Andrew Terrill

The outdoor diary of a writer, photographer, and wilderness wanderer

The ‘Other’ Italy

MY LAST BLOG was all about The ‘Other’ Places, and so this week I thought I’d follow up with a few photos from The Other Italy – the wild side of Italy that most visitors miss…

To simplify things, I’ve limited the photos to just one region of Italy – the Abruzzo region in the Central Apennines. The Abruzzo is home to the highest and rockiest Apennine mountains, and many of its wildest corners remain relatively untouched. Just a short distance away is Rome, with its famous sights and crowds of tourists, but in the Abruzzo there are remote wilderness forests and mountains where one can truly be alone; where one can experience the ‘old Europe’; where one can sleep deep in nature and listen to bears ambling by in the night. (See my upcoming book for that story!)

For this blog, I’ll let the photos do most of the talking. I hope that these photos demonstrate that The ‘Other’ Europe really does exist.

hiker backpacker abruzzo apennines mountains italy
Let’s start here: standing beneath my first mountain in the Abruzzo Apennines, preparing to follow the long La Meta ridge, not knowing what lay ahead.
chamois on la meta ridge abruzzo national park apennines italy
The ridge was unmarred by even a single scuff mark, and I walked carefully, making certain I left no trace. The only companions were chamois.
andrew terrill hiker backpacker resting on ridge in abruzzo apennines italy
Making time to sit and stare was an essential part of the journey. Walking was only a tiny part of The Walk!
andrew terrill hiker backpacker on narrow knife edge ridge in abruzzo apennines italy
Progress was soon far more ‘exciting’ than I’d expected. The map had given little hint that difficult ground lay ahead.
andrew terrill hiker on ridge in apennines italy june 1997
Some vantage points are appreciated even more for being hard-earned.
wild camp beneath serra rocca chiarano abruzzo apennines andrew terrill italy
Few of the 60-million visitors to the better-known Italy have a finer view from their accommodation than this…
evening sunlight seen from monte lorio in abruzzo apennines italy
One of the most memorable evenings was spent on top of Monte Lorio. The light was incredible, the solitude magical.
ridges and forests in the abruzzo national park apennines italy july 1997
Ridges and forests seen from Monte Lorio. If any image sums up The ‘Other’ Italy then this is it.
evening light monte lorio abruzzo apennines italy
View from Monte Lorio as the evening drama grows even finer.
evening light monte lorio abruzzo apennines italy black and white
The black and white version that appears in the book.
hilltop village of opi abruzzo national park apennines italy jul 7 1997
Far below in the valley, the hilltop village of Opi catches the evening light.
last light from monte lorio in abruzzo apennines italy
But the summit is still the best place to be!
ridges abruzzo national park evening light and clouds
The wild Apennines. It is amazing to me that this range isn’t better known!
gran sasso corne grande c
I reached the Gran Sasso d’Italia, the highest mountains in the Apennines, after a week of rain and thunder. But then the clouds suddenly cleared.
gran sasso d italia monte d intermesoli clouds abruzzo apennines italy
From camp, I stared up at this mountain, Monte d’Intermesoli. It was a cloud maker…
gran sasso d italia monte d intermesoli green cloud abruzzo apennines italy
After sunset, I was treated to this green cloud – a rare thing!
alpen glow from the summit of corno grande in the grand sasso d italia abruzzo apennines italy
Early the next morning I climbed Corno Grande, at 2912m / 9551ft the highest Apennine summit. I made it to the top a few minutes before dawn.
gran sasso d italia corne grande sunrise from summit july 21 1997 apennines italy
And what a dawn it was!
sunrise summit gran sasso d italia corne grande glacier abruzzo apennines italy
Corno Grande boasts the only glacier in the Apennines, the Ghiacciaio del Calderone. The top of it can be seen here.
Travel in the Gran Sasso d’Italia was pretty close to perfection!
Travel in the Gran Sasso d’Italia was pretty close to perfection!
boulder in valle del rio arno gran sasso d italia abruzzo apennines italy
Remarkable scenery in the depths of the Valle del Rio Arno.
gran sasso d italia monte d intermesoli july 20 1997 abruzzo apennines
Some visitors to Italy may prefer the cultivated landscapes of Tuscany, the museums and cathedrals of Florence, the ancient ruins of Rome, or the canals in Venice, but as for me, well…
alpe apuane range seen from monte rondinaio apennines italy august 2991
I’ll take the unfrequented mountains!
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