Vallombrosa Trail #1

Nice tour to discover the Vallombrosa Nature Reserve starting from Saltino (small mountain hamlet in the municipality of Reggello that still enjoys a small tourist flow in the summer months-avoid weekends). From the Saltino parking lot we continue on the main road toward Vallombrosa, skirting the forest and a beautiful meadow until we reach the Abbey. Past it we continue briefly, still on a paved road (Località Casetta) until - on the right - we find a road that climbs and enters the forest (there is a bar). This beautiful forest is the main way to undertake the Metato route, along the road in fact there is a small building (Metato) once used to dry chestnuts, continuing you can admire the Giants of Italy, the tallest trees in Italy (Douglas fir). Once past Bivacco il Soglio, the road becomes slightly more difficult, some technical rips and greater inclines to cross CAI path 00 that takes us to Secchieta passing by Croce Vecchia.

The trail from Croce Vecchia has an average gradient of 20% (the asphalt road can be a nice alternative anyway) and is usually preferable downhill (although the original trail is difficult to follow), in any case once we get back on the asphalt road instead of following the 00, we descend on asphalt and then take a trail (not too visible on the left) called the White Deer. Nice path with little slope, but solitamento percoso downhill (pay attention, narrow and exposed), after a couple of very technical tears we reach the Secchieta Refuge (crushed and very good cakes).

After a stop at the refuge (recommended) we continue on trail 00, a dirt road, toward the wind turbines and then follow trail R4 near Poggio della Risala - short but very fun trail - to Capanna delle Guardie, a nice bivouac with views of Valdarno and Chianti. From here things get more difficult, we take CAI 14 (here called Malpasso) a trail with exposed stretches and a series of quite technical points to go down but also up, in fact the trail first goes down and then up again until it rejoins CAI12 (Macinaia), from here we continue with CAI13 (Bocca di Lupo) that we luckily abandon when it becomes a big road to take CAI12A, first part in the woods in some places difficult to follow with steep stretches and narrow passages between the trees, second part more easy that allows you to let go of brakes. To return to Saltino it is possible to take CAI 13 again or as in the uploaded trace take the Macinaia forest road, CAI12.