I’ve been looking forward to our two day stay in Garda because somewhere in the past I noted that there’s a great hike to be had climbing the mountain behind it for a view of the lake. My faulty memory played tricks on me though, and the hike I was thinking of was taking the tram up to Monte Baldo, from Malcesine instead of here. Thinking back again now, I think I planned on staying in Malcesine on our way south from Trento, on either our 2018 tour from Dubrovnik to Barcelona, or maybe the 2021 one from Antwerp to Rome. We’ve been to or dreamed of so many places now, I can’t keep them straight any more.
It does look like there’s a great hike to be had here too though, up to the top of Monte Luppia, the massive, sheer-sided formation that walls in the north side of town. We both decide to hike it, and I mapped out a route for it last night.
Once again, we waken to a hot sunny day - hot enough that we feel the need to get an early start. We do the best we can on that, but first we have to enjoy the terrific breakfast presented by our hotel (omelet!), and that isn’t served until 8. I make it out the door around nine thirty, planning to get a jump on Rachael and a quick look around town before the crowds develop. Garda’s a small place and it doesn’t take long to assess its attractions, so by ten I’m walking north along the shore at the start of the hike.
Garda has a small but attractive historical center, now completely given over to tourism.
I’m about a mile up the beach, my mind and eyes on the water hoping I’ll see a new bird or two when I hear my name shouted out, turn around, and see it’s Rachael snapping at me. She quickly catches up, and after a brief exchange she’s quickly off again, her normal 4 mph pace easily outpacing my more pedestrian one.
We’re just seeing a small segment here of Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy. That’s San Vigilio Point about two miles ahead, that I’ll round before beginning the climb.
The hike comes as a surprise. After two miles along the beach I round San Vigilio Point, pass through the small waterfront resort there, and then double back on an unpleasant half mile on the coast road before finally coming to my turnoff. It’s narrow, shoulderless, quite busy, and surprises me by the number of bicyclists risking it all on this death trap of a road. I don’t even feel safe walking it. I wonder how it was for Rachael when she walked here, and later am surprised when she hardly comments on it.
Finally though I’m off that and on the climb to Monte Luppia. The first mile is steep and in places almost a slick rock scramble, but after that it backs off; and the loop of the summit at the top is no worse than a relaxed walk.
But the views! That’s the real surprise of the day. There’s one nice view north up the lake not long after I’ve started climbing, in a narrow gap through the trees on a small path to the side. Then, the next view of any kind at all is over two miles later, right at the summit through an even narrower gap to the south. Otherwise, I’m walking in a tunnel of green the whole way to the top. A very nice tunnel, but still definitely not the experience I’d imagined.
Finally, I come to a nice view across the north end of the lake, toward what I think is Monte Pizzocolo. The first view in a mile, and the last for another two. Good thing I stopped for it!
Climbing toward the summit, through a tunnel of green. I think a pretty shear thousand foot drop is maybe a hundred yards to the right, but invisible for the trees.
Finally! Here’s the view south over Garda I’ve been striving for. This is the totality of the opening, and I’m holding my camera above my head to get the widest window I can. Woohoo!
Near the top, Rachael and I are in phone conversation. She’s ahead of me at a junction where the trail I marked unexpectedly comes to a barricaded dead end. She follows an alternate route that parallels it (I’ve just marked the wrong one, apparently), and then continues on for a two mile out and back spur to add some miles while she waits for me to catch up. Some pics she brought back from the part of the trail I didn’t see:
Maybe a half hour later, I’m down from the top and she catches up with me. We’re together just long enough for her to snap a shot of me with my terrific red hat and walk together for maybe a half mile, and then she charges ahead for home because she’s in a hurry to eat lunch. I’m considerably slower on descents, and I’ll arrive well after her.
Bill ShaneyfeltNot sure... Might be the same species... They are so variable, and the species there are so similar. Spent an hour trying to figure it out between wikipedia and inaturalist.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_reptiles_of_Italy Reply to this comment 10 months ago
It’s hot when I’m finally back by the lake again, and walking the two miles back from San Vigilio Point. The last two miles seem long as I walk by a stedy line of sun worshipers baking themselves on the sand while I hug the other margin of the narrow beach picking up all the shade I can.
When Rachael and I compare our tracks later, we’re both surprised. Even with that two mile spur she walked and all the yardage she added on trying to find our hotel again, I ended up walking further than she did - nearly 13 for her, but 13.5 for me - the longest walk I’ve taken since last summer on the Jurassic Coast in Devon, I think. The difference came in the area around San Vigilio Point, where her Garmin apparently routed her onto a significantly different track than I’d plotted out - shorter, and superior because it avoided that crappy half mile on the highway.
Rounding San Vigilio Point, I look up at Monte Luppia and wonder again why there aren’t better views from up there.
