A windy hike

spongata

The day began quite pleasantly with breakfast prepared by our host, Marino. It was a simple but delightful meal, complemented by a sweet treat known as spongata, which he explained is a special confection typically enjoyed during Christmas. It somewhat reminded me of the taste of Chinese jujube cake (枣糕).

After a hearty breakfast, we set out for Passo della Cisa, embarking on what was supposed to be an 8 km hike with some elevation changes across Monte Valoria. Our goal was to reach Pontremoli by day’s end, adding another 19.3 km to our journey. Drawing on our experience from the previous day, we attempted to contact every hotel listed on both Google Maps and the official Via Francigena app.

a chicken talking to a duck

The search was challenging, but we managed to find accommodation. The language barrier often made it feel like what the Chinese idiom “鸡同鸭讲” describes – a chicken talking to a duck – an amusing yet apt description of our communication struggles.

a pleasant start

The start of the hike was pleasant for me, but my partner @spherinder, wearing non-waterproof barefoot shoes from Xero, found their feet wet very quickly. The mountain paths were quite muddy, shaded by trees, and evidently hadn’t seen enough sunshine in recent days.

Throughout the hike, we just followed a red-and-white sign. Occasionally, we also saw some signs written with ‘VF’ on it. We encountered no other hikers along the way and only saw a few inhabited houses after crossing the grassland.

“If this were in Germany, there would definitely be other hikers,” I told @spherinder several times.

Hiking seems to be a popular activity in Germany. My interest in hiking began when I was studying in high school there. I started in Schwerin, where I took an intensive German language course during regular school hours, Monday to Friday, for several months. With limited entertainment options nearby, I decided to explore all the lakes I could find on the map. I started with Lankower Lake, close to where I lived, and then visited Neumühler Lake, Fauler Lake, and others. Once, I even hiked from Schweiner Lake to the nearby city of Wismar with a few other Chinese students. It was a memorable experience, especially seeing deer twice in early spring and encountering a surprising hailstorm in March – certainly not the best weather for hiking.

somewhat windy

As we ascended the hills of Monte Valoria, the wind grew increasingly stronger. By the time we were nearing the peak, at an elevation of approximately 1231 meters, walking became a challenge. The rain, now striking us almost horizontally due to the strong winds, and the dense fog significantly reduced our visibility.

The top was of course the most windy spot. But I still managed to take a few pictures. Not a lot of things were visible, but the path and a small shrine with Maria depicted on it.

Passo della Cisa

It was cheerful when we finally reached Passo della Cisa in the afternoon at around 14:00. The small shelter CAPANNA TWIN n.1, that can host couple of pilgrims and tourists in the summer season, remained closed. It is a simple shelter located at the beginning of the town, with several easy wooden beds and matresses in it. Fairly simple.

The town has a small store TPC Tipicamente Passo Cisa where you can collect a stamp on your Via Francigena credential, and a decent Bar Cisa for taking a small break, enjoying some coffee.

to Pontremoli

After enjoying a cup of coffee at the bar, we resumed our journey, facing the remaining 19.3 km ahead. An elderly man, another customer in the bar, asked what we were planning for. Upon hearing that we intended to hike, he exclaimed, “Mamma mia,” and then we departed.

We briefly visited the small church at the start of the route before delving deep into the forest.

I was somewhat anxious, unsure if we could complete the hike in such challenging weather conditions.

which sign is the right one?

The path was far from ideal, littered with fallen trees and intersected by several small streams that required cautious crossing. My waterproof hiking boots soon succumbed to the wet conditions, making the walk increasingly uncomfortable. Our primary goal became to escape the dense forest.

After about half an hour of hiking, while trying to estimate the remaining distance to Pontremoli, we realized we had been following the wrong signs and must have lost the correct trail right from the start.

We decided to immediately head back to Passo della Cisa, hoping to find someone there who could assist us in getting a taxi to our next destination. If we weren’t quick enough, we might have to take refuge in the small church and spend the night there.

back to Passo della Cisa

It didn’t take long to reach Passo della Cisa, where we found the owner (or so I assumed) of Bar Cisa preparing to close up and return home to Berceto, our starting point that day.

He graciously attempted to call local taxi services for us, but none were available at the moment. Understandably so, on the last day of the year, who would be willing to pick us up in such a remote location?

Just as we were considering returning to the church to check if it was still accessible, the bar owner kindly offered us a ride to Pontremoli. We are still extremely grateful for his generosity.