Guide BooksThis whole
area of Northern Tuscany (Lunigiana & Garfagnana) and
Liguria is still relatively unknown outside Italy and has only
developed as a tourist destination in relatively recent
times.
As a consequence there are very
few English language books about the area, let alone
specialised guides covering the sports of walking and climbing.
Thus far, we have found 2 exceptions:
1. Tuscany North > A Rother
Walking Guide > Bergverlag Rother,
Munich > ISBN 3-7633-4812-3
2. Trekking in the
Apennines > A Cicerone Guide >
Cicerone > ISBN
13-9781-8528-4416-5
The latter book is concerned entirely with a linear walk
along the northerly section of the Grande Escursione
Appennica. Although it is an interesting and useful book its
scope is limited relative to the needs of walkers/climbers
based at Villa Papavero.
The former book provides details of 50 circular walks
within the northern Appennines and the Apuane Alps. The walks
include a number of optional Via Ferrata and the book includes
its own grading system to measure technical difficulty. It is
translated from an original German version.
Starting points, walking times and refreshment options
are described and small sketch maps are provided. References
are also given about the most useful publicly available
maps. There are 18 walks with start points less
than an hour and a half from Villa Papavero.
This is a
highly recommended book.
If you can read Italian then a book entitled Apuane 35 cime in 55 escursioni (35 tops
in 55 walks) written by Claudio Bocchi and published by Circolo
II Grandevetro is highly commended. It's almost worth its
price just for the specialised map of the Apuane Alps
and its footpaths & climbs. Its ISBN number is 978-88-86646-22-2.
Recommended Walks
Based
on thorough research using all three books we have
identified and/or pioneered a number of Recommended Walks for which
we have provided detailed route maps, descriptions and height profiles.
Most of these are serious mountain walks (some
including Scrambling and/or Via Ferrata) which should not
be attempted without proper experience, equipment and the
appropriate map, as identified below. Click to view Recommended
Walks.
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