This itinerary leads us up to one of the southern peaks of the Apuan
Alps. Although it is not very high, there are some wonderful views both
of the sea, where some of the islands of the Archipelago can be
admired, and sometimes even Corsica, and of the other peaks in the
Apuan chain. It is also an excellent place from which to observe the
pleasant Camaiore valley. The village - Metato ? was named after the
place where chestnuts were dried, which, once upon a time, was the most
used part of the home because it was heated, and shows what strong ties
these places have with their own traditions. From the centre of the
village we begin our climb, taking a path that starts from a small
wooden building. Climbing gently, we soon leave the village behind us
before entering a wood. The signposts make the path easy to follow and
we soon arrive at a lovely house surrounded by green terraced hills,
overlooking the Camaiore valley. Before we reach the house, we take a
path on the left, recognisable from a sign banning motor vehicles, and
we continue our climb. After about ten minutes, our path passes two old
abandoned stone houses and then winds between another small group of
houses that we pass. We can see the imposing, steep Prana peak with its
unmistakeable monument of a cross. The steepness of the hill forces the
path to avoid the most direct way up, going in the direction of the
internal slope that is more accessible. Up we go towards the peak, onto
the other side where, near two houses, we come to two sharp bends, both
on the left. Just before we reach a third house, we find a small sign
indicating Prana and another two destinations. We follow the signposts
and continue through woody and rocky sections, until we reach a
clearing where we turn right. Here begins the small crest that divides
the marine area from that of the hinterland, climbing up towards the
peak. We follow the coast just for a short distance for fewer than ten
minutes before returning to the wood where we begin our walk around the
mountain peak. This part of the route offers new scenery, showing us
Mount Piglione with its numerous grassy terraces and, more to the
north, Matanna. We tackle the initial section before the final part
without any particular worries, meeting three bends first of all, that
seem to cut the mountain half way up, and then go through a wooden
gate. Soon the path, that goes straight up through the Campo all?Orzo,
invites us to turn right to make the final climb. Off we go, still
following the signposts, taking a diagonal route because it is so
steep. Finally we arrive at a canal that descends from the main peak
towards the south west one. From here we reach the final ridge and soon
arrive at the splendid summit.
This itinerary is
part of a collection that the magazine “Trekking”, together with the
APT (Provincial Tourist Authority) of the Tuscan Coast, has dedicated
to the most beautiful trekking routes in this area. A series of
itineraries that will help you discover lovely places and will
introduce you to a district that has great environmental and cultural
appeal.
Clementi Editore non si assume alcuna responsabilità sui contenuti pubblicati dai visitatori del sito, il cui nome compare in calce al testo. Chi ha inserito i testi è responsabile in caso di errori e violazioni dei diritti d'autore.
