{"id":14504,"date":"2023-06-26T09:42:54","date_gmt":"2023-06-26T07:42:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/outdoorportofino.com\/?p=14504"},"modified":"2023-06-30T11:50:24","modified_gmt":"2023-06-30T09:50:24","slug":"via-del-sale-a-great-little-solo-adventure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/outdoorportofino.com\/en\/blog\/via-del-sale-a-great-little-solo-adventure\/","title":{"rendered":"Via del Sale: a great little solo adventure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Discover one of the best hikings in the Northern Italy and learn more about this amazing solo adventure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Wake up at 5:30 am. I leave home in Bogliasco (Liguria) by train, heading towards Varzi. This is where I will return in 3 days, on foot, along the Salt Road. The idea that has always fascinated me is to start a journey from a place 90 km away, crossing 4 regions (Lombardy, Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, and Liguria) and gradually getting closer to home. It’s for its beautiful anachronism. For slowness. To reshape the way we experience time and space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting to see the sea, then recognizing the towns, and at some point, identifying the roof of my house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In such a journey, things become simple, essential. A goal, one step at a time, few thoughts, and warm meals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The journey starts from Varzi, in the province of Pavia, and reaches the Ligurian Sea just east of Genoa, in the so-called Golfo Paradiso. The first steps are meant to ease into a sense of blissful solitude and silence. Even the smartphone has been left at home. Nothing can disturb this journey through time and nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After passing through the town of Castellaro, I enter a vibrant forest and I am fascinated by it. It’s the most extraordinary forest I have ever seen, it feels like being in a Disney cartoon. Surely it must be populated by fairies, gnomes, and other creatures. I imagine they are just a bit shy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After passing through the forest, the path ascends to a ridge that seems to dominate the world. I follow it until I reach Monte Chiappo, the highest point of the journey at 1700 meters above sea level. Right at the summit, Lombardy, Emilia, and Piedmont intersect. I have reached the end of the first stage, and for the first time, I see the sea, my sea, so far away. I had never seen it so distant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I then arrive at Capanne di Cosola, where I will spend the first night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The next morning, it’s pouring rain, it’s 5 degrees Celsius, and the wind seems to want to uproot the trees. But I decide to start anyway. Two other couples of walkers, whom I had met the previous evening at dinner, also decide to proceed. I will encounter them occasionally throughout the journey, until our destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I walk clumsily through the mud on what should be an incredibly panoramic ridge; I struggle to even see the tips of my shoes. I navigate using a map and compass (no smartphone, no GPS, no trail\u2026), but in these conditions, I can’t consult them, and I end up getting lost on Monte Carmo. I lose altitude and have to walk at least a couple of extra kilometers, which is not what I needed. However, in one fell swoop, I find: the trail I had lost, one of the two pairs of “fellow travelers,” a shelter where we can take cover, and a kind lady who offers us a hot coffee. The simplicity of the adventure makes this moment magical, unique, and unforgettable. Once again filled with positive energy, I continue on my own, heading towards Rifugio del Monte Antola.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I arrive at 2 pm, after 6 hours of nearly uninterrupted walking, soaked, hungry, and tired. And I enter paradise. I am welcomed with dry clothes, a wood-burning stove, and a hot meal. This is the true meaning of the word “refuge.” The people managing it are wonderful, and the atmosphere is perfect. I eat, write, think, and recharge for the final descent to Torriglia. Meanwhile, the rain has stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between low-hanging clouds, I enjoy some glimpses of the view of Lake Brugneto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I then arrive at Hotel della Posta, an old inn that feels very ’60s, and I get carried away by the stories of the owner, a cheerful 80-year-old young man. Stories of UFOs, castles, the holidaying Italy that no longer exists. I go to bed early, as the next day awaits the final and longest stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so, the final approach begins. If in the previous days I hadn’t thought about it, now it really feels like I am shortening the distance to my origins with every step. The landscape changes, becoming increasingly Mediterranean. And at a certain point, I emerge on Monte Fasce and see home. Only 3 days have passed, but it feels like an eternity to me. Now, the final descent awaits me. I pass under Santa Croce in a light drizzle, accompanied by deer, buzzards, wild boars, and roe deer, faithful companions throughout the journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I arrive home at 6 pm on Saturday, May 20, with shining eyes, a clear and sharp mind, lungs full of life, and the desire to keep walking and walking and walking because we were born to do this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Discover one of the best hikings in the Northern Italy and learn more about this amazing solo adventure Wake up at 5:30 am. I leave home in Bogliasco (Liguria) by train, heading towards Varzi. This is where I will return in 3 days, on foot, along the Salt Road. The idea that has always fascinated […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":14492,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[254,255],"tags":[328],"class_list":["post-14504","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-en","category-lifestyle-storytelling","tag-via-del-sale-2"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/outdoorportofino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14504","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/outdoorportofino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/outdoorportofino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outdoorportofino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outdoorportofino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14504"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/outdoorportofino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14504\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outdoorportofino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14492"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/outdoorportofino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outdoorportofino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outdoorportofino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}