I started a couple of turns before the small town of Torcigliano at 5:10 a.m. and never paused the watch until arriving in Vinca, 17h22m later.
I ran the first half alone. I touched Monte Prana as the sun touched the sea, then passed Monte Matanna and Monte Nona, running alongside Monte Forato. At Foce di Valli a wildfire slowed me down and made me stop to assess the situation, while the day was also getting hotter. Once it was safe to continue and the firefighters had started working to put out the fire, I began the ascent and climbed Pania della Croce via Vallone dell'Inferno, choosing it over the Spigolo Est as the less technical option.
Descending to Lago di Isola Santa, I met my crew - Edoardo, Maria, Matteo and Vincenzo - who ran with me to the lake. There I took a long break (without stopping the clock) to cool down, eat, and resupply on water and food. From the lake I climbed to Monte Sumbra with Edoardo and Vincenzo - a long climb, with water available only at Capanne di Creggine, 1–2 km in. The heat was becoming intense by this point.
We descended again to Passo Sella, where Vincenzo turned back. Edo and I, we did the last climb to Monte Tambura (water available just before Passo Tambura, on the left) and followed the ridge down, passing through the marble quarries - a striking and unsettling sight - before descending to Rifugio Orto di Donna. There, Edoardo and I met Maria and Matteo again, who brought us water and apricots. From there, it was a slow descent to Vinca, arriving full of gratitude and tiredness.
I lost the trail briefly twice: once in the network of woodland tracks around Torcigliano, and again in Vinca while looking for the final endpoint.
The traverse is spectacular, wild, and intense - not runnable in most sections, and physically demanding, especially on such a hot day. Three liters of water were not enough to cover the first half, which was actually the coolest part of the route.
A beautiful, long day crossing mountains that deserve to be protected and recognized for their beauty and ecological value - and a privilege to have shared it with friends.
Apuane Libere!
M