I had been planning this walking adventure between Boves (San Giacomo), Bisalta, Limone P.te, and back for several months. However, due to my studies, I wasn’t able to fit it into my July schedule, so it had to be postponed.
In July 2024, I intended to complete it using a hybrid bicycle/ultratrail technique, but things turned out differently because of the final commitments related to my osteopathy training. Now, though, the hardest part is done—next weekend, I will finally complete these six years by defending my thesis!
But let's focus on today, Sunday, December 1, 2024, and talk about this beautiful route, undertaken after about five months of training hiatus
Everything was accomplished solely through mental strength, rather than recent training sessions. In fact, this walking achievement is the result of a training approach focused on both ultra and non-ultra distances over a couple of decades, with preparation ensured by the Weekly Single-Training Technique for ultratrail.
It is fascinating, through this walking journey, to discover how deeply ingrained one's preparation can be thanks to the Weekly Single-Training Technique—especially when practiced for nearly two decades in the world of Ultra-Distances. Let's delve into the details...
I deliberately started late: I arrived at the location (San Giacomo di Boves) at 10:18 in the morning, considering the freezing temperature of the area and the towering peaks nearby, which cast a shadow that struggled to fade.
Step by step, I gained altitude towards Bisalta, and the first rays of sunlight began to warm me. At the first opportunity, I removed both my gloves and the headband.
I reached the watershed, just above Rifugio Peveragno (or at least I believe that's its name, as I've always found it closed). Once there, I treated myself to my first snack, sitting on the grass of a sunlit meadow. The view from that spot was breathtaking!
Then began a long descent through trails covered in leaves, with stones underneath in some sections, making slipping quite easy. At times, I lost my way—not due to my new GPS watch, the Fenix 7, but because I had mapped out the GPX route rather roughly on my computer.
Despite that, I was guided towards my destination with remarkable accuracy. In fact, I used WikiLoc as additional support only when I had doubts about the actual trail.
I didn't encounter many people—just three hikers along the entire route, despite a few cars being parked at the starting point.
At higher altitudes, the temperature was perfect, and at times, I even felt sweaty. On several occasions, I improvised various snacks. I moved at a steady and relaxed pace, also to avoid exhausting myself, as my physical condition, as mentioned earlier, is quite fragile at the moment.
However, I didn't experience any moments of weakness and even managed to complete the return journey faster than the ascent!
Some climbs, especially on the way back, felt endless. However, the long descents that followed were just as exhausting. I believe this is due to my overall lack of preparation at the moment, given my upcoming thesis defense.
I hope to get back on track soon and resume training regularly with the Weekly Single-Training Technique, just as I did a few years ago. I wouldn’t classify this trail run as hiking, since I ran on the descents and flat sections, walking only on the climbs.
I was slow, but this was also an experiment to assess my performance after a long break—a confirmation of what I have always maintained about the Weekly Single-Training Technique, as it trains you for infrequent activity (sometimes very infrequent!).
After passing through the many hamlets hidden within dense forests, I must say the trail above Vernante towards Limone truly feels like stepping back in time. These isolated and distinctive places evoke visions of a bygone era, where life was built on pure self-sufficiency. As I mention in my LIVE YouTube video (which runs parallel to this text), living this way would still be possible today—provided one embraces a simple lifestyle. You can view the entire route with the GPS track available on WikiLoc.
At a certain point, I realized it was getting late, and with some reluctance, I had to leave that beautiful trail behind, shifting onto the main road to reach my destination quickly. That said, I haven’t abandoned the idea of the hybrid Bike/Trail activity I mentioned earlier—I plan to repeat it fully next time, possibly in summer 2025.
I then ran a few kilometers along a steady, gentle ascent leading into the town of Limone, following the highway. Upon reaching the central square, I took a moment to look around, reminiscing about past years when I was ready to compete in various editions of the famous Cromagnon race.
I also recall a particular year—it might have been 2015—when I didn’t take part in the race but was there as a representative for Fusta Editore, temporarily promoting my book to the athletes present.
At some point, I made my way towards the bar for a coffee, a habit that has now become a ritual in every route I take.
There was beautiful sunshine in Limone, though it felt a bit strange to see that charming mountain town completely devoid of snow on the first day of December.
A few minutes later, I began the return journey (by then, I had covered just over 14.5 km), following exactly the same route: the main road, then the trail through the abandoned hamlets scattered along the path from Limone to Vernante, and finally the endless climb back up towards Bisalta.
Around 16:30, I was once again at the watershed, above Rifugio Peveragno. By that time, the ground was completely frozen, with darkness approaching.
I took advantage of the final stretch before the watershed to have one last snack, as hunger was becoming overwhelming.
A long descent on the final section of the trail—covered in leaves with hidden stones underneath (just like the climb)—required great caution to avoid slipping.
By 17:00, it was completely dark, so I switched on my LED headlamp, along with the Garmin’s built-in LED light, to ensure maximum visibility and prevent any falls or sprains (which, fortunately, didn’t happen). I must say, the light on the watch is incredibly bright and incredibly useful!
I arrived at my car around 17:30, seeing my breath turn to vapor in the freezing air—I'm certain the temperature was below zero, especially since the entire ground sparkled with ice crystals.
I must add that my new Garmin watch performed very well, just as my previous model from the same brand did. However, it was a huge relief not to worry about the battery running out—thanks to the solar panel integrated into the display!
This walking adventure was highly rewarding, both as an opportunity to explore my actual capabilities during a period of no training and as a chance to restart my outings, with the goal of undertaking more in the near future."
This keeps the essence of your reflections while ensuring clarity in English. Let me know if you'd like any refinements!
In the end, it was more than 29.5 km, with a total elevation gain of 3,600 m, completed in 7 hours and 26 minutes. I'm satisfied, as this marks a fresh starting point for resuming training with ease—laying the foundation for future Trail and Ultra-Trail adventures ahead.
A small unfortunate twist to wrap things up: as I was leaving the parking area, I realized I had a flat tire. That moment brought on immense exhaustion, given the demanding journey I had just completed.
However, to get home, I had to mount the spare tire, which—naturally—was completely deflated, as it had never been used. Thankfully, a kind herdsman was ready with a compressor to help. So, I found myself forced to work in the freezing cold and pitch darkness of the mountains—something that had never happened to me after a walking journey before.
VIDEO LIVE BY YOUTUBE:
PERCORSO GPS BY WIKILOC:
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