Pascoso - Gragliana by BICYCLE / FAHRRAD / VELO / BICI

Pascoso - Gragliana s(u)

I never intended going over this summit. But I want to also write about it, to remind myself that sometimes getting lost is not that bad. Actually it may have been a more interesting route, than the one I had planned. There must be hundreds of miles of these 2 meter wide roads, all very well paved, threading together countless villages and solitary stone houses in the Alpi Apuani Mountains. Many of these are not shown on any maps that I have seen.

1.(80m,00.0km) START-END SOUTH: jct SP2 - road to Pascoso
2.(283m,8.0km) profile turns right at this signed four way intersection in Trebbio.
3.(458m,10.9km) Pescaglia
4.(740m,16.0km) Pescaglia - San Rocco in Turrite s(u)
5.(590m,18.3km) road on right keeps going downhill to Serchio Valley
6.(655m,19.5km) Pascoso
7.(845m,21.1km) TOP: Pascoso - Gragliana s(u); profile turns right at this intersection, even if I did not
8.(470m,25.6km) Gragliana
9.(150m,36.2km) START-END NORTH: sp20 bridge over Serchio, east of Fornaci Di Barga

From South. The profile goes over the Pescaglia San Rocco in Turrite s(u) to a low point. The way to summit described here, stays straight and climbs again. In a picturesque spot between a church and a house, that seems too narrow for any cars to pass, a sign points steeply upwards to a cemetery. It reads Matanna. Beyond this there are no more signs until the road is Serchio bound. The profile follows this very steep narrow climb to a miniature fork in the path, located at a tower of some sort. This is approximately the summit point. The profile stays right, but I chose the left at first. It seems that all paths eventually end at singular stone houses, the Apuani Park or an old car used for target practice. However on a fully suspended mountain bike I think you could continue on some of these paths, which are signed as walking trails.

From North. (described downwards). However staying right at the tower mentioned above, leads to yet another set of swtichbacks down into the valley The next small settlement at the bottom of the has a wild photogenic aspect with an agroturismo place nearby. In order of appearance the list of attractions on the way down are as follows: a nicely sculpted war memorial in front of a small village gate, yet another hilltown far above the road, just in case you would ever run out of new climbing possibilities in a hundred years or so, in the next town a Roman bridge (at least it looks Roman to me) ormanented with flowers, last and least a damned lake in a rugged valley just before the first view of the town Borgo appears on a hill on the other side of the Sergio.

Pascoso - Gragliana s(u) , Pescaglia - San Rocco in Turrite s(u) , SP7 Barga(sh) : Borgo in Mozzano > Diecimo > Fondagno > Piazzanello > Pescaglia > Pescaglia - San Rocco in Turrite s(u) > Pascoso <> out and back beyond end of pavementos ocn a number of small roads south and west >> Pascoso - Gragliana s(u) > Gragliana > back down into Serchio Valley, east side of river > up SP7 > Barga with detours > SP7 Barga(sh) > back down to Serchio Valley > back to starting point on east side of river: 56.2miles with 5900ft of climbing in 6:02hrs (Garmin etrex e30 m4:14.5.26}