between Casarola and the Alpe di Succiso. It was lunchtime , so whilst I eating I also enjoyed the ladscape.

Alpe di Succiso from below Monte Casarola, Collagna, RE

Below Monte Casarola, Collagna, RE

Monte Cusna from below Monte Casarola, Collagna, RE

The next time that I am in this area, I will climb the circus along the 675 footpath from the refuge at Rio Pascalo on the north side of the mountain.

I still had some time so I went to lake Pranda, always spectacular in the Autumn.

Lago Pranda, Cerreto, RE

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Fossilised Trees in the Parco Cento Laghi

I finally got around to exploring the last three lakes at the western end of the100 lakes park in the province of Parma.

Lago Squincio, Passo Lagastrello, PR

Starting from Passo Lagastrello I climbed up the 703 footpath to Lago Squincio which is just above the pass. Even though the water level was a bit low, the lake with the mountains in the background is worth seeing.

The other two lakes are just over the other side of the mountain. The 703 footpath zigzags its way up to a “sella” below Monte Malpasso. On the map it seems like a hard climb, but the footpath is laid out in such a way that the climb is quite easy.

Pradacci, PR

Below Monte Mapasso, PR

At the “Sella the footpath drops down steeply to Lago Scuro. This lake was completely dry.

In the middle of the lake one can see the fossilised remains of some Silver Fir trees that grew here just after the last Ice Age. The wood has been replaced by a crystalline material.