Day 2 - Pieve Santo Stefano to Pian Della Campanna

The guide was clear for this day. The official "stage" is a 35km hike across a mountain to Sansepolcro. That seemed a bit hard-core for day 2, before I had got my walking legs, so I opted to do a 17km hike instead to Pian della Campanna, a refugio on the top of a mountain. So the day started with getting supplies at the Gala Superstore on the edge of twon.

Two routes are offered. A longer, gentler winding road route or a mountainous, steeper but shorter route. It had to be the more picturesque option and indeed at the start it was.

After the first ascent

Lake Montedoglio in the distance

I discovered today that my fitness wasn't great. Parts of the morning climb were more of a scramble up steep rocky stream beds rather than paths. Ok, but my rucksack wasn't quite settled into my back yet.

Not suitable for cars...

I decided to skip the visit to the Hermitage Cerbaiolo as to do so meant losing elevation but actually in retrospect that was a bad call. Both options required a steep climb and came to the same point - Bar L'Alpe.

It was a Sunday and full of bikers - clearly the empty winding road was a favourite of the local bikers to go hurtling along. I wasn't surprised to see the local carabinieri were also there to ensure things didn't get out of hand.

Whatever, it was a great place to stop and have a bite to eat and a beer. The staff were very friendly and food came out quickly.

Mind the bikes...

I met a nice Czech guy who was on his first camino and was even carrying a book about St Francis in his rucksack. Nice to meet someone not obsessed with shaving grams off his carrying weight.

At Bar L'Alpe there are again two options. There is a short official route over a mountain which the guidebook advised against. There is a 4km longer road route as well. Given the presence of so many bikers I reckoned that the moutnain route was probably safer so I went for it. Another steep climb and then, a route that just seemed to be insane - a slippy, ascent up to the top of the hill. I found a new alternative that took one through quiet woodland and which obviously post-dated my guidebook.

The final challenge

After this however, the track started to go downhill. After a couple of hours one reached Pian della Campanna where I joined five other pilgrims. Pian della Campanna was a proper refugio with a couple who worked there for the season acting as hosts. The chef was great and the communal meal in the evening was memorable for the laughter and the food. Margot the dog had made it there and enjoyed some surreptitious feeding from the table.