On Foot

In Mugello it is possible to walk for days along small roads, paths, mule tracks among still uncontaminated environments.
The Mugello Apennines do not promise the heights of the Alps but silent and fascinating landscapes: the tall beech forests near the ridges, the centuries-old fruit-bearing chestnut groves, the unexpected and very fresh streams, the meadows where roe deer and fallow deer often graze, the old drying houses, the ancient hermitages located at the top of distant valleys.

Walking in Mugello at a slow pace allows the traveler to discover an unknown flower, a butterfly with particular colors, a plant of monumental dimensions.
It allows you to hear the voices of the forest, to listen to the sound of your own footsteps and… free your mind from daily stress, Immerse yourself in a real “forest bath” where in a real meditative experience, you can free yourself from the stresses of everyday life accompanied by the sounds of nature, the rhythm of your breathing, the sound of your footsteps, with immediate benefits on our psychophysical well-being.

There are many proposals for hiking enthusiasts: more than thirty are the itineraries of the SO.F.T. hiking system (Sorgenti di Firenze Trekking) which partly follows the famous G.E.A. (Grande Escursione Appenninica), many are the paths of the R.E.T. (Rete Escursionistica Toscana), recommended is frequenting the paths of the Monte Giovi Cultural Park, the Casentinesi Forests and Monte Falterona National Park or the now popular Via degli Dei, other Paths that insist on our territory, or trail networks organized by individual Municipalities.

The paths are all more or less easy, without particular risks for walkers, even if in some cases caution is a must given their exposure to cliffs. Water sources are not always very frequent, and on itineraries where you will not pass through inhabited centers of a certain size for hours if not days, it is a good idea to equip yourself with supplies of water and food and basic necessities. By carefully consulting the maps, the site or the web app to orient yourself among the paths that are well marked by the CAI, but which require attention, as well as as for road and urban routes it is still good to use our maps.

Some suggestions of material not to forget when preparing your walking experience, also given the variability of the weather and the great differences if you tackle these routes at times, each with its own beauty and peculiarities, periods of the year:

• The backpack must be of good quality; it must have a nylon structure, have a spacer that avoids direct contact with the back. It must be well balanced and not too wide. It is better if it has ample adjustment possibilities. It must have a capacity of between 60 and 70 litres and must be either waterproof or equipped with a rain cover. Its contents must not exceed 10 kg!
• The feet of the walkers are essential. You must opt ​​for trekking shoes, light, flexible, making sure they are breathable: the foot must be perfectly dry. They must, however, be equipped with a Vibram sole or similar materials and must be equipped with a "shock absorbing" undersole. It is advisable that they are waterproof, equipped with a Gore-Tex membrane. They must also support the ankles well.
• We recommend using seamless socks, in heavy cotton or in new technological fabrics, which allow you to "extract" sweat, leaving the foot always dry. They also dry very quickly. Socks must be washed every day, otherwise the colonies of bacteria that nestle there promote maceration of the skin of the foot and the formation of the dreaded blisters.
• In autumn and winter, given the strong wind at high altitudes, we recommend taking a technical item: a mountain jacket, in Gore-Tex, without padding. The nights and mornings are beaten by the wind, at 800, 900 meters of altitude, they are particularly cold. The light wind jacket is worn in the morning and is kept for several kilometers. We also recommend a good quality cape, large enough to include the backpack, it can avoid the traveler the famous "depression" of the improvident pilgrim. I recommend taking an "aluminized" cape, capable of being transformed into an effective "thermal" cover (able to prevent the dispersion of body heat), particularly useful in the cold seasons.
• For those who want to use shelters or bivouacs, an ideal sleeping bag must weigh between 500 and 700 grams. It must be padded enough to allow the body to be warmed at temperatures of around 5°. It must be compact and equipped with a "compression bag": a container, that is, capable of reducing its volume to a minimum through special straps. This bag should be waterproof.
• A wooden pilgrim's stick or some chopsticks can help. Honestly, it is very useful. It also helps if you encounter animals or dogs to keep them away, as well as to help you on small fords that you can find on some paths. Incredibly, this secondary piece of clothing takes on a strategic role in the "walk".
• Canvas trousers: excellent for walking and "decorous" for visiting, in the evening, the places and events of Mugello.
• A water bottle, preferably thermal, to get water from the sources, almost all safe along the routes or to be filled in advance in the villages or in the structures at the start. Especially in summer, when you go on paths without villages, at least 2 liters. Water autonomy is recommended.

Other recommended items in the backpack:

• multipurpose penknife
• 3 cotton t-shirts or those made of certain technical materials that allow them to dry in a few hours
• good rubber sandals (which also work very well as slippers)
• clothe pegs to hang them out to dry
• garbage bags (not rustling, excellent for isolating the various compartments of the backpack and for storing dirty laundry or still damp clothes)
• toilet paper
• a beauty case containing: 1 Marseille soap (multipurpose), razor (if necessary), toothpaste, toothbrush, comb, shower gel, finger and toenail clippers, deodorant, multipurpose scissors
• flashlight (essential for pre-dawn departures, or if you are late on the trail, especially in seasons with shorter days)
• cell phone with charger
• sunglasses (preferably shockproof)

TIPS FOR PREPARING YOUR BACKPACK

The backpack should weigh no more than 9/10 kg for those weighing up to 60 kg and no more than 11/12 kg for those weighing up to 80 kg. Breaking this golden rule can lead to a violent increase in blisters and the appearance of painful tendinitis. It is advisable to follow the following steps to prepare your backpack:

• make a detailed list of what you need;
• arrange the material in waterproof bags;
• weigh everything;
• realize with apprehension that you are "going over" 30 - 40% of the set weight;
• leave at home the many useless things that you would like to bring (also because Mugello is well supplied with everything and therefore certain things can be purchased on site or daily).

REMEMBER TO BRING:

• Health card
• Identity card
• The Orme del Mugello Credential
• ATM or part of the money in cash if you need to stock up on supplies even at small shops in the village even if almost all of them now have a POS.