Taking it easy ... not.

Yesterday is backblipped.

Moving on today ... after a wander round Sulmona's excellent market to buy picnic materials, we set off to Pescasseroli via Scanno (where we stayed last year). We had time for a wander round town and in certain cases a spot of jewellery buying, before stopping at a pass for our picnic. The shopping had delayed things slightly so in Pecasseroli we had 15 minutes to drop luggage at the B&B, sort out rucksacks, and set off on a bear hunt with a local guide. The Marsican bears unique to Abruzzo have been so harassed by tourists this summer that you are now only allowed into that area of the park with a guide.


The walk was said to be an "easy" 1-2 hour hike, so I'd decided to risk it. This may not have been wise. The guide hadn't reckoned with me hobbling along at the back, so we didn't get quite as far as he'd intended. But after two hours we were at a good vantage point, where I was extremely glad to sit down. At that point I hardly cared about seeing any wildlife; I was too exhausted, and worried about getting back down in the dark. But we did see some bellowing stags on the skyline, and then, just as the light was failing, we saw a bear on the slope opposite! Yes, it was far away but the guide had a telescope and had also issued us with binoculars. The bear moseyed around for about 20 minutes so we had a good opportunity to watch before it got dark. Yes, I took some photos but my 150 mm lens was not long enough to do more than register its distant shape.


Then it was head torches on and down a path covered in loose, angular stones. I was pretty sure the surgeon would not approve. Everyone else set off at a cracking pace while I hobbled along so far behind that soon I couldn't even see their torches. But Lorenzo and S took turns to wait for me and signal any particular hazards such as fallen trees and deep muddy holes. It was exhausting, and for once the trip back seemed longer than the way up had been. On one of the rare occasions the rest of the group stopped to let us catch up, someone said "It's good that you're taking it easy." Taking it easy? I could have burst into tears. I was going faster than I was comfortable with, every step was painful, and I was in constant fear of turning my ankle on something.


Still, I made it back to the van intact, only yanking my achilles tendon in the last 100 metres. Thank goodness we'd seen some wildlife to make it worthwhile. Back to the B&B and it was Voltarene, ibuprofen, and bed for me.