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Sori (Sunday, April 21) – Given the favourable weather, is anyone up for one last hike-without-swim? The plan for Sunday is to have one more walk away from the sea (but not too far, actually!) and conquer the scenic peak of Mt Possuolo, in the Sori inland.

The route is well described on at https://www.appenninista.it/teriasca-possuolo/ and features the picturesque hamlets of Teriasca and Canepa, narcissi in bloom and the ruins of a medieval shelter near the peak, as the path used to be well trodden because of the salt trade. if we’re lucky, we might be able to spot some of the wild horses that roam between Mt Possuolo and Bocchin di Levà.

Hike is rated as E (medium), has 750 mt of vertical gain and should take around 4 hours.

Return will be around 5pm, from Sori train station.

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How to get to Sori, and how to come back alive:

On Sunday, 21st April, let’s meet at 10:33am at the entrance of Sori station.

Suggested trains are:

for those travelling eastwards

REG – 10:05 Genova Brignole – Sori 10:33

for those travelling westwards

REG – Sestri Levante 9:27 – Sori 10:07

for those travelling southwards

REG – 07:32 Milano Lambrate – Sori 10:07

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to message me ( vidlothianATgmailDOTcom ) or call me (+39 3297203364)

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Sunday, 14 April – Anyone up for exploring the mysterious and mystical lands of Borzonasca?

Known as the gateway to the Aveto park, the town of Borzonasca marks the beginning of a remote region that sometimes is also nicknamed “Ligurian Switzerland”. The trails around Borzonasca are not difficult, but they bear plenty of atmosphere: there’s an ancient romanic-gothic abbey, that’s among the oldest monastic complexes in Italy, a 600 year old cypress tree… and then there’s the so called “face of Christ”, a 7 metre tall / 4 metre wide monolith on which a human face has been carved. No one has yet been able to determine its origin!

Plan then is to follow the indications of http://www.verdeazzurroligure.com/index_htm_files/19%20-%20Borzone.pdf and have a loop around Borzone and Borzonasca. The route also includes “Rocca di Borzone”, a former castle whose ruins now serve as lookout point. We can choose to either complete the full loop and reach the Rocca or, if we skip the lookout point, we could perhaps consider replacing it with yet another enchanted landmark of the region, the Licciorno church ( https://www.genovatoday.it/social/san-martino-licciorno-storia-leggenda.html )

The trail features 500 metres of elevation gain, takes around 3 1/2 hours and is rated as “T/E” (easy/medium). Replacing Rocca di Borzone with the Licciorno church will add an extra 40 minutes.

How to get to Borzonasca and how to come back alive:

On Sunday morning, let’s meet at 11:03 am at the entrance of Chiavari station.

From there, we’ll take the 11:21 bus to Borzonasca. As it would be better to start hiking right away, please bring food with you! (of course, you may also get it in Chiavari, if you arrive early)

For coming back, I suggest catching the 5:25pm bus from Borzonasca, arriving in Chiavari at 6pm.

For more details about the bus, please refer to:
https://www.amt.genova.it/amt/trasporto-multimodale/linee-bus-provinciali-old/tigullio-centrale/borzonasca/

As for Chiavari, recommended trains are:

if you travel eastwards
REG – Genova Brignole 10:05 – Chiavari 11:03
if you travel westwards:
REG – La Spezia Centrale 09:47 – Chiavari 10:32
if you travel southwards:
REG – Milano Lambrate 07:32 – Chiavari 10:12

Return will be from Chiavari station, shortly after 6pm.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to message me ( vidlothianATgmailDOTcom ) or call me (+39 3297203364)

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Recco – Sunday, 17th March – It seems like a rather warm weekend is ahead of us: anyone up for a hike in the Recco inland? If I’m not mistaken, ATP/AMT buses decided to extend their Recco-Colle Caprile service to Calcinara: if that’s true, it would be wonderful news for us, as it means we will have a very good chance to conquer three famous mountain peaks that we’re still missing: Becco, Bado and Croce dei Fo’. However, for this Sunday I would stick to something shorter, as there won’t be that many trains back due to Trenitalia doing some maintenance work.

Plan then is to catch a bus from Recco to Calcinara, reach the panoramic peak of Mt Cornua and hike to Recco via the unexplored Testana/Corticella trail (#14 on https://www.lookyhotel.com/images/GP_descrizione_sentieri_confoto.pdf ). Trail 14 follows an ancient trade route and is said to be very scenic, with sweeping views over the Paradise Gulf accompanying our walk down to Recco. We’ll also be able to discover the old hamlet of Testana, with the church of S.Margherita d’Antiochia.

Hike should take slightly more than 3 hours and is rated as E (medium). Or T/E (easy/medium) according to https://portofinotrek.com/it/da-recco/132-trail-ad-anello-corto-da-testana-a-monte-cornua-e-monte-del-pre.html

By 4:30 we should be back in Recco, in time for the 5:xx train to Genova or Sestri Levante.

How to get to Calcinara, and how to come back alive:

On Sunday, 17th March, let’s meet at the entrance of Recco train station at 10:57. The bus to Calcinara leaves at 11:15 ( https://www.amt.genova.it/amt/trasporto-multimodale/linee-bus-provinciali-old/golfo-paradiso/ ).

If possible, try to pack lunch, since we’ll only have 18 minutes to catch the connecting bus. (if we miss the bus, we could consider doing the hike in the reverse direction, but that would be much more demanding)

Suggested trains are:

— if you travel eastwards
REG – 10:11 Genova Principe (10:20 Genova Brignole) 10:54 Recco

— if you travel westwards
Reg – 09:50 La Spezia Centrale – 10:57 Recco

— if you travel southwards (*)
Reg – Milano Lambrate 07:32 (Milano Rogoredo 07:38) Recco 09:49

Return will be from Recco, probably around 17:00.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to message me ( vidlothianATgmailDOTcom ) or call me (+39 3297203364)

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Sunday, 17 December » Bogliasco – Anyone up for one more hike before Christmas? As this weekend I’m afraid I’m short of time, for pursuing ambitious goals like Mt Manico del Lume or Cinque Terre, I would suggest having a walk to the easier to reach village of Sessarego, so as to admire its mechanical xmas crib. Located in the inland of Bogliasco, the hamlet will again be having a party, with guided tours, music and wine, just like one year ago.

In order to get to Sessarego, we can try following the trail described on:
http://www.verdeazzurroligure.com/index_htm_files/Anello%20Bogliasco.pdf (I guess the first four lines of the pdf are the fruit of some hasty copy&paste!)
Hike takes about 2 hours, has about 300mt elevation gain and apparently is rated as E (medium), due to some potentially intricate woods between the villages of Poggio Favaro and Sessarego.

Meeting point: on Sunday, December 17, let’s meet at 10:42 at Bogliasco train station.

Recommended trains:

if you are travelling eastwards

Reg – Genova P.Principe 10:11 – Bogliasco 10:41

if you are travelling westwards
Reg – Sestri Levante 9:27 – Bogliasco 10:14
if you are travelling southwards
Reg – Milano 7:25 Bogliasco 10:14

Return will be from Bogliasco, probably around 4pm

More on the Xmas crib: https://www.facebook.com/presepemeccanizzatosessarego

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Sunday, 3 December -> Sestri Levante – Anyone up for an even richer hike on Sunday? As the weather is expected to be quite sunny (as anticipated yesterday), plan is to head to the Sestri Levante inland and explore the trails that lead to the mining town of Masso and its treasures. Legend has it that the biggest gold nugget ever extracted in Italy comes from here.

While we probably won’t come back with our pockets full of precious ore, visiting the town of Masso might lead to some surprises, since it will be hosting a Xmas market as well as some guided tours to the mines and the miraculous Loreto shrine. Also, the village is said to be a wonderful lookout point over the sea, so the time might be right to discover it.

In order to get to Masso, the easiest way (since I didn’t understand how the special shuttle buses work) is probably to take a bus from Sestri Levante to Castiglione Chiavarese. From Castiglione Chiavarese, we’ll take trail #56 to Masso, as described on https://www.sestri-levante.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CARTINA-SENTIERI-SESTRI-LEVANTE-1.pdf. It should be an easy 1 hour hike in the woods, along the Petronio river and across an ancient bridge.

After visiting Masso, we’ll probably head down to Moneglia, following trail #56 plus the Bracco-Moneglia path, that we took a couple of times when visiting the Davidin tavern. The second part of hike takes slightly more than 90 minutes.

How to get to Sestri Levante, and how to come back alive:

On Sunday, December 3, let’s meet at 10:30am by the entrance of Sestri Levante station.

Suggested trains to Sestri Levante (*):

if you travel eastwards:
REG – Genova Principe 09:11 (Genova Brignole 9:23) » Sestri Levante 10:28

if you travel southwards:
REG – Milano Lambrate 07:32 » Sestri Levante 10:28

if you travel westwards:
REG – La Spezia 09:50 – Sestri Levante 10:25

There’s a bus to Bargonasco right away, but chances are we’ll have to take the following one.

Return will likely be from Moneglia, probably around 5pm.

(*) if you buy your regional ticket online, watch out as Trenitalia added the nonsensical “check-in” feature, for the sake of making things more complicated. If you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the 3 day regional pass for 29 euro. However, it seems like travelers from Milano can no longer benefit from the “Italia in Tour” ticket, since they added the restriction that it can’t be used in Lombardia.

More info about Masso’s wonders:
http://www.minieredoro.it/monte%20loreto.htm
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santuario_di_Nostra_Signora_di_Loreto_(Castiglione_Chiavarese)
https://primaillevante.it/tempo-libero/eventi/a-masso-mercatino-di-natale-e-villaggio-dei-presepi/

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As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to write me (at vidlothianATgmailDOTcom) or call me (at +39 329 7203364)

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Saturday, 2nd December: Genova Principe – Following some rainy days, it seems like we’ll have decent weather for the weekend, maybe on Saturday and almost certainly on Sunday.
There are so many things going on, according to Mentelocale and LevanteNews, that it’s probably worth trying to do something on both days, even though Saturday’s weather might not be ideal.

Plan for Saturday is to have a simple walk across some of the Genovese forts, probably #1 trail listed on
https://www.visitgenoa.it/sites/default/files/I%20Forti%20e%20il%20Parco%20delle%20Mura_0.pdf ,
with a possible bonus hike in case of dry weather.

More specifically, the idea is to start off by visiting the famous presepe della Madonnetta ( https://lamialiguria.it/2022/12/presepe-della-madonnetta-ge/ ). Not sure whether it’s wiser to take the cable car from Zecca or walk our way there, I guess we can decide on the spot (and you probably know better than me!).
We’ll then reach Righi, where we can kick off the fort exploration by walking to forts Sperone and Begato (if the weather is kind, we could add Forte Puin to the list, since it grants a better view over the Genovese hills and the sea).
Our walk will continue towards Forte Tenaglia: the fort will be alive with a Xmas market and some guided tours, so it might be worth stopping by before heading down to Brin. Last but not least, at Certosa theatre young (and talented) pianist Claudia Vento will be hosting a free concert at 18:00: it’s a very interesting one, since it features Beethoven’s Hunt Sonata and some Chopin. There’s even some guided tour of Certosa at 17:00, but maybe that’s adding too much to the program?

Return will be from Brin, possibly around 7:30-8:00pm (maybe 8pm, since the metro is free 🙂 ).

Hike is labelled as T (easy) and takes about 2 hours (not including the sightseeing stops and the potential bonus hike to Puin).

How to get to Genova Principe, and how to come back alive:

Shall we meet at 10:50am by the entrance of Ostello Bello, in front of Piazza Principe station?

Suggested trains to Genova Principe (*):

if you travel eastwards:
REG – Genova Voltri 09:56 » Genova Piazza Principe 10:27

if you travel southwards:
REG – Milano Lambrate 08:37 » Genova Piazza Principe 10:25

if you travel westwards:
REG – Sestri Levante 9:27 » Genova Principe 10:40

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to write me (at vidlothianATgmailDOTcom) or call me (at +39 329 7203364)

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Saturday, 18th November → Rossiglione – The favourable weather forecast calls for yet another hike in the Genovese inland. Since we haven’t been there for quite some time now, shall we return to the Ligurian grand canyon?

Plan is to explore the canyon by doing one of two possible loops around the Gargassa river. For going, we’ll follow the river while paying attention in the couple of spots where we need to find a way to cross it. Even though it has barely 100 metres of vertical gain and takes less than 1,5 hours, trail is rated as E (medium).

For returning, we can decide between two trails:

1) the eastern one (circle+rhombus mark) is the longest one and perhaps the most interesting one, as it runs along the ridge of the canyon and takes us directly back to Rossiglione; with 250 metres of vertical gain, it’s very panoramic, takes 2 hours and is rated as T/E (easy/medium)

2) the western one (3 dots) runs along the western ridge of the canyon; it’s very spectacular in the first half, takes 90 minutes and is rated as E/EE (medium/hard, because of a couple of exposed sections, that are secured with chains). The main drawback is that the second part is not so appealing and the ending is on the asphalt.

You may read more about the trails on:

https://www.parcobeigua.it/iti_dettaglio.php?id_iti=3433 (western loop)
https://www.101giteinliguria.it/da-rossiglione-al-monte-poggio/ (eastern loop)

How to get to Rossiglione, and how to come back alive:

On Saturday, November 18, let’s meet at the entrance of Rossiglione train station at 11:10 (or on the front coach of the regional train from Genova Brignole)

Suggested trains:

for those travelling northwards *

Reg – Genova Brignole 10:13 (Genova Piazza Principe 10:21) Rossiglione 11:10

for those travelling westwards *

Reg+Reg – Sestri Levante 8:45 – Rossiglione 11:10

for those travelling southwards *

Reg or IC + Reg – Milano Lambrate 7:32/08:12 Rossiglione 11:10

Return will be from Rossiglione (either at 16:47 or at 18:50)

Ah, please bring food and enough water with you (otherwise the 16:47 train will be hopeless!)

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to write me (at vidlothianATgmailDOTcom) or call me (at +39 329 7203364)

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Saturday, 28th October → Ronco Scrivia – It’s time to say farewell to daylight saving time, which means that from now on the hikes will get either shorter or darker. Before they do, let’s seize the chance to walk on what should be a bright sunny Saturday

As the sea is expected to be very rough, heading to the coast is a bit pointless, so let’s move to the inland and try to conquer one of those mountains that we’re still missing: Monte Alpe di Porale.

Located on the borders between Piemonte and Liguria, the 830mt mountain promises 360 degree views that (with some luck) will encompass both Alps and sea.

Plan is to get there from Ronco Scrivia train station. The walk features several chapels and chestnut groves, a lookout point that goes by the name of Tana dell’Orso (Bear’s Lair… no idea why and, of course, hope we don’t find out the hard way!) and a panoramic big purple bench. We might skip Monte Porale if the walk from the village of Porale to Monte Alpe looks easier.

The itinerary is brand new (we always explored the eastern part of Ronco Scrivia but never the western one), according to
https://www.appenninista.it/ronco-alpe/
and
https://roncoscrivia.unionedelloscrivia.ge.it/turismo/escursioni/
(the last one of the page) it should take around 3,5/4 hours and is rated as E (medium).

How to get to Ronco Scrivia, and how to come back alive:

On Saturday, October 28, let’s meet up at Ronco Scrivia station at 10:50.

Suggested trains are:

– if you’re travelling northwards (*)

Reg 2124: 10:27 Genova Principe – 10:50 Ronco Scrivia

– if you’re travelling southwards (*)

REG 3017: 08:30 Milano Centrale ( Milano Lambrate 08:37) 10:01 Ronco Scrivia

Return will be from Ronco Scrivia, possibly around 4:30-5:00 pm.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to write me (at vidlothianATgmailDOTcom) or call me (at +39 329 7203364)

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Sunday, 15th October → Recco – As the water temperature is still over 20 degrees, does anyone fancy having one more hike&swim? Plan for Sunday is to walk along the scenic ridge between Uscio and Camogli and, if the weather conditions allow it, conquer the peak of Monte Bello as bonus hike.

The itinerary is the one described on
https://www.lookyhotel.com/images/GP_descrizione_sentieri_confoto.pdf
(#16 and part of #18), it features chestnut groves and scenic views, while following a relatively flat trail. If the visibility is good, we should consider conquering the 712mt peak of Monte Bello (that’s about 40 min extra hike).

Hike is rated T/E (E for the bonus hike), has around 500 metre elevation gain and takes around 3 / 3,5 hours (4 hours with the bonus hike)

We’ll probably reach Camogli around 4:30pm, in time for a quick swim or for checking out the “Palio della Madonna dei Gotti”, which is at 5pm and features chestnuts and beer: the festival honors a statue which can be found in a little alley of Camogli and is said to watch over the fishermen, who thank her for the protection and traditionally celebrate with a glass of wine/beer the return from the sea.

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How to get to Recco, and how to come back alive:

On Sunday, let’s meet up at Recco station at 10:54 and catch the 11:15 Recco – 11:35 Salto bus.

Suggested trains are:

– if you’re travelling eastwards

Reg 12353: 10:11 Genova Principe – 10:20 Brignole – 10:54 Recco

– if you’re travelling westwards

REG3261 09:50 La Spezia Centrale – 10:51 Recco

– if you’re travelling southwards

REG 3015: 07:25 Milano Centrale ( Milano Lambrate 07:32) 09:49 Recco

Return will be from Camogli, possibly around 17:30.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to write me (at vidlothianATgmailDOTcom) or call me (at +39 329 7203364)

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Saturday, 30th September → Framura – Let’s take advantage of the very favourable weather forecast and have our traditional hike to Bonassola for the Madonna del Rosario celebrations, before we wrap up the hike&swim season. Since 10 days ago we didn’t manage to have a proper swim in the sea, let’s compensate for that by walking along the green-azure trail that runs along the coast, from Framura to Bonassola. More specifically, the plan is to follow the Framura promenade till Lavallà beach, then head up to Anzo and follow the directions on http://www.verdeazzurroligure.com/index_htm_files/VA12%20Framura%20-%20Bonassola%20new.pdf until we reach Bonassola.

Hike takes around 3,5 hours, with 300 metres elevation gain, and includes detours to the always charming beach of Sca, the spine tingling Hop of the Hare lookout point and the quaint town of Montaretto (I assume we’ll need some water refill before reaching Bonassola)

Hike is rated as T/E (although the descent to Sca is E/EE as it’s rather steep. However, it’s not dangerous at all).

By 4-5pm we’ll be in Bonassola, where we can soak in the festival atmosphere, beginning with the bell concert that’s scheduled at 4:30pm. For those who wish to stay longer, the firework show will take place at 10:45pm.
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How to get to Framura, and how to come back alive:

On Saturday, 30th September, let’s meet at Framura train station at 11:01 am.

Recommended trains are (*):

if you travel eastwards

REG 3015 + REG 12223
Genova Piazza Principe 9:15 – Genova Brignole 09:24 – Framura 11:01

if you travel westwards

REG 12222: La Spezia Centrale 10:15 – 10:53 Framura

if you travel southwards

REG 3015 + REG 12223
Milano Lambrate 7:32 (Rogoredo 7:38 ) – 11:01 Framura

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to write me (at vidlothianATgmailDOTcom) or call me (at +39 329 7203364)

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Sunday, 17th September → Rapallo – Given the weather forecast, Sunday is favourable for hiking: is anyone up for exploring more of the Rapallo inland?

The village of San Maurizio di Monti will celebrate its patron saint and, since it’s also their organising committee’s 100th birthday, it might be worthwhile to take a look at what they’re up to? Plan then is to get to S.Maurizio by first having an urban walk across the Two Towers of Rapallo:
https://rapallooutdoor.it/2021/03/13/urban-hiking-percorso-1-le-due-torri/

and then by following the route described on:
https://portofinotrek.com/it/da-rapallo/77-rapallo-s-maurizio-dei-monti-passo-della-crocetta-pian-dei-merli-rapallo.html
( for a complete map, take a look at https://www.salitamontallegro.it/assets/pdf/CartaMontallegro.pdf )

Hike is rated as T/E (easy/medium) and takes around 3,5 hours, with 600 metres elevation gain. Besides 2 towers, it features several lookout points and a mysterious fresh water spring, that goes by the name of “Cucciottu de San Martin”. By 2:30pm-3:00 we should be at S.Maurizio, where we can soak up the festival atmosphere, before heading back to Rapallo along the ancient salt trail.

More about S.Maurizio festival:
https://iltigullio.com/2023/09/13/tigullio-e-dintorni-eventi-feste-e-sagre-16-17-settembre/

Return will be from Rapallo, possibly around 5pm (or later, if we combine the hike with a swim at Castello dei Sogni)

How to get to Rapallo, and how to come back alive:

On Sunday, September 17th, let’s meet at the entrance of Rapallo train station at 11:07. Unless you’re arriving earlier, try to pack lunch, since we’ll walk to the opposite side of the station (the trail starts from there).

Suggested trains are:

— if you travel eastwards
REG 12353 – 10:11 Genova Piazza Principe (10:20 Genova Brignole) 11:07 Rapallo

— if you travel westwards
Reg 3261 – 09:50 La Spezia Centrale – 10:40 Rapallo

— if you travel southwards (*)
Reg 3015 – Milano Lambrate 07:32 (Milano Rogoredo 07:38) Rapallo 10:02

(*) PS: Unfortunately, it seems like travelers from Milano can no longer benefit from the 3-day “Italia in Tour” ticket, since they added the restriction that it can’t be used in Lombardia. Rules are pretty fuzzy, though, I tried asking the customer center and they also were doubtful about the correct interpretation, although in the end they believe that it cannot be used in Lombardia (while it’s allowed to travel past the Cinque Terre as long as you don’t get off, an extra ticket must be bought to travel from Milano to Tortona). If you come from Torino, you’re lucky as you have no problems of this kind!

Last but not least, if you buy your regional ticket online, watch out as Trenitalia added a nasty “check-in” feature. The easiest way to get rid of all problems is to check in as soon as you can (I believe you can check in from midnight of the same day)

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to message me ( vidlothianATgmailDOTcom ) or call me (+393297203364)

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Saturday, 2nd September, Moneglia – It seems like the heat waves are giving us a break this week, at least till Saturday (on Sunday the blazing summer may knock on our door again).
Given the not so hot temperature and the calm sea, let’s have a Saturday hike&swim to one of most picturesque shores in Liguria: Valletta (Moneglia), famous for its crags and emerald sea. Last year we skipped it, so it makes sense to go back now.

In order to get there, we’ll try to have an unusual loop from Moneglia: we’ll start with an urban walk, across the hamlets of Crova and Ca’ Bianca, then we’ll move on to Mt Comunaglia before heading down to Valletta. Path features several lookout points and, even though we’ve never walked along it, it should be in good condition, since one month from now it will be used for the Andersen Marathon (a crazy running event that’s more than 40km long)

Hike is roughly described on http://www.verdeazzurroligure.com/index_htm_files/Anello%20Monte%20Moneglia.pdf + https://www.appenninista.it/puntamoneglia/ ,
should take 3,5-4 hours (2,5-3 hours to Valletta + 1 to Moneglia), has 500 metres of elevation gain and is rated as T/E (easy/medium)… and E/EE (medium/hard) for the swimming part: if you wish to dive into the water, be warned that a little care is required to enter the sea. Also, be warned that there may be no water taps along the way: make sure you bring plenty of water!

How to get to Moneglia, and how to come back alive:
On Saturday 2nd, let’s meet at the entrance of Moneglia station at 11:05 am.

Recommended trains are:
— if you travel eastwards
REG 3015 + REG 12223 – Genova Piazza Principe 9:11 (Genova Brignole 9:23) Moneglia 10:51

— if you travel westwards
REG 12222 – 10:15 La Spezia Centrale – 11:05 Moneglia

— if you travel southwards
REG 3015 + REG 12223 – Milano Centrale 07:25 (Milano Lambrate 07:32 – Milano Rogoredo 07:38) Moneglia 10:51 (*)

Return will be from Moneglia, possibly around 5:30pm. There’s actually a potentially interesting event (about travelling and Schubert, at Oratorio dei Disciplinanti: https://www.genova24.it/evento/il-viaggio-conversazione-fra-letteratura-storia-geografia-e-musica-a-moneglia/ ): still have to figure out whether it’s worth staying in Moneglia for the evening, the singing part would definitely be interesting.

PS: As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to write to me (at vidlothianATgmailDOTcom) or call me (at +39 329 7203364)

(*) PPS: Unfortunately, it seems like travelers from Milano can no longer benefit from the 3-day “Italia in Tour” ticket, since they added the restriction that it can’t be used in Lombardia. Rules are pretty fuzzy, though, I tried asking the customer center and they also were doubtful about the correct interpretation, although in the end they believe that it cannot be used in Lombardia (while it’s allowed to travel past the Cinque Terre as long as you don’t get off, an extra ticket must be bought to travel from Milano to Tortona). If you come from Torino, you’re lucky as you have no problems of this kind!

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S.Margherita Ligure, Saturday 12th August – You know what time it is? If you have been part of the group for some time, you must surely know that it’s time for Santa Margherita’s fried fish festival!

Since the sea should be calm, a hike&swim is in order and, since we haven’t been there for more than 3 years, I would suggest heading to the bay of Cala degli Inglesi (a rocky shore that lies somewhere between Portofino and S.Fruttuoso and where a Canadian ship sank some 50 years ago). The weather will be a bit hot, but the woods and the many water taps present along the way should make up for the 30 degree temperature. And we can shorten the walk by hitching a ride from one of many electric buses that allegedly will be running for free between Santa Margherita and Punta Pedale (therefore starting the hike from the villas in Via Repellini).

Hiking-wise, we’ll follow the western segment of the route described on:
https://portofinotrek.com/it/da-santa-margherita-ligure/62-santa-margherita-nozarego-olmi-portofino-paraggi-cappelletta-delle-gave-santa-margherita.html ,
followed by https://portofinotrek.com/it/sentieri-principali/17-portofino-cala-degli-inglesi.html

Hike is rated as easy, except for the descent to Cala degli Inglesi, which is rated “EE” (for “expert excursionists”). It’s not particularly dangerous or exposed, but some extra care is needed, especially in the last part of the trail (which is secured with chains and rather steep, you can get an idea from the photos on http://www.cralgalliera.altervista.org/calainglesi010.pdf ).

Overall, the whole hiking loop takes around 3,5 hours and has 400 mt of vertical gain.

How to get to S.Margherita Ligure, and how to come back alive:

On Saturday, 12th August, let’s meet at 11:14 am at the entrance of S.Margherita Ligure/Portofino railway station (by the infamous taxi telephone).

Suggested trains are

if you travel eastwards
REG 12355: 10:11 Genova Piazza Principe (10:20 Genova Brignole) 11:03 S. Margherita Ligure-Portofino
or
REG 3265: 10:45 Genova Brignole 11:14 S. Margherita Ligure-Portofino

if you travel westwards
REG 11368: 09:50 La Spezia Centrale – 10:44 S.Margherita Ligure-Portofino
if you travel southwards:
REG 3015: 7:25 Milano Centrale 7:32 Milano Lambrate 09:58 S.Margherita Ligure-Portofino (*)

As for the festival, distribution of the fish is said to begin around 6pm.

Return will be from S.Margherita Ligure, somewhere between 6pm (without the fish) and 8pm (with a full stomach).

(*) if you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the 3 day regional pass for 29 euro.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to message me ( vidlothianATgmailDOTcom ) or call me (+393297203364)

next hike

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29th July, La Spezia – After a sizzling and turbulent month of July, it seems like we’ll have a pleasant weekend ahead, with sunny and mild weather and a calm sea… the ideal conditions for Saturday’s hike? As you may have guessed, this weekend’s goal is La Spezia, as the “natural swimming pool” event unfolds in Portovenere.

Plan then is to have a hike along our favourite trail in Liguria, the so called Infinite Trail, across olive trees, a windmill and majestic views over the coast. The “infinite” trail probably owes its name to the fact that the alignment of Mt Muzzerone, Portovenere and the islands of Palmaria and Tino make the trail appear much longer (almost infinite) than it actually is.

Since we haven’t been there for some time, let’s head to Campiglia and walk along the classic route to Portovenere, which takes around 2 hours. In order to put less strain on our knees, we’ll probably head down via the easier Muzzerone hut trail (no detour to Fort Muzzerone this time). As for getting to Campiglia, we can either walk from La Spezia or take a bus ride to Marola and then reach Campiglia via trail 528 (90 minutes).

Hike is rated as “E” (intermediate), with an elevation gain of 600 metres.

You may read more about the Infinite trail on:

Seguendo Minerva a Portovenere

and about the Natural Swimming Pool on:

https://lamialiguria.it/eventi/la-piscina-naturale/

How to get to La Spezia, and how to come back alive:

On Saturday, July 29th, let’s meet at 10:10am outside La Spezia Centrale railway station, near the red human pyramid monument

Suggested trains are:

» if you are travelling eastwards:

IC 505 – 08:53 Genova Piazza Principe (9:01 Genova Brignole) 10:09 La Spezia (might get booked out, so don’t wait for Saturday to buy it!)

» if you are travelling southwards:

REG 3015 Milano Lambrate 6:32 (Rogoredo 6:38) Genova P.Principe 8:16
(*) +
IC 505 Genova P.Principe 8:51 – La Spezia 10:09

(if you have blind faith in Trenitalia and you want to make the most of your 3-day ticket, there’s a way, via Parma, which is covered entirely by regional trains)

Return will be from Portovenere/La Spezia, possibly around 6pm/7pm.

(*) if you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the 3 day regional pass for 29 euro.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to message me ( vidlothianATgmailDOTcom ) or call me (+393297203364)

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Saturday 22nd July, Sestri Levante – It seems like the weather forecast for Saturday is improving! Given that this weekend’s big event takes place on Saturday, I think we can safely place our bets on Saturday (and perhaps leave the sunnier Sunday for a swim?)

The big event is, of course, the Sagra del Bagnun, a festival that is primarily about a soup of tomato and anchovies, that is served to everyone (for free) starting from 7pm. As it often happens with Ligurian festivals, there will be live entertainment and fireworks. You may read more about the festival on https://www.sharry.land/en/events/la-sagra-del-bagnun-a-riva-trigoso or https://www.mentelocale.it/genova/eventi/256620-sagra-del-bagnun-2023-a-riva-trigoso-distribuzione-gratuita-fuochi-d-artificio-e-musica.htm

As for the walk, given the not-so-low temperature, let’s have the classic Punta Manara hike in Sestri Levante, as described on https://portofinotrek.com/it/da-sestri-levante/139-547-trail-ad-anello-sestri-levante-riva-trigoso.html

What can we add as bonus hike? Probably not the trail to the sea they’re trying to build at Punta Manara: I understand it is not ready yet and some people, who possibly use openstreetmap, had to be rescued this year.

What has been restored and is fully walkable is the path along the slopes of Monte Pagano, the scenic hill that overlooks Riva Trigoso and hosts its city park. We’ll then finish the hike by unveiling the secrets of Monte Pagano.

Main hike is rated as T (easy) and should take around 2 hours, with 180 metres of elevation gain. In order to avoid the initial annoying flight of stairs, we’ll probably take last year’s path that starts from the cemetery. The Monte Pagano bonus hike will add an extra 30 minutes.

By 4pm we’ll likely be in Riva Trigoso. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to swim, as the sea is said to be rough, but we can give it a try, while waiting for the Sagra to begin.

How to get to Sestri Levante, and how to come back alive:

On Saturday, July 22nd, let’s meet at the entrance of Sestri Levante station at 11:34 am.

Recommended trains are:

— if you travel eastwards

REG 12355 10:11 Genova Principe (10:20 Genova Brignole) 11:30 Sestri Levante

RV 3265 – 10:45 Genova Brignole 11:34 Sestri Levante (might be quite full)

— if you travel westwards

REG 12222 – 10:15 La Spezia Centrale – 11:15 Sestri Levante

— if you travel southwards

REG 3015 – Milano Centrale 7:25 (Milano Lambrate 7:32) Sestri Levante 10:28 (*)
(there’s also a train at 8:30, with some pretty tight connections)

Return will be from Riva Trigoso, possibly between 6:00pm and 11:00pm (depending on how much bagnun you want to eat!)

(*) if you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the 3 day regional pass for 29 euro.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to message me ( vidlothianATgmailDOTcom ) or call me (+393297203364)

next hike(s?)

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Sunday, 2nd July – As usual, it’s that time of the year when Rapallo celebrates the anniversary of the apparition of Mary on the Montallegro hills with a colorful array of fireworks (both at midday and at night). This year we’ll probably miss the burning of the castle (since it happens on Monday), but we’ll be able to enjoy plenty of fireworks over the weekend.

Since Sunday has a better weather and sea forecast, let’s pick it for our Montallegro hike: besides, according to tradition, it’s on a hot second day of July from 500 years ago that the Virgin Mary appeared in front of a shepherd on the Rapallo mountains and handed him a Byzantine portrait, that can be seen on the altar of the shrine (should you prefer to hike on Saturday, please head to the bottom of this event description for an alternative hike).

The Sunday plan then is to follow the classic route described on https://portofinotrek.com/it/da-rapallo/46-119-rapallo-sant-ambrogio-montallegro-rapallo.html#/1-passante_per-rapallo, possibly with the detour to see the via Crucis on Mt Rosa. This will allow us to benefit from a trail that runs mostly in the shade of the Montallegro woods and have a few water taps along the way (as well as several lookout points over the Portofino peninsula).

Will it be possible to swim? Hopefully yes, the sea might be a bit rough, but the Castello dei Sogni or Pozzetto beaches should offer enough protection from the waves. If the sea turns out to be calm, we might even be able to try the recently opened Natural Swimming Pool (a body of sea water, marked by buoys, that supposedly connects Castello dei Sogni to Pozzetto).

Hike is rather long (3,5-4 hours) but easy-medium.

You may read more about the festival on:

Pagina principale

How to get to Rapallo, and how to come back alive:

On Sunday, July 2nd, let’s meet at the entrance of Rapallo train station at 10:53.

Suggested trains are:

— if you travel eastwards
REG 12345 10:05 Genova Brignole – 10:53 Rapallo

— if you travel westwards
Reg 3261 – 09:50 La Spezia Centrale – 10:40 Rapallo

— if you travel southwards () Reg 3015 – Milano Centrale (Lambrate) 07:25 (07:32) Rapallo 10:02 ()

Return will be from Rapallo railway station… around 6pm (without fireworks) or midnight (if you’re up for watching the complete show).

(*) if you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the 3 day regional pass for 29 euro.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to message me! (at vidlothianATgmailDOTcom or +393297203364)

PS: If anyone is in the mood for a rather adventurous quest in uncharted lands on Saturday, plan is to visit the famous and elusive Castello della Pietra, which we have never managed to reach in 13 years of hiking. The updated bus timetables give us a glimmer of hope that it might be feasible to get there. In truth, a good deal of luck with public transportation will still be required, to get to Vobbia starting point of the hike, but if you’re feeling lucky let me know: we can try to draw a plan on how to get to the legendary Trail of Castellans leading to the castle that’s nested between two mountains of conglomerate. Hike takes around 1,5 hours (one way) and is wonderfully described on https://sentieridautore.it/2021/04/12/il-castello-della-pietra/

next (mini) hike (2/2): Sori – Recco

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Sori – Sunday, May 28 – Since weather forecast doesn’t look so bad anymore, is anyone interested in adding a Sunday walk to Saturday’s hike?
If it were so, let’s meet up at Sori station shortly after noon and walk to Recco via Polanesi, across sundials, old churches, fancy villas and a pirate tower, as described on:
https://prolocorecco.it/images/pdf/depliantitinerari.pdf
Walk takes about 2 hours and has 200 metres elevation gain.
By 2:30pm we should be in Recco, in time for the distribution of their famous focaccia: https://www.mentelocale.it/genova/eventi/250864-festa-della-focaccia-di-recco-2023-focaccia-al-formaggio-gratis-musica-e-mercatino.htm

How to get to Sori, and how to come back alive:
On Sunday 28th, let’s meet at 12:10pm at the entrance of Sori train station.
Suggested trains to Sori:
— if you travel eastwards
REG – 10:45 Genova Principe – 11:53 Sori
— if you travel westwards
REG – 10:15 La Spezia Centrale – 12:10 Sori

(*) if you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the regional weekend pass for 22 euro. For some odd reason, Trenitalia decided to call it Weekend Insieme ( https://www.trenitalia.com/it/treni_regionali/promozioni-regionali/promo-weekend-insieme.html ) but you’re perfectly entitled to travel on your own.
As far as I understood, this is the penultimate weekend with this deal.
As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to message me ( vidlothianATgmailDOTcom ) or call me (+393297203364) See less

next hike: Levanto – Mt Focone

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Levanto, Saturday, May 27 – With the sea temperature reaching 20 degrees, the time might be right for the first hike&swim of the season? Since the weather appears to be more favourable on Saturday, I would choose it as hiking day (and if the weather turns out to be sunny on Sunday as well, we can always throw in a bonus mini-hike for the Recco focaccia festival 🙂 ).

As for Saturday, the plan is to hike up to the peak of Mt Focone: we haven’t been on the mountain overlooking Levanto and the Cinque Terre for almost 10 years now (!), so it might be a good idea to seize the chance now, while the weather is still not too hot. Starting point will be Levanto’s medieval walls with the clock tower: from there, we’ll take trail #22 to Colla dei Bagari and up to the peak of Mt Focone, following the route described on http://www.verdeazzurroligure.com/index_htm_files/Anello%20Punta%20Mesco%202.pdf .
From Mt Focone, we can choose whether to do a shorter loop and head back to Levanto or go on until Punta Mesco and then hike back along the coast.

Hike takes around 3 hours (short loop) or 4 hours (Mesco loop) and is rated as E (medium), with a vertical gain of 500 metres.

We should be back to Levanto around 5pm, in time for a swim or for watching a military parade&concert from Abruzzo, that should take place at 6pm:
https://www.levantenews.it/2023/05/20/levanto-il-27-la-fanfara-di-casoli-chieti-in-corteo-e-in-concerto/

How to get to Levanto, and how to come back alive:

On Saturday 27th, let’s meet at 11:50am at the entrance of Levanto train station.

Suggested trains to Levanto:

— if you travel eastwards
REG – 10:45 Genova Brignole – 11:49 Levanto

— if you travel westwards
REG – 11:15 La Spezia Centrale – 11:44 Levanto

— if you travel southwards (*)
REG 07:25 Milano Centrale (7:32 Lambrate / 7:38 Rogoredo) – 11:49 Levanto

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to message me ( vidlothianATgmailDOTcom ) or call me (+393297203364)

next hike: S.Margherita Ligure

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Saturday, 13th May – Once again, it’s that time of the year when Camogli celebrates St.Fortunato, by offering a sizzling show on Saturday and fried fish on Sunday. Organizing a hike is harder than ever, given that it’s rather wet this week and, as if it were not enough, Trenitalia decided to cut the Pavia-Voghera railway line for 2 consecutive weekends.

Still, I think the fish festival is worth some extra effort to get around these hurdles. Since the visually entertaining bits are all on Saturday evening and the forecast should be less wet in the afternoon, let’s try meeting up on Saturday after lunch and walking from S.Margherita Ligure to Camogli. If the weather is favourable, we’ll take the panoramic path that goes across Bocche and Pietre Strette. ( north segment of https://portofinotrek.com/en/from-santa-margherita-ligure/64-174-santa-margherita-ligure-portofino-s-fruttuoso-san-rocco-pietre-strette-santa-margherita.html#/2-passing_through-portofino , hike takes around 3 hours and is rated as T/E, with 500 mt elevation gain)

If the weather turns out to be wet, we’ll walk along the easier ancient Roman route, from S.Margherita to S.Lorenzo and Ruta.

For those who are yet uninitiated, the Saturday program features two big statues, made of wooden junk, that are brought to the shore and burnt at the stake. There will be a procession, with people carrying the ark of S.Fortunato across town… and plenty of fireworks.

We’ll probably arrive at Camogli around 6pm, in time to marvel at the statues, before they get burned, and watch the sunset.

You may read more about the festival on:
– http://www.camogliedintorni.it/Falò.html

Return will be from Camogli.
Needless to say, if you plan to watch the fireworks and the burning of the statues, you might want to stay until 11pm or midnight.

If you choose to stay overnight, take into account that there’s the “buy 1 and get 1 free” train offer also on Sunday (courtesy of Trenitalia and Mother’s Day)

**********************************************************

How to get to S.Margherita Ligure and how to come back alive:

On Saturday, May 13th, let’s meet at 14:05 am at the entrance of S.Margherita Ligure station, by the infamous taxi telephone.

Suggested trains are:

– if you’re travelling eastwards

REG 13:13 Genova Piazza Principe – 14:05 S.Margherita Ligure

– if you’re travelling westwards

REG 13:28 Sestri Levante – 13:55 S.Margherita Ligure

– if you’re travelling southwards

a nightmare of regional trains (*) or a long Intercity train, if you’re coming from Milano. A more comfortable connection from Torino.

***************************************

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to message me ( vidlothianATgmailDOTcom ) or call me (+393297203364)

next hike: Recco

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Sunday, 16th April – Since Megli is hosting a rather interesting cheese focaccia festival on Sunday, is anyone up for a last-minute hike? Plan is to head back to Colle Caprile and walk all the way to the Recco hills above the coast.

In case you came last November, you might remember we took a similar path, when hiking to Sori. This time we’ll start again from Colle Caprile and try the trail that runs parallel to the one we took. This one is slightly more demanding (since it involves a mountain peak instead of a tavern as lunch spot), but it should be feasible: we’ll try to conquer the (allegedly very scenic) peak of Mt Cornua and then will go down to Mt Cassinea and Case Ageno. If something goes amiss with the bus (i.e. if we miss the morning bus due to Trenitalia delays) the backup plan is to have a loop hike from Recco to Polanesi and Redentore and back to Megli (via Case Ageno).

Hike takes around 3h30 and is similar to what is described on
https://www.caimilano.org/grupposeniores/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2018/12/190116-Monte-Cornua.pdf
or
https://www.appenninista.it/sori-cornua/

How to get to Colle Caprile, and how to come back alive:

On Sunday, 16th April, let’s meet at the entrance of Recco train station at 10:51. The bus to Colle Caprile leaves at 11:15.
If possible, try to pack lunch, since we’ll only have 24 minutes to catch the connecting bus.

If all goes according to the hiking schedule, we should reach Megli around 4:30pm, in perfect time for the festival.

Suggested trains are:

— if you travel eastwards

REG – 10:05 Genova Brignole 10:40 Recco

— if you travel westwards

Reg – 09:50 La Spezia Centrale – 10:51 Recco

— if you travel southwards (*)

Reg – Milano Lambrate 07:32 (Milano Rogoredo 07:38) Recco 09:49

Return will be from Recco, probably around 18:00.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to message me ( vidlothianATgmailDOTcom ) or call me (+393297203364)

next hike

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25th March, Lavagna – Given the favourable weather and the opening of several major sights (courtesy of the FAI days), is anyone up for exploring the Lavagna inland? This easy hike features the (recently renovated) slate trail that women in old times used to tread, when carrying the slate from the caves down to Lavagna, as well as one of major churches in Liguria, the romanic-gothic Basilica dei Fieschi. Be it because of the marble&slate decorated facade, or because of its historical importance (it was a symbol of the power of the pope), the church was ranked #1 in last year’s FAI contest on Italian monuments to protect.
On Saturday it will be possible to visit it with a guided tour, as well as climb up its bell tower (provided you book a spot at https://faiprenotazioni.fondoambiente.it/evento/abbazia-dei-fieschi-44900/ ; if you do, try to select a slot around 5:00pm!)

As for the hike, we’ll start from Santo Stefano basilica in Lavagna and follow slate trail #1, as described on

https://portofinotrek.com/en/from-lavagna-or-cavi/115-376-trail-ring-lavagna-monte-s-giacomo-monte-rocchette-s-giulia.html#/54-passante_per-lavagna

Once we reach S.Giacomo, we’ll turn left and head down to San Salvatore.

For going back to Lavagna, we’ll likely take the pedestrian path along the Entella river.

Hike has a vertical gain of 550 metres, takes around 3 hours and is rated as T/E (easy/medium).

How to get to Lavagna, and how to come back alive:

On Saturday, let’s meet at 12:35 at the entrance of Lavagna train station (if you wish to reach Lavagna earlier, you can consider taking the guided tour of Casa Carbone, which is also open to the public. I think we visited it some 8-9 years ago).

Recommended trains are

if you’re travelling eastwards:
REG – Genova Piazza Principe 11:15 (Genova Brignole 11:24) Lavagna 12:27
if you’re travelling westwards:
REG – La Spezia Centrale 11:50 – Lavagna 12:35
if you’re travelling southwards:
REG – Milano Lambrate 8:37 – Lavagna 12:27

Return will be from Lavagna, around 18:30.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to write me (at vidlothianATgmailDOTcom) or call me (at +39 329 7203364)

next hike

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Sunday, 12th February 2023:

Sori

It may be yet low season in Liguria, but it’s already time for the first big event of the year, as the mimosa festival unfolds in Pieve Alta on Sunday.

Anyone up for having a hike, starting from Sori? The plan is to head to the picturesque hamlet of Teriasca and then follow the southern segment of the route described at https://www.appenninista.it/teriasca-possuolo/
(we’ll avoid Mt Possuolo, but we might conquer the peak of Mt Castelletti)

This will allow us to get to Mt S.Croce and Pieve Alta, while avoiding the competitive run that is being held on Sunday.

We’ll likely get to Pieve Alta around 3:00 or 3:30 pm, in time for the festival and the distribution of mimosa flowers.

Hike is rated as E (medium), has 600 mt of vertical gain and should take around 3 hours.

Return will be around 5pm, from the station of Pieve Ligure.

——————-

How to get to Sori, and how to come back alive:

On Sunday, 12th February, let’s meet at 10:48am at the entrance of Sori station.

Suggested trains are:

for those travelling eastwards

REG – 10:11 Genova Principe ( 10:20 Genova Brignole) – Sori 10:48

for those travelling westwards

REG – La Spezia 08:14 (Sestri Levante 9:27) Sori 10:07

for those travelling southwards (*)(**)

REG – 07:32 Milano Lambrate – Sori 10:07

(*) if you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the (brand new!) regional weekend pass for 22 euro. For some odd reason, Trenitalia decided to call it Weekend Insieme ( https://www.trenitalia.com/…/promo-weekend-insieme.html ) but you’re perfectly entitled to travel on your own.
(**) If you have voting rights in Lombardia and plan on coming back to Liguria next week, you can also opt for the election ticket (however, bear in mind that on Sunday 19th there will be the unmissable Rabadan Carnival in Bellinzona!)

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to write me (at vidlothianATgmailDOTcom) or call me (at +39 329 7203364)

next hike (#2)

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18 December (Bogliasco) – After finding out that the hamlet of Sessarego is throwing a party and (allegedly) unveiling its mechanical xmas crib, a second hike might be in order? This one is quite short, as it takes about 40 min to get from Bogliasco train station to Sessarego (250 mt elevation gain)

Meeting point: on Sunday, let’s meet at 12:45 at Bogliasco train station.

More on the event: https://www.levantenews.it/2022/12/13/bogliasco-domenica-18-sessarego-in-festa-tante-iniziative/

next hike

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Rapallo

Saturday, December 17 – Following last weekend’s Xmas crib show in Manarola, let’s take advantage of the (short) break from bad weather and have our other traditional end-of-year hike to… you probably guessed it: Mt.Manico del Lume! The idea this time is to get there by walking along the scenic ridge 2G trail between Val Fontanabuona and the Tigullio shore. More specifically, the plan is to catch a bus to S.Maurizio dei Monti and walk to Monte Pegge, so as to have our lunch break at the Margherita hut lookout point ( first part of https://portofinotrek.com/it/da-rapallo/50-130-montallegro-monte-pegge-manico-del-lume-caravaggio-santa-maria-del-campo.html#/1-passante_per-rapallo )
Should things go amiss (i.e. if there are train delays), https://portofinotrek.com/it/da-rapallo/111-344-montepegli-manico-del-lume.html#/1-passante_per-rapallo might be a backup plan.

After lunch, we’ll try to reach Mt Lasagna first and then Mt Manico del Lume, where a memorable 360 degree view awaits us, as well as the chance of adding our signature to its guestbook. For coming back to Rapallo, the most straightforward way is probably along the entertaining trail with chains, as it’s way clearer than the path through the woods.

Overall, hike takes around 3,5 hours and is rated as E (medium, but becomes a challenging EE in the short section with chains), with 800 metres elevation gain. Needless to say, hiking shoes are recommended and you should not suffer greatly from vertigo.

How to get to Rapallo, and how to come back alive:

On Saturday, 17 December, let’s meet at 11:07 at the entrance of Rapallo station.

Suggested trains are:

for those travelling eastwards

REG 12345 – 10:11 Genova Principe ( 10:20 Genova Brignole) – Rapallo 11:07

for those travelling westwards

REG 3261 – La Spezia 09:50 Rapallo 10:40

for those travelling southwards (*)

REG3015 – 07:32 Milano Lambrate – Rapallo 10:02

We’ll then catch the 11:25 bus from Rapallo to S.Maurizio dei Monti ( https://www.amt.genova.it/amt/trasporto-multimodale/linee-bus-provinciali/tigullio-occidentale/rapallo/ ), which we’ll reach at 11:40.

Return will be from Rapallo, after 6:00pm. If we have time, we can also check the many Christmas cribs spreaded around town (and allegedly there’s also an Alpine choir singing along the streets)

(*) if you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the (brand new!) regional weekend pass for 22 euro. For some odd reason, Trenitalia decided to call it Weekend Insieme ( https://www.trenitalia.com/it/treni_regionali/promozioni-regionali/promo-weekend-insieme.html ) but you’re perfectly entitled to travel on your own.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to write me (at vidlothianATgmailDOTcom) or call me (at +39 329 7203364)

next hike

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Genova Brignole

26 November 2022 – Anyone up for a last minute Saturday walk ? Over the past years, we explored the Genovese aqueduct a few times, between Cavassolo and Molassana, however we never ventured along the last segment, between Molassana and Staglieno. The plan then is to have a stroll along it (while taking advantage of Trenitalia’s Black Friday deal).

The path follows the route of the historical aqueduct, that has supplied Genova with water since Roman times and was partly restored last year… so let’s hope it’s in decent conditions at least!
Walk takes around 2 hours, has 50 metres elevation gain and is well described on

https://www.visitgenoa.it/sites/default/files/archivio/Pedestribus%20Acquedotto%20storico.pdf (it’s segment #3)

Needless to say, this segment will also allow us to have a walk in Staglieno, one of the most famous cemeteries in Europe.
More on Staglieno on:
https://www.visitgenoa.it/en/cimitero-di-staglieno-0

How to get to Genova Brignole, and how to come back alive:

On Saturday, November 26th, let’s meet at the entrance of Genova Brignole train station (by “Puro Gusto” cafe) at 11:21.

From there, we’ll take a bus to Molassana.

Suggested trains are:

— if you travel eastwards (*)

REG – 10:10 Savona 11:21 Genova Brignole

— if you travel westwards (*)

REG – 09:50 La Spezia Centrale – 11:15 Genova Brignole

— if you travel southwards (*)

Reg – Milano Centrale 8:30 – Genova Principe 10:28 + one of frequent trains to Brignole

Return will be from Genova Brignole, probably around 16:00.

(*) if you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the Italia in Tour 3-day ticket, as it’s on sale for 14,50 euro until Monday ( https://www.trenitalia.com/it/offerte_e_servizi/promo_extra_scontoblackfriday.html ). As a matter of fact, everybody should be travelling this weekend!

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to message me ( vidlothianATgmailDOTcom ) or call me (+393297203364)

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Recco

Sunday, 20th November – Apparently, weather on Sunday will be favourable for hiking. Is anyone up for a last-minute Sunday walk in Colle Caprile, to soak up the autumn colors of the inland and admire one of those memorable Sori sunsets?

The plan is to meetup at Recco station, catch a bus to Colle Caprile (hopefully we’ll be luckier than in May!) and tread the path along the ridge between Sori and Recco. There will be plenty of colorful woods (perhaps some unpicked chestnuts?), forgotten hamlets like Calcinara and S.Bartolomeo and memorable lookout points, such as the Chapel of Alpines at Case Cornua and the S.Uberto Redeemer monument.

Hike takes around 3h15 and is well described on
http://www.verdeazzurroligure.com/index_htm_files/10%20-%20Uscio%20-%20Recco.pdf

How to get to Colle Caprile, and how to come back alive:

On Sunday, November 20th, let’s meet at the entrance of Recco train station at 10:54.
If possible, try to pack lunch, since we’ll only have 20 minutes to catch the connecting bus.

Suggested trains are:

— if you travel eastwards

REG 12353 – 10:11 Genova Piazza Principe (10:20 Genova Brignole) 10:54 Recco

— if you travel westwards

Reg 3261 – 09:50 La Spezia Centrale – 10:51 Recco

— if you travel southwards (*)

Reg 3015 – Milano Lambrate 07:32 (Milano Rogoredo 07:38) Recco 09:49

Return will be from Sori, probably around 17:30.

(*) if you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the (brand new!) regional weekend pass for 22 euro. For some odd reason, Trenitalia decided to call it Weekend Insieme ( https://www.trenitalia.com/it/treni_regionali/promozioni-regionali/promo-weekend-insieme.html ) but you’re perfectly entitled to travel on your own.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to message me ( vidlothianATgmailDOTcom ) or call me (+393297203364)

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Rapallo

Saturday, 29th October – Could it be that it’s still warm enough for one more hike&swim? Let’s seize the chance to explore the inland and shore of Rapallo, while enjoying the last day with daylight saving time, and, since it’s Halloween weekend, let’s throw in some ingredients that would make Stephen King proud.

First of all, there’s an old village, Gravero, that was supposed to turn into a fancy resort connected by road to Rapallo. However, that didn’t happen and the village was engulfed by the vegetation and became abandoned. Then there’s the pet cemetery, which apparently happens to be the oldest one (!) in Europe.

In the event that we bump into zombies, there’s no need to worry, as we’ll finish off the hike at the Montallegro Shrine, where we can find enough holy water to cleanse our souls. We’ll probably get there via the Groppallo trail. Which we also have never done.

All in all, it’s a rather adventurous hike that might take around 3,5 hours, with 750 metres of elevation gain. It is labelled as T/E (easy/medium) on https://portofinotrek.com/it/da-rapallo/75-s-agostino-gravero.html

If it’s easier than expected, we might even consider extending it to Mt Pegge (although that looks like a remote possibility)

Once we get to Montallegro, we can head down to Rapallo on foot or via cable car. We’ll probably get to Rapallo around 5:30pm.

**************************
How to get to Rapallo, and how to come back alive:

On Saturday, October 29th, let’s meet at the entrance of Rapallo train station at 11:07. If possible, try to pack lunch, since we’ll walk to the opposite side of the station (the trail starts from there).

Suggested trains are:

— if you travel eastwards
REG 12353 – 10:11 Genova Piazza Principe (10:20 Genova Brignole) 11:07 Rapallo

— if you travel westwards
Reg 3261 – 09:50 La Spezia Centrale – 10:40 Rapallo

— if you travel southwards (*)
Reg 3015 – Milano Lambrate 07:32 (Milano Rogoredo 07:38) Rapallo 10:02

***************************************

(*) if you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the 3 day regional pass for 29 euro.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to message me ( vidlothianATgmailDOTcom ) or call me (+393297203364)

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Deiva Marina

Sunday, 16th October – As the leaves change colors, would you believe that we have not swum in the blue Framurese waters yet this year? Let’s put an end to this appalling piece of statistics by having our (likely) last hike&swim of the year end on the beach of Torsei or Porto Pidocchio. Water temperature is expected to be 20 degrees, a bit chilly but possibly still pleasant after a hike.

Plan is to start from Deiva Marina, which will be throwing a festival to celebrate the start of autumn: from there we’ll head towards Framura by taking the trail of cork trees and the Castellaro di Vigo trail; the latter path features traces of ancient civilizations, which date back to 2000 years ago and which we always failed to find; after checking the map that was uploaded on https://catalogo.beniculturali.it/detail/ArchaeologicalProperty/0700373744 , perhaps we can uncover them this time. The trail will end in Castagnola, where we can walk down to Framura while doing some chestnut harvest.

Overall, hike takes around 3 hours, has 350 mt of vertical gain and is rated as T/E (easy/medium).

Return will be from Framura railway station, perhaps around 5pm.

**********************************************************

How to get to Deiva Marina, and how to come back alive:

On Sunday, October 16, let’s meet at 10:59 am at the entrance of Deiva Marina railway station

Suggested trains are:

– if you’re travelling eastwards

Reg 9:11 Genova Principe (9:23 Genova Brignole) 10:54 Deiva Marina

– if you’re travelling westwards

Reg 10:15 La Spezia Centrale – 10:59 Deiva Marina

– if you’re travelling southwards

REG 07:32 Milano Lambrate 10:54 Deiva Marina

***************************************

(*) if you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the 3 day regional pass for 29 euro.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to message me ( vidlothianATgmailDOTcom ) or call me (+393297203364)

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Levanto

Saturday, 1st October – It’s official, after 3 years the Madonna del Rosario festival returns to Bonassola: the festival is a visual treat, since it involves candles on the sea (if the waves allow it) and a firework show, and usually is not so crowded, so it is possible to comfortably watch it from the beach ( https://nuovaprolocobonassola.business.site/ ) .

The plan then is to combine the festival with a hike across some of the picturesque hamlets in the Levanto inland. More specifically, let’s visit Fossato, Lizza and Lavaggiorosso: according to https://www.montagnadiviaggi.it/2021/03/escursione-frazioni-levanto-lavaggiorosso-casella-montale.html, it should be a peaceful walk across quaint houses, painted doors and water mills. From Lavaggiorosso, we’ll hike up to Monte Rossola and things will probably be less relaxing (but hopefully not as electrifying as when we went there for the first time! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwRRAMnmxBs ): the ascent will likely be a bit steep, but the reward will be great, as Rossola’s silent and barren peak yields a wonderful 360 degree view over the riviera.

From the peak of Mt Rossola we’ll hike down to Bonassola. Descent is rather steep, so hiking shoes and/or hiking poles are definitely recommended, as they can help a great deal on the way down ( https://www.freesoulontheroad.com/2021/03/sentiero-per-il-monte-rossola-da-levanto/ )

Hike takes around 4 hours, has 600 mt elevation gain and is rated as E (medium).

We’ll arrive in Bonassola around 5 pm, in time for a swim (sea permitting), possibly a 30′ bonus hike to Punta del Carlino (to watch the sunset)… and the festival, of course!

** How to get to Levanto, and how to come back alive: **

On Saturday, 1st October, let’s meet at 11:14 at the entrance of Levanto train station.

If possible, bring some food with you as we’ll be walking mountain-wards and I’m not sure about bakeries along the way.

Suggested trains are:

If you are travelling eastwards:

REG 09:19 Genova Principe (09:28 Genova Brignole) 11:14 Levanto

IC 9:47 Genova Principe (9:56 Genova Brignole) 10:58 Levanto

If you are travelling westwards:

REG 10:25 La Spezia – 10:55 Levanto (if you prefer 11:25, just let us know! Ah, for some absurd reason it’s cheaper if you buy it from La Spezia Migliarina, i.e. Trenitalia pays you to travel from Spezia Migliarina to La Spezia Centrale)

If you are travelling southwards:

07:25 Milano Centrale (07:32 Lambrate) Levanto 11:14 (*)

Return will be from Bonassola, around 5-6pm or (if you stay for the festival) around 11:30pm

(*) if you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the 3 day regional pass for 29 euro.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to message me ( vidlothianATgmailDOTcom ) or call me (+393297203364)

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Recco

Sunday, 25th September – Predicting Sunday’s weather is no easy task, as all websites have their own say… even with just 1 day to go. On the other hand, there are enough interesting activities on Sunday to venture outside: it’s St Michael’s Day, so there will be celebrations on top of Mt Caravaggio and in San Michele di Pagana, and then there are a few events linked to the European Heritage Days.

Given that the weather now appears to be more promising in the Genova province (at least, starting from the late morning), we can try hike along the 2G (two gulf) trail, from Recco up to Mt Caravaggio. It’s an easy (T/E) hike with 600 mt elevevation gain, that will allow us to enter the shrine, that’s only open 3 times a year, witness the unveiling of a new trail, marvel at the restored church façade and possibly have some focaccia (at least, according to the program posted on https://www.santamariadelcampo.it/festa-di-s-michele-al-santuario-di-n-s-di-caravaggio-2/ )

For coming back, depending on the timing and the weather we can either take the “via del Sale” trail to Croce di Spotà and S.Pietro in Rapallo or the Caravaggio trail to S.Maria del Campo.

Will swimming be possible? The sea is expected to be rough, so it’s not very likely, unless we head to the beach at Parco Casale.

PS: If the weather for some reason turned out to be exceptionally good, bonus hike could be to the 713 mt high Monte Bello, which is said to be pretty not just in the name, but also in the 360 degree views (unfortunately, we never managed to get there).

PPS: Unrelated to the hike, but linked to the European Heritage Days: just like one year ago, the 9pm concert at Oratorio dei Disciplinanti in Moneglia ( https://feliceromani.it/concerti/ )is very interesting. If you are in no rush to go home, do consider attending it!

** How to get to Recco, and how to come back alive: **

On Sunday, 25th September, let’s meet at 10:54 at the entrance of Recco train station.

Suggested trains are:

If you are travelling eastwards:

10:11 Genova Piazza Principe (10:20 Genova Brignole) Recco 10:54

If you are travelling westwards:

09:50 La Spezia 10:51 Recco

If you are travelling southwards:

07:25 Milano Centrale (07:32 Lambrate) Recco 9:49 (*)

Return will be from Rapallo, around 5-6pm.

(*) if you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the 3 day regional pass for 29 euro. If you have voting rights and plan on coming back next weekend (there should be the Madonna del Rosario festival in Bonassola, although it’s not confirmed yet), bring your tessera elettorale for a chance to go home and come back next week with 70% discount.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to text me! (at +39 329 7203364)

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Moneglia

Sunday, 11th September – A bit last minute this week, is anyone up for a second consecutive hike, to explore the inland of Moneglia? The sea may be a bit rough, but we can still enjoy a sunny hike&swim, protected by Moneglia’s wave-breaking barriers.

The idea for the walk is to have a loop hike across the hamlets above Moneglia. They were often plundered by pirates, but they were also made picturesque by artists: Lemeglio, with its big romanic church overlooking the bay, Comeglio and Littorno, with their olive groves and quaint chapels.

We’ll follow the classic blue trail from Moneglia to the panoramic bench on Mt Incisa and we’ll come back via Comeglio and Littorno.

Hike is easy/medium, takes shortly less than 3 hours and is well described on: http://www.wildtrips.net/moneglia-monte-incisa.htm

** How to get to Moneglia, and how to come back alive: **

On Sunday, 11th September, let’s meet at 11:05 at the entrance of Moneglia railway station.

Suggested trains are:

If you are travelling eastwards:

09:11 Genova Piazza Principe (09:23 Genova Brignole) Moneglia 10:50

If you are travelling westwards:

10:15 La Spezia 11:05 Moneglia

If you are travelling southwards:

07:25 Milano Centrale (07:32 Lambrate) Moneglia 10:50 (*)

Return will be from Moneglia, around 5pm.

********************************

(*) if you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the 3 day regional pass for 29 euro. Or the summer ticket (4 weekends) for 39 euro.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to text me! (at +39 329 7203364)

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Lavagna

Sunday, 4th September 2022 – Anyone up for a short post-vacation hike&swim this Sunday? Since the weather forecast doesn’t look so grim anymore (as a matter of fact, it might be sunny all day long), plan is to head to Lavagna and try one of trails that have been restored this year: more spefically, watermill trail #3 on http://www.comune.lavagna.ge.it/sites/default/files/159-cartina_web.pdf

The path to the so called “ancient valley of the watermills” has been cleaned this year, so the idea is to use it to reach Crocetta and the scenic church of S.Giulia.

Hike takes about 2,5 hours, with 250 metres elevation gain, and ends in Cavi. Should we want to extend it, we can walk an extra mile towards Sestri Levante, along the Roman trail that saw a medieval knight lose control of his horse while being spellbound by the landscape (and fall into a cliff, only to be miraculously saved by a bush that stood in the way)

In this case, return will be from Sestri Levante, probably around 5:00pm.

How to get to Lavagna, and how to come back alive:

On Sunday, let’s meet at Lavagna train station at 11:18 am.

Recommended trains are:

— if you travel eastwards
10:24 Genova Principe (10:32 Genova Brignole) 11:18 Lavagna

— if you travel westwards
9:46 La Spezia Centrale – 10:19 Sestri Levante + bus 7004 to Lavagna

— if you travel southwards
07:32 Milano Lambrate – 10:19 Lavagna (*)

(*) if you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the 3 day regional pass for 29 euro. Or the summer ticket (4 weekends) for 39 euro.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to text me! (at +39 329 7203364)

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Saturday, 13th August 2022:

Camogli

Guess what? It’s time for the last hike&swim before summer holidays and, as always, we’ll try to honor it by having one that ends with a box of fried fish.

The weather forecast is a bit uncertain, but according to the latest reports it might be just perfect, with some refreshing rain at night, followed by sunshine in the late morning. As temperature should be not too high, we can start the hike with a scenic walk from Camogli up to the location known as Paradise, via the Semaforo Nuovo and Rock of the Hawks lookout points. From Paradise, we’ll move on to Dolcina and San Lorenzo, where we can check if there’s still something going on, from the festival they are hosting this week.
From S.Lorenzo we’ll head down to S.Michele di Pagana, where we can have a swim (hopefully, without jellyfish) before the fried fish.

Hike is rated as easy/medium, takes around 3,5 hours, offers plenty of water taps and is well described on:
https://portofinotrek.com/it/da-camogli-o-san-rocco/71-189-san-rocco-di-camogli-gaixella-toca-fornelli-san-rocco.html#/5-passante_per-san_rocco_di_camogli
and
https://portofinotrek.com/it/sentieri-principali/15-37-portofino-vetta-san-lorenzo-della-costa.html#/17-passante_per-s_lorenzo_della_costa

As for the fried fish festival, it’s not clear yet whether it will start at 6pm or 7pm, anyway if you aren’t in a rush to go back home, do consider staying in Santa Margherita one extra hour!

How to get to Camogli, and how to come back alive:

On Saturday, August 13th, let’s meet at 10:58am at the entrance of Camogli train station. More precisely, under the “Madonna with Child” relief that’s on the wall opposite the train station entrance.

Suggested trains:

If you travel eastwards:

REG 12355 – 10:11 Genova Principe (10:20 Genova Brignole) 10:58 Camogli-S. Fruttuoso

If you travel westwards:

REG 12218 +12354 – 8:15 La Spezia Centrale – 10:08 Camogli-S. Fruttuoso
(unfortunately, Trenitalia cut a lot of trails)

If you travel southwards:

REG 3015 – 07:25 Milano Centrale-09:55 Camogli-S. Fruttuoso (*)

Return will be from S.Margherita Ligure, somewhere between 6pm (without the fish) and 8pm (with a full stomach).

(*) if you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the 3 day regional pass for 29 euro. Or the summer ticket (4 weekends) for 39 euro.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to message me ( vidlothianATgmailDOTcom ) or call me (+393297203364)

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Saturday, July 30th 2022:

La Spezia Centrale

Summer holidays may be getting closer, but perhaps we still have time for two more hikes? The first one will take place in the biggest swimming pool in Liguria this Saturday, while the second one will smell of fried fish and will be on August 13th. If you’re regular visitors to this group, I’m sure you don’t need more clues!

Kicking off this Saturday will be the “piscina naturale” event, which will be held in Portovenere and finally returns, after 3 long years. The idea, of course, is to hike along a path leading to the Infinite trail, then head down to Portovenere and swim to Palmaria island.

For the uninitiated, the Portovenere strait will be off limits to boats. From 3pm till 6pm, boats won’t be allowed to cross it, thus making it feasible to swim from Portovenere to Palmaria. At least, theoretically, as the weather will have the last say (we even had tornadoes once! which of course caused the swim to be called off)

Anyway, weather permitting, we’ll try to swim to the island and back to Portovenere (unless you come from Basel with your wickelfisch, in which case I guess you could go on hiking to the lighthouse on top of Palmaria island). So that you know, the distance between Portovenere and Palmaria is around 200/250 metres.

As for the hiking part: let’s meet at La Spezia station around 10:45am and head to the fishermen town of Cadimare. Depending on how many we are, we’ll either walk or catch a city bus. From Cadimare, we’ll hike up to Sella di Derbi, along the forest trail described on http://www.parconaturaleportovenere.it/il-sentiero-nel-bosco/ . This should allow us to do the ascending part of the hike under the shade of the woods (as well as discover the Jubilee Cross, that illuminates the Spezia gulf at night). Once we reach Sella di Derbi, we’ll continue along the so called “infinite trail”, so as to finish the hike in Portovenere. The “infinite” trail probably owes its name to the fact that the alignment of Mt Muzzerone, Portovenere and the islands of Palmaria and Tino make the trail appear much longer (almost infinite) than it actually is. In truth, the walk from Fezzano to Derbi should take 1,5 hours, while the trail to Portovenere requires another 1,5 hours. Hike is rated as “E” (intermediate), with an elevation gain of 350 metres.

You may read more about the Infinite trail on:

https://sentieridautore.it/2015/11/25/seguendo-minerva-a-portovenere/ and about the Natural Swimming Pool on:
https://www.cittadellaspezia.com/2022/07/27/sabato-torna-la-piscina-naturale-porto-venere-si-prepara-al-sold-out-455385/

How to get to La Spezia, and how to come back alive:

On Saturday, July 30th, let’s meet at 10:45am outside La Spezia Centrale railway station, near the red human pyramid monument

Suggested trains are:

» if you are travelling eastwards:

Reg 12335 + 12221 Genova Piazza Principe 8:14 (Genova Brignole 8:23 Sestri Levante 9:41) La Spezia 10:45 (*)

IC 505 – 08:53 Genova Piazza Principe (9:01 Genova Brignole) 10:09 La Spezia (might get booked out soon)

» if you are travelling southwards:

REG 2179 Milano Lambrate 6:32 (Rogoredo 6:38) Genova P.Principe 8:21
(*) +
IC 505 Genova P.Principe 8:51 – La Spezia 10:09
(if you have blind faith in Trenitalia, there’s also another way, via Parma)

Return will be from Portovenere/La Spezia, possibly around 6pm/7pm.

(*) if you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the 3 day regional pass for 29 euro. Or the summer ticket (4 weekends) for 39 euro.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to message me ( vidlothianATgmailDOTcom ) or call me (+393297203364)

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Saturday, July 23rd 2022:

Sestri Levante

Given the rising temperatures, let’s have an easy hike in Sestri Levante and explore the less known trails of Punta Manara. This will give us the chance to discover some hidden beaches to the east of Punta Manara, as well as attend the Sagra del Bagnun in Riva Trigoso in the evening. We have never been to the festival, as far as I understand it’s about a soup of tomato and anchovies, that will be served to everyone (for free). There will also be live entertainment and fireworks, although I guess fireworks will be almost impossible to watch (unless we spend the night in Riva Trigoso or we run to the train station of Sestri Levante after 10 minutes of fireworks)

As for the hike: let’s try the trail starting from Sestri Levante cemetery. From there, we’ll walk up until we reach the peaks of Mt Castello and Punta Manara, before heading down to the Nostra Signora del Soccorso shrine for a sip of water. Second part of the hike will be about reaching the (very) secluded beach of Tersa Ciazeta ( http://www.verdeazzurroligure.com/index_htm_files/6%20-%20Punta%20Manara.pdf ). Last year we tried it and it was not nearly as hard as the pdf suggests, so we might even extend it by reaching Casa dei Preposti or Scoglio dell’Erbun?

Main hike should take around 2 hours, with 250 metres of elevation gain. Bonus hike is an extra hour.

How to get to Sestri Levante, and how to come back alive:

On Saturday, July 23rd, let’s meet at the entrance of Sestri Levante station at 11:34 am.

Recommended trains are:

— if you travel eastwards

REG 12355 10:11 Genova Principe (10:20 Genova Brignole) 11:30 Sestri Levante

RV 3265 – 10:45 Genova Brignole 11:34 Sestri Levante (might be quite full)

— if you travel westwards

REG 12222 – 10:15 La Spezia Centrale – 11:19 Sestri Levante

— if you travel southwards

REG 3015 – Milano Lambrate 7:32 Sestri Levante 10:28 (*)
(there’s also a train at 8:37, with some pretty tight connections)

Return will be from Riva Trigoso, possibly between 6:00pm and 11:00pm (depending on how much bagnun you want to eat!)

(*) if you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the 3 day regional pass for 29 euro. Or the summer ticket (4 weekends) for 39 euro.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to message me ( vidlothianATgmailDOTcom ) or call me (+393297203364)

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Sunday, July 3rd 2022:

Chiavari

As usual, it’s that time of the year when Rapallo celebrates the anniversary of the apparition of Mary (on the Montallegro hills) with a colorful array of fireworks, as well as the burning of its castle. This year is particularly favourable, as the first 3 days of July happen to be over the weekend. So, in case you are busy on Sunday, you might still be able to catch the show on Friday or Saturday evening!

As for Sunday… shall we renew our tradition of hiking on a trail leading to the Montallegro shrine?

Since it will be a bit hot, the plan is to do the coastal Ligurian trail, from Chiavari to S.Bernardo, across the churches of S.Maria delle Grazie, S.Pietro, S.Pantaleo and S.Ambrogio. Trail doesn’t have much elevation gain and offers plenty of refreshing water taps along the way. Once we get to the remains of S.Bernardo chapel, we’ll try to get to the Montallegro shrine by following the S.Bernardo-Monte Castello trail, that was opened last year. Not much is known about it, but the fact that https://portofinotrek.com/en/from-rapallo/97-rapallo-san-bernardo-monte-castello-sant-ambrogio-rapallo.html describes it as pleasant is somehow reassuring!

Once we get to Montallegro, we can head down to the Rapallo seaside via cable car, bus or on foot, as usual. Will it be possible to swim? Hopefully we’ll be luckier than in S.Fruttuoso! (but make sure you bring a snorkeling mask, so you can spot any jellyfish tentacles around you)

Hike is rather long (4 hours) but easy-medium.

You may read more about the festival on:

http://www.festediluglio.it/

How to get to Chiavari, and how to come back alive:

On Sunday, July 3rd, let’s meet at the entrance of Chiavari train station at 11:14.

Suggested trains are:

— if you travel eastwards
REG 12345 10:05 Genova Brignole – 11:03 Chiavari
(there’s also REG 3099 – 10:24 Genova Piazza Principe 11:14 Chiavari, however be warned that you may see the Montallegro Madonna on this one, as it’s coming from Milano and likely to be packed)

— if you travel westwards
Reg 3261 – 09:50 La Spezia Centrale – 10:32 Chiavari

— if you travel southwards (*)
Reg 3099 – Milano Lambrate 08:30 Chiavari 11:14

Return will be from Rapallo railway station… around 6pm (without fireworks) or midnight (if you’re up for watching the complete show).

(*) if you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the 3 day regional pass for 29 euro. Or the summer ticket (4 weekends) for 39 euro.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to message me! (at vidlothianATgmailDOTcom or +393297203364)

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Saturday, 11th June:

S.Margherita Ligure

Seems like the time and temperature are right for a hike&swim: anyone up for walking from S.Margherita Ligure to San Fruttuoso abbey? There are mainly two reasons behind this choice: first of all, we haven’t been to S.Fruttuoso for a few years now (also due to the many virus-related restrictions; I believe bookings at the tourist office are no longer required to access the beach, right?). Secondly, the staff at Parco di Portofino is organizing a free(!) guided tour along the spine-tingling path (with chains) that connects S.Fruttuoso to S.Rocco di Camogli.

The plan then is to walk from S.Margherita Ligure to S.Fruttuoso, along one of two ways described on https://portofinotrek.com/en/from-santa-margherita-ligure/61-santa-margherita-ligure-pietre-strette-san-fruttuoso-base-0-felciara-bocche-santa-margherita.html .
The path via Bocche and Base O should have more lookout points, but if the weather turns out to be too warm, we can walk via Pietre Strette and Caselle, as there’s more shade and water taps. Either way, we should get to S.Fruttuoso in about 3 hours. Hike is easy/medium, with an elevation gain of 400 metres.

Once we’re in S.Fruttuoso, we can relax and have a swim, before heading back home by boat… or moving on to a bonus hike that’s longer than the main hike. For those who decide to take the latter option, the staff at Parco di Portofino is organizing an inspiring sunset hike to S.Rocco at 16:30. They usually arrange it at dawn, when it’s outrageously early, so I’m glad they decided to do it at dusk this time: if you would like to join in, just email them your name and phone number (their address is labterATparcoportofinoDOTit , full instructions are on http://www.parcoportofino.com/parcodiportofino/it/corsiescursioni.page )

However, be aware that this part requires 4 hours and is rated EE (for expert excursionists).

How to get to S.Margherita Ligure, and how to come back alive:

On June 11th, let’s meet at 11 am at the entrance of S.Margherita Ligure railway station (by the infamous taxi telephone).

Suggested trains are:

if you travel eastwards:

REG 12353 – Genova Piazza Principe 10:04 (Genova Brignole 10:20) S.Margherita Ligure 11:03

if you travel westwards:

REG 3261 – La Spezia Centrale 09:50 S. Margherita Ligure 10:44

if you travel southwards
:
REG 3015 – 07:25 Milano Centrale – 09:58 S. Margherita Ligure-Portofino (*)

Return will be from Camogli railway station… around 6pm (without bonus hike) or 10pm.

(*) if you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the 3 day regional pass for 29 euro. Or, if you have voting rights, bring your election card and you’re entitled up to 70% off.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to message me! (at vidlothianATgmailDOTcom or +393297203364)

New hike: Borgio Verezzi

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On Sunday, the biggest flower festival in Europe takes place in Pietra Ligure: let’s discover all the flower decorations of the Infiorata, by hiking to Pietra Ligure… all the way from Borgio Verezzi. Borgio Verezzi is an old sea village and surely it is one of the most beautiful Saracen places in Liguria.

Walking through its two areas, Borgio at sea level and Verezzi on the hill, means to plunge in the nature and in the local history surrounded by the natural vegetation of the Mediterranean scrub.

People who want to have this experience, can choose the different thematic trails the municipality of Borgio Verezzi created for all kinds of trekkers: the Geologic path, the Nature path and the Culture path. These two last ones often overlap and coincide.

So we mainly walk the Nature path and we can also admire all the surprises the Culture path offers.

In addition we take a small detour to visit the famous Caves of Borgio Verezzi.

Rising from the sea we meet three historic churches: the first church in Borgio, the other two in Verezzi from where we enjoy picturesque views along the coast.

Down our way among the olive groves, spurge woods and brooms we get to the Phoenician Mill. It is the most well-preserved mill among the last three still existing in the whole Europe.

While going to euphorbia woods, brooms and nut trees, the trail offers us a new surprise: we can see some clear evidences of fossil sea organisms!

In fact here we are able to admire the famous Stone of Verezzi, a decorative stone, rich in fossil evidences dated more than 20-30 million years old.

Briefly: in this path we plunge in the wonderful Ligurian nature and meantime in its history as well!

How to get there and come back alive:

Next Sunday 29 May 2022:

We can meet at 10:15 at Brignole Railway Station, take the Regional train 12352 and change in Savona taking RV 3085 to Borgio Verezzi.

For people coming from otehr place we can meet directly al 12:20 at Borgio Verezzi Train Station.

The return it will from Pietra Ligure after the flower show and flower parade after 19:00 arriving at Genova Brignole at 20:30.

You can find more details here

PIETRA LIGURE IN FIORE 2022

In case of any doubts you can contact Andy (+393297203364 or me (+393337756854)

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Sunday, 22nd May:

Recco

Following Camogli’s fried fish, it’s time for Recco to celebrate its most famous product (focaccia), after a 2 year break: let’s soak up the festive atmosphere, as Recco hosts the focaccia festival this Sunday, and combine hiking and focaccia.
Since we explored the trails by Mt Caravaggio barely 2 weeks ago, the plan is to move to the inland and discover the trails around Uscio, while taking care not to step into the “forbidden” lands of Lumarzo and Sori.
Apparently, they recently cleaned the trails, so we should have no problems walking from Uscio to Calcinara, along the powder keg trail, that follows an old aqueduct (apparently, there’s also one panoramic bench that was unveiled 2 months ago): https://www.uscioutdoor.it/?p=395t
From Calcinara, we’ll reach the picturesque hamlet of Terrile and then could go on, along the Ancient Roman trail, all the way to Recco, as described on path #13 of https://www.lookyhotel.com/images/GP_descrizione_sentieri_confoto.pdf
If the ancient roman trail turns out to be too adventurous/abandoned (there’s not much information about the trail condition), we can end the hike by returning to Uscio. Hike should take 3,5 hours, with 300mt elevation gain (or less, if we take the bus for going back).

———————-

How to get to Uscio, and how to come back alive:
On Sunday, 22nd May, let’s meet at Recco main bus stop at 11:10 (or Recco train station at 10:54 am) and catch the 11:15 bus to Uscio (arriving at 11:40).
Recommended trains are:

if you travel eastwards
REG 3099
Genova Principe 10:28 – Brignole 10:36 – Recco 10:54
(actually, it comes from Milano, so maybe the previous one, arriving at 10:40, is better/less crowded?)
——–
if you travel westwards
REG 3261
09:50 La Spezia – 10:51 Recco
——–
if you travel southwards: REG 3099 08:30 Milano Lambrate – 10:54 Recco (*)

Of course, you can choose to arrive to Recco earlier, so as to get plain/onion focaccia (which should be offered, starting from 10:00)

Return will be from Recco station, we’ll see if we can make it there by 4-5pm, in order to be in time for the distribution of focaccia di Recco.

(*) if you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the 3 day regional pass for 29 euro.
As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to message me! (at vidlothianATgmailDOTcom or +39/3297203364)

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Saturday, 7th May 2022

Rapallo

Anyone up for a hike this weekend? 🙂

If I got it right, this month’s regulations require us to wear a mask on trains/buses and hike with two pairs of shoes between Arenzano and Sori… and that’s all, right?

Since this is going to be S.Fortunato’s weekend (and Camogli celebrates it by offering a sizzling show on Saturday and fried fish on Sunday), goal of the hike will be Camogli. As the visually entertaining bits are all on Saturday, let’s hike on Saturday from S.Maria del Campo di Rapallo to Camogli, via S.Martino di Noceto, Ruta and Gaixella.

This will allow us to pass by famous landmarks such as Ruta di Camogli and the Millennial church, as well as discover some less known places like the hamlet of S.Martino di Noceto, with its panoramic church and the Fons Gemina spring. Also, according to tradition, pansoti with walnut sauce were invented here.

For more info, check https://rapallooutdoor.it/2020/11/11/itinerari-culturali-la-fons-gemina-a-san-martino-di-noceto/

As for the second part of the hike, it will be the classic trail that passes by Gaixella and Galletti:
https://portofinotrek.com/en/trails-from-ruta-di-camogli/54-ruta-portofino-vetta-gaixella-san-rocco-camogli.html

Hike takes around 3,5 hours, with 500 metres elevation gain.
At 5-6 pm we’ll probably reach Camogli, where we can dive.. perhaps not into the sea (water temperature will be 16-17 degrees) but into the atmosphere of the festival and marvel at the statues built on the beach (according to the rumours, this year there will be 3). Fireworks and the burning of the statues will then take place at 11pm.

How to get to S.Maria del Campo in Rapallo, and how to come back alive:
On Saturday, May 7th, let’s meet at 11:07 am at the entrance of Rapallo railway station, then we’ll catch the 11:31 bus, arriving at S.Maria del Campo at 11:45.
Suggested trains are:
– if you’re travelling eastwards
REG 12353: 10:11 Genova Piazza Principe (10:20 Genova Brignole) – 11:07 Rapallo
(there’s also a later train, but it’s slightly risky)

– if you’re travelling westwards
REG 2361: 09:50 La Spezia – 10:40 Rapallo

if you’re travelling southwards
REG 3015: 7:32 Milano Lambrate – 10:02 Rapallo (*)
(there’s also a later triple train, but it’s very risky)

Return will, of course, be from Camogli (possibly around midnight?)

Next hike

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News say that next Saturday a brand new hike will be opened in San Colombano.

According to the program the opening hike will be start at 14:15 on Saturday 9th April, gathering will start at 14:00.

Along the track typical food and beverages

The path is rated T and it is 10 km long.

It is a ring and there is the opportunity to visit the ruins of an old abbey.

The path has been restored by 3 volunteers and next Saturday there will be the celebration.

How to get there and come back alive.

For those who are coming from Genova let’s meet at 12:00 in the parking on the left facing Brignole train Station.

We will gather in cars and reach the starting point located here.

https://www.google.it/maps/place/44%C2%B022’26.8%22N+9%C2%B017’21.9%22E/@44.3741111,9.2894167,16z

For those who are coming from other places we can meet at the gathering point above mentioned.

In case you want to travel by train and bus these are the suggested ones:

Regional Train 12363 h 11:24 arriving in Chiavari at 12:23

Bus n. 715 departing from Chiavari at 12:46 and arriving in San Colombano Certenoli at 13:13.

Return will be late in the afternoon to Genova.

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Sunday, 19th December:

Corniglia

Given the exceptionally favourable weather, shall we have a twin Xmas crib hike over the weekend? Since Saturday’s exploration of the Viganego nativity scene will be challenging, the idea for Sunday is to have a light hike from Corniglia to Manarola.

The plan, of course, is to stick with the tradition of having our pre-Xmas hike in the Cinque Terre, so as to finish another year in front of the lit Xmas crib of Manarola. Hike is rated “E” and is well described on https://do-in-italy.com/it/il-sentiero-manarola-volastra-corniglia-tra-vigneti-e-terrazzamenti-sul-mare-delle-cinque-terre-2/ (we’ll walk in the opposite direction), it should take 2,5 hours. For those who haven’t yet heard about the lit Xmas crib, Manarola is famous for 15.000 light bulbs, that every December are placed on a hill. They are part of a gigantic Nativity scene, that is laid every year on the hill of the Three Crosses, thanks to the outstanding efforts of now 94-year old Mario Andreoli.

How to get to Corniglia and how to come back alive:

On Sunday, December 19, let’s meet at the entrance of Corniglia station at 12:01.

Suggested trains are

— for those travelling eastwards

REG 3265
Genova Brignole 10:45 – Corniglia 11:58

— for those travelling westwards

REG 3266
La Spezia 11:50 – Corniglia 12:01

— for those travelling southwards

REG 3015 +
REG 12223 or 3265 – Milano Lambrate 07:32 – Corniglia 11:27/11:58 (*)

Return will be from Manarola, around 5pm.

(*) if you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the 3 day regional pass for 29 euro. However, I’m not sure it’s valid also for Cinque Terre, so to be on the safe side you might want to buy an extra ticket for the bits between Levanto and Corniglia/Manarola.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to text me! (+39 329 7203364)

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Saturday, 18th December:

Genova Nervi

It’s again that time of the year, when the days are very short and darkness threatens to creep in while we’re still hiking. Normally, it would be the perfect time to do our favourite mountain (that’s Manico del Lume, of course!). However, as we’ve already conquered the peak earlier this year, let’s try a brand new (yet challenging) destination: the Viganego Xmas crib. Located in the Genova woods, literally in the middle of nowhere, this is probably the hardest to reach of famous nativity scenes in Liguria. We’ll try to get there from Genova Nervi, by taking #1 of the Golfo Paradiso trails, from Nervi to Cisiano via Passo Cordona:

Click to access GP_descrizione_sentieri_confoto.pdf

The trail is supposedly highly scenic, with vast views over the Paradise gulf and historical bridges along the way.

Once we’re in Cisiano, we can go on following the trail to Terrusso and Viganego if there’s still light, or take the road otherwise. Return will be by ATP bus, from La Presa stop. Maybe around 6pm?

Hike is rated “E” and should take 5 hours, with 750 metres elevation gain.

How to get to Genova Nervi, and how to come back alive ***

Let’s meet at 10:37 at Genova Nervi railway station. Please bring food and water with you, so that we can walk right away!

Recommended trains are:

For those travelling eastwards:

Reg 12353 Genova Piazza Principe 10:11 ( Genova Brignole 10:20) Genova Nervi 10:37

For those travelling westwards:

Reg 12218 + Reg 12352 La Spezia 8:15 – Genova Nervi 10:18

For those travelling southwards:

Reg 3015 – 07:25 Milano Lambrate – 09:37 Genova Nervi (*)

Return from La Presa (bus to Brignole) will be around 6:00 pm.

(*) if you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the 3 day regional pass for 29 euro.

As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to text me! (+39 329 7203364)

An 18km loop trail, from Torriglia to the Pentema Xmas crib

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It took us more than just a stroll to reach Pentema: we hiked 18km in order to complete the Torriglia loop with Pentema detour, it’s no wonder that the Genovese regard the little town as a remote place, that’s almost at the edge of the world. But then,it was all worth it! and, despite what the Genovese may say, we were happy to go to… Pentema (and discover its gigantic Xmas crib)

As for the hike: we met some snow and had some slips, but in general coped well with the turned-to-white trail; once in Pentema, we took plenty of time to drink mulled wine and explore all houses of the village: they were open for visitors, as they showed scenes from everyday life at the end of the XIX century (some actually were slightly creepy, we easily dismissed the idea of spending the night there!); the 2nd part of the Torriglia loop offered some incredible 360 degree views over hills, snow capped mountains and the sea; and, from the Donetta hills, we could also make out the village of Pentema, which looked like a toy village.

Going to Pentema took some effort, but we were rewarded by a picturesque town

Hike Index

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map of Liguria
Hi and welcome to Liguriah!

We’re a Genoa-based hiking group that often gathers on weekends to hike somewhere in between Ventimiglia/Finale Ligure (on the western side of Liguria) and Cinque Terre/Lerici (on the eastern side).

Fancy joining us? Please click on the About Liguriah tab. Or, if you are facebook-less, you may choose to become a “follower” of the group: just leave your email address to the left of this page and we’ll keep you up to date with the latest.

Hikes are sorted by province and starting railway station:

Genova
- Arenzano
- Busalla
- Camogli
- Chiavari
- Crocetta d’Orero
  - Hiking on snowy AVML trail 26, from Crocetta d’Orero to Casale di Sella (then to S.Olcese)
- Genova (Acquasanta)
  - From Acquasanta up to Cappella Baiarda and down to the shrine
  - Treading the Frassati path, from Acquasanta to the Baiarda chapel
- Genova (Brignole)
- Genova (Campi)
  - A warm-up hike, from Campi up to Forte Diamante
- Genova (Nervi)
- Genova (Pino Soprano)
  - A tour of the genovese forts, from Pino to Righi
- Genova (Pontedecimo)
  - From Genova Pontedecimo up to Madonna della Guardia (via Gaiazza)
- Genova (Quarto dei Mille)
  - From Genova Quarto dei Mille to Mt Fasce
- Lavagna
- Mele
  - From Mele station to Masone, via Forte Geremia/Snake Waterfall
- Moneglia
  - A short summer hike, from Moneglia to Valletta
  - From Moneglia to Riva Trigoso, via punta Baffe
- Pieve Ligure
  - Pieve Ligure reloaded… with mimosae
  - From Pieve Ligure to S.Croce, under rain and hail
- Rapallo
- Recco
- Riva Trigoso
  - From Riva Trigoso to Moneglia, via punta Baffe and Vallegrande
- Ronco Scrivia
  - From Ronco Scrivia to Mt Reale and Mt Bastia
  - Hiking along the Mt Reale golden route… before the strike begins
- Rossiglione
  - Hiking in Val Gargassa, with the “EE” variant
  - From Rossiglione to the Gargassa canyon
- S.Margherita Ligure
- S.Olcese
  - Along the botanical trail, from S.Olcese to Crocetta d’Orero
- Sestri Levante
- Sori
- Zoagli
  - Discovering Zoagli’s hidden (and sexi) corners

Imperia
- Ventimiglia
  - From Ventimiglia to Plage de la Mala, via Menton and Monaco
  - From the Hanbury gardens in Ventimiglia to the citrus festival in Mentone

Savona
- Finale Ligure
  - Hiking across Capo Noli, down to Varigotti
- Varazze
  - Discovering the Savona province: from Varazze to the Desert, via Madonna della Guardia

next hike

April 12, 2024 by aleliguiriah

Ronco Scrivia Train Station h 10:00 am till 18:00

Since the weather this weekend it seems to perfect for hiking, shall we have a short hike to the royal mountain of Ronco Scrivia?
If it were so, let’s meet at 10:00 at Ronco Scrivia train station… and head up to the top of Monte Reale, across chestnut woods and pudding stone formations. The mountain peak hosts the shrine of Loreto, where once stood a castle. The shrine rises at a height of 902 mt and can offer 360 degree views over the Alps and the sea. While spotting the Alps looks a bit unlikely, we should have clear views over the west, south and east.
Despite there being almost 600 metres of elevation gain, hike is rated as “T” (easy). Hiking time should be around 3 hours.
You may read more about Monte Reale on: – http://www.monte-reale.it/documents/scheda.html(detailed description of the hike, we’ll do a circular loop via Monte Reale and Minceto) – http://www.parcoantola.it/gallery_dettaglio.php?id=6697

 How to get to Ronco Scrivia, and how to come back alive:
On Saturday, let’s meet at 9:52 am at Ronco Scrivia station. Recommended trains are:
– if you’re going northwards Reg 12120 Genova Brignole 09:13 Genova Piazza Principe RV 2122 09:30 Ronco Scrivia 09:52 

– if you’re going southwards RV 3067 Milano Centrale 08:30 Ronco Scrivia 09:59
Return may be around 5:00pm.

 As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to text me or call me (at +39 3337756854)