One doesn’t have to go far from Bagni di Lucca to indulge in serious mountain trekking. To the west of the Serchio valley lie the rocky Apuans rightly called alps because of their geomorphology.
To the east lie the Appennines and although they are described as gentler and more forested than their Apuan counterparts this is not always the case.
Mount Rondinaio is among the highest in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines and, after Monte Giovo (1991 meters above sea level), the highest in the municipality of Pievepelago. Its height (1964 m) approaches the 2000 m threshold.
Like Monte Giovo and Alpe Tre Potenze Monte Rondinaio is crossed by 00, the path of the Apennine ridge, and acts as a border between the province of Modena and the province of Lucca. It is included in the Apennine Park of Frignano.
The best way to reach the top of Monte Rondinaio via path 00 from Bagni di Lucca is to go to the next valley up of Tereglio and travel to the top of the old grand ducal road to reach the passo del Giovo col.
The majestic range comprising the Rondinaio and Giovo peaks are quite at odds with the average view of Italy’s backbone, the appennines.
The ridge overlooks a mini lake district; Lake Baccio, Lake Turchino and Lake Torbido all lie in the shadow of these mighty mountains.
Monte Rondinaio, which is easily climbable without ropes is divided by the Monte Giovo massif by the North Pass, reachable only through a demanding path, and is divided by the Alpi Tre Potenze near Abetone by the Giovo Pass, also called Foce a Giovo, which with its almost 1700 meters above sea level is the highest Tuscan-Emilian Apennine pass that can be reached via an unpaved road. Towards Emilia, the ridge across the South Pass develops a last buttress called Rondinaio Lombardo, overlooking Lake Turchino.
From the top of the Rondinaio the panorama is superb: on one side the Garfagnana and the Apuan Alps, on the other the Valle delle Tagliole with its villages of Ca ‘di Gallo, Ronchi and Rotari.
It’s noticeable how our side of the appennines are a sort of scarp slope when compared to the gentler northern slopes dipping down towards the Po valley.
I look forwards to redoing the Rondinaio route: looking at my photos from a few years back truly wets my appetite.