Walking Across Italy

Today was the most arduous and difficult hike to date. The section from Pontuglia to Spoleto was not long (only 18 km), but the terrain was very challenging. The first 6.5 km (4 miles) was straight uphill. No flat land. Just a steep climb from 450 meters above sea level to 950 meters. The last 12 km was all steep downhill. The difficulty of this hike was further exacerbated by the narrow rocky paths which resembled damp creek beds, rather than a hiking trail. As a result, a hike that should have taken us 4 hours on flat ground, took us more than 6 hours.

The roads that we have encountered on this trip have been extremely diverse. We’ve hiked on grassy trails, small dirt paths, mule or donkey roads, gravel trails, rocky creek beds, concrete steps, city sidewalks, asphalt roads, and major highways. I have learned to adjust my gait and hiking tools to the conditions of the path. For example, when climbing on a rocky creek bed, I put my poles out further in front of me and use them to lift my body up. When hiking down a steep incline, I use the straps to lock my poles between my thumb and index finger and use them to soften the blow on my knees. This isn’t rocket science, but I do think it is a good metaphor for how we have to adjust to the things that life throws at you. You can’t treat every situation the same. I guess the paths and roads and sidewalks are teaching me that.

On a less serious note, as we made our way to the top of the mountain, we saw some spectacular vistas. These pictures don’t do it justice, but they will give you a sense of how we skirted the ridges of this mountain as we climbed.

We made our way down the mountain to Spolto, but found this to be almost as difficult as the top. Again, you need to adjust. On a steep hard surface, I noticed that Stephen likes to traverse the road like a skier criss-crosses the slope. This slows him down and puts pressure on the side of his feet, not the front.

When we got close to Spoleto, we learned that our quick entry into the city was going to be delayed. The ancient bridge that crossed the gorge was being rebuilt, so we needed to go around it. We found another path and finally made our way into this wonderful little town.