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

Sorgenti del Secchia, Collagna, RE

Sorgenti del Secchia, Collagna, RE

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

Sparavara above Valbona, Collagna, RE

Sparavara above Valbona, Collagna, RE

Sparavara above Valbona, Collagna, RE

Sparavara above Valbona, Collagna, RE

Sparavara above Valbona, Collagna, RE

Sparavara above Valbona, Collagna, RE

Sparavara above Valbona, Collagna, RE

Sparavara above Valbona, Collagna, RE

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

Monte Piano above Valbona, Collagna, RE

Monte Piano above Valbona, Collagna, RE

Below Monte Casarola, Collagna, RE

Below Monte Casarola, 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

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

Below Monte Casarola, Collagna, RE

Below Monte Casarola, Collagna, RE

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

Below Monte Casarola, Collagna, RE

Below Monte Casarola, Collagna, RE

Below Monte Casarola, Collagna, RE

Below Monte Casarola, Collagna, RE

Below Monte Casarola, Collagna, RE

Below Monte Casarola, Collagna, RE

Below Monte Casarola, Collagna, RE

Monte Cusna from 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

Lago Pranda, Cerreto, RE

Lago Pranda, Cerreto, RE

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