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.