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
|
Approaches
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.
Dayride
ALMOST COMPLETELY PAVED
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}
The last day with different start and end points is on page: Col
de Bigorno

|