Squame Adventure Club @Romagna Trail 2024
The Romagna Trail already looked tough on paper, and the weather forecast had predicted Friday, September 13th, everything that really makes you worry before setting off.
There were many doubts and unknowns, even for us Romagnoli, who know the region and climate quite well. The start was accompanied by leaden skies, rain all the way to Novafeltria, where, as we began the real climb, we encountered the last shower, then something began to change.
Continuing to climb towards Fumaiolo, the sky cleared, making room for the sun and a sudden drop in temperature to 5°C. The sun set in a flash with a blue sky and the uncertainty of what to wear the next day due to the cold. The stop in Senatello for dinner and an overnight stay came at just the right time to recover from the energy spent in the first 140 km.
The next morning, despite the drastic drop in temperatures, we were around 9 degrees, the sun in the sky, giving us the energy we needed to face the day with all the altitude difference that lay ahead: 90 km and 3000 m of altitude difference awaited us. The first 20 km were memorable, with Mount Fumaiolo in sight, in true Trail style; steep, bumpy climbs, technical descents, and mud, but all of this was topped off by an incredible scenery of pastures and meadows, as green as if they had just been painted. The crisp air kept you wide awake, and the sun tended to warm your body, making the ride particularly pleasant. The rest of the day was a succession of emotions, the gravel road that leads to Pietrapazza, the climb to Strabattenza, the forest road that reaches San Giovanni in Alpe, the Casentino forest that crosses the Lupatti pass and the (incredible) path that leads to Badia Prataglia.
Our energy was running out by this time; it was 4:00 PM and we still had the last 800 meters of elevation gain to tackle in the remaining 18 kilometers. After a quick refreshment stop, we set off again to tackle the climb towards Fangacci and Giogana, which leads to the ridge that leads to the Calla Pass.
Whether it was the time or the excitement of doubting whether we'd make it or not, the final climb to the 1,400-meter altitude where we'd be sleeping turned into pure magic. By bike, on foot, the forest, the thick beech woods pierced by rays of sun that the higher you went the closer they got to setting, provided fuel for our legs that were now worn out. Arriving at the Calla Pass was an explosion of immense happiness, the kind that fills your heart.
Having spent the night at Burraia, morning was the perfect time, thanks to the contrasting light, to continue the trail, which continued downhill to the Passo dei Tre Faggi. The Casentino forests fully deserved their nickname, the sacred forest. Trees with incredibly tall trunks, the leaves and moss on either side of the forest tracks in stark contrast, the rays of sunlight that at times enhance the light, and the dense forest, at others, casting total shade. It's a shame that all this ends when you go down, but then there are our Romagna hills that we know well and the RT guys surprised us with a super smooth track and a combination of roads (some even unknown) and climbs up to 3 km from the finish.
This Trail deserves more than it gets, even more than others that are more famous and sell out because the route is beautiful and is perfectly in tune with those who love Trails.
In the end, we took home the planned 7,000 meters of elevation gain, a few more friends, and the knowledge that 3,000 meters of elevation gain in one day, with climbs littered with rocks and stones, must not be an obstacle to the new adventures that await us.
Performer: Luca Ferri
Photo: Luca Ferri, Romagna Trail
