u/bardotto

Ciao camminatori! Voglio condividere con voi una bellissima esperienza appena conclusa: ho attraversato in solitaria e in autonomia i monti della Laga da SO verso NE, da Campotosto a Castel Trosino. Son partito lunedì pomeriggio e ne sono uscito sabato a pranzo. Quasi 100km, 4500 D+. Un territorio a me sconosciuto (sono piemontese), ma altamente affascinante! Bellissimi i passaggi in quota: farsi il crinale delle due Laghette (confine tra Abruzzo e Lazio), è stato in assoluto uno dei miei punti preferiti. Attraversare l’Appennino da ovest a est ha significato salire e scendere da vallate tutte diverse: un continuo entrare e uscire dal bosco, con continui cambi di paesaggio, di vegetazione e di temperatura😅 I boschi della Martese sono qualcosa di monumentale: non ho mai visto una estensione così ampia di faggete secolari! È stata un’esperienza davvero bella, provante fisicamente ma di gran valore. Purtroppo, ho preferito interromperla con un giorno di anticipo a causa del meteo: il caldo era davvero troppo, l’ultima mattina alle 11 il mio termometro segnava 36 gradi all’ombra. Ormai con questo clima diventa sempre più difficile organizzarsi alla meglio.
Se avete domande di qualunque tipo chiedete pure, perché effettivamente qualche criticità c’è stata (reperibilità acqua in alcuni punti, il sentiero che all’improvviso sparisce nel nulla e son dovuto passare nei rovi, ecc…) ma nulla di così limitante, ma se qualcuno sta pianificando la zona, chiedete pure e vi passo volentieri la mia esperienza/traccia!

Hi hikers! I wanted to share a fantastic experience I just wrapped up: a solo, fully self-supported thru-hike across the Laga Mountains (Central Apennines) from SW to NE. From Monday afternoon to Saturday lunch. Roughly 100 km (~62 miles) with 4,500m (~14,700 ft) of elevation gain
As a hiker from Piedmont (NW Italy), this area was completely new to me, but absolutely mesmerizing. The ridge sections were mind-blowing: hiking the "Cresta delle due Laghette" right on the border between the Abruzzo and Lazio regions was easily one of my favorite highlights.
Crossing the Apennines from west to east meant constantly climbing and descending through completely different valleys—constantly dipping in and out of the woods, with rapid changes in landscape, vegetation, and temperature 😅 Speaking of trees... the Martese forests are monumental. I have never seen such a massive, continuous stretch of ancient beech trees in my life!
It was a beautiful and physically demanding experience, but incredibly rewarding. Unfortunately, I chose to cut the trip short by one day due to the weather. The heat was just brutal—by 11:00 AM on my last morning, my thermometer was reading 36°C (97°F) in the shade. With this changing climate, planning summer trips is becoming increasingly challenging.
Feel free to ask any questions about logistics, gear, or the itinerary! I did run into a few critical challenges out there: Water sources were scarce and tricky to find in several sections. The trail would occasionally vanish into thin air, forcing me into some heavy bushwhacking through thorny brambles.
Nothing unmanageable, but if anyone is planning a route in this area, let me know! I’d be happy to share my experience, logistics, or GPX track.

Hi hikers! I wanted to share a fantastic experience I just wrapped up: a solo, fully self-supported thru-hike across the Laga Mountains (Central Apennines) from SW to NE. From Monday afternoon to Saturday lunch. Roughly 100 km (~62 miles) with 4,500m (~14,700 ft) of elevation gain
As a hiker from Piedmont (NW Italy), this area was completely new to me, but absolutely mesmerizing. The ridge sections were mind-blowing: hiking the "Cresta delle due Laghette" right on the border between the Abruzzo and Lazio regions was easily one of my favorite highlights.
Crossing the Apennines from west to east meant constantly climbing and descending through completely different valleys—constantly dipping in and out of the woods, with rapid changes in landscape, vegetation, and temperature 😅 Speaking of trees... the Martese forests are monumental. I have never seen such a massive, continuous stretch of ancient beech trees in my life!
It was a beautiful and physically demanding experience, but incredibly rewarding. Unfortunately, I chose to cut the trip short by one day due to the weather. The heat was just brutal—by 11:00 AM on my last morning, my thermometer was reading 36°C (97°F) in the shade. With this changing climate, planning summer trips is becoming increasingly challenging.
Feel free to ask any questions about logistics, gear, or the itinerary! I did run into a few critical challenges out there: Water sources were scarce and tricky to find in several sections. The trail would occasionally vanish into thin air, forcing me into some heavy bushwhacking through thorny brambles.
Nothing unmanageable, but if anyone is planning a route in this area, let me know! I’d be happy to share my experience, logistics, or GPX track.

I'm pretty new here, but I just wanted to thank the community for the invaluable advice I've found here. This has helped me achieve the perfect carbonation for me—not too mild, not too strong, and after just a few tries! Happy fermenting, folks!