Keep on rocking
A lot has happened since I wrote about our sufferfest on Monte Cinto. That was stage four, we’ve now completed stage nine. In the meantime we sat through one of the worst storms I’ve ever witnessed, hiked last lush, green lakes and desparately clung to rocky heights. Right now I’m sitting at a nice campground waiting for my second pizza to arrive. I’m a wee bit tired, but otherwise life is pretty good.
It al started with the hike on day five to Castel di Vergio. It was hot, humid and bad weather was on its way. When it finally hit, Luuk and I were staying at the campground at Hotel Castel di Vergio. We quickly relocated to the empty and most importantly roofed and sheltered kitchen of the complex.
Best. Decission. Ever! The storm raged for nearly 24 hours before subsiding. When we woke up, Luuk and I exchanged one look and said: nope. Not today. We spent the rest of the morning watching miserable people pack miserable tents into miserable packs, looking miserable. Most of them sodded of to the hotel bar, some hardy people decided to push on. We weren’t hardy. Rather, we spent the day with the miserable lot in the drafty hotel bar. From the few people that came in during the day we heard stories about flooded trails and death defying river crosses. Nope indeed.
The next day brought clear weather and it was simply lovely. Woods, high passes, lush lakes and a bit too much wine in the afternoon, stage seven had it all.
Stage eight saw us return to the rocks. At times it felt like hiking on the moon, with glacial lakes far in the deep below. We were done rather quickly and instead of drinking wine we decided to double stages. Our knees were shot at the end of the day but the prospect of lasagna at the hut kept us going. As of writing, I’m still looking for new knees on eBay but the lasagna was worth it.
Today featured a rather long descent to the village of Vizzavona, compounding our knee issues. There is a certain irony in this. By now we have the fitness level of pro (or rather semi-pro) athletes but the knees of 80 year old men. Funny how that works.
Anyway, my second pizza is here. Cheers!
