It is only a short stroll from the car
park to Lago Santo. One of the possible walks starting from this
lake leads to Monte Giovo, which looks like a huge flat-topped
wall towering above the lakeside. From below, it looks as if
once at the top it will be easy going, but in the mountains perspective
can play strange tricks. The climb up Monte Giovo starts with
path 529, which leads to Passo della Boccaia and then to Colle
Bruciata before joining path 00, leading straight to the summit.
The path is not too steep and there is plenty of time to enjoy
the surroundings; first the beeches standing in bilberries, then
a glacial valley strewn with boulders and smooth slabs of stone.
On clear days, there is a good view of the jagged outline of
the Apuan Alps. A cross marks the summit of Monte Giovo, which
is not a sharp peak but a kind of plateau which encourages the
hiker to walk on, catching glimpses of Lago Santo and Lago Baccio
as they gradually come into sight below. Shortly afterwards,
the path is interrupted by the sheer drop of Grotta Rosa, a descent
of just a few metres where walkers have to keep a tight grip on
the steel cable provided for their safety and try not to think
of the precipice below. We now discover that what looked like
a compact wall from the lake is actually a collection of rocky
peaks creating a succession of ascents and descents, often with
sheer cliffs below. Soon the path becomes easier, and we reach
the Passetto (a few hundred metres from the summit of Monte Rondinaio,
which offers an excellent view), where 523 can be taken to return
to Lago Santo, passing Lago Baccio on the way.
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