Before describing the meaning of the degree of difficulty indicated for each excursion we want to provide some useful suggestions to understand which route is best suited to your preparation.

It is necessary to premise that the attribution of the degree of difficulty to a track is not only based on the technical difficulty of the same but also on the physical skills required to be able to carry out the excursion in a serene and pleasant way. Without wanting to overestimate or underestimate the physical preparation of everyone, we believe that participation in our proposals must be a pleasant experience, an opportunity in which to appreciate the naturalistic and landscape peculiarities of our itineraries without sustaining a physical effort greater than one's training. Our goal is to gratify you in body and mind with the right activity. With this we do not want to say that you will not have the opportunity to sweat or experience normal fatigue facing an uphill stretch maybe even a little challenging.

We want to remember that an expert hiking or hiking level preparation is not invented because it involves the practice of mountain trails for several hours on irregular and sometimes impervious ground. We can not know your attitudes a priori and therefore it is therefore up to those who decide to participate in an excursion to compare their skills with those required by the track and with the equipment at their disposal. Below we provide you with some indications on the meaning of the symbolism used, which resumes, as regards the degree of difficulty, the official one proposed by the CAI (Italian Alpine Club). In case of doubt, we invite you to contact the guide responsible for the excursion directly to get the necessary clarifications.

It should be remembered that we usually move in groups and that therefore the inadequate preparation of the individual, as well as being dangerous for himself, can spoil the day for the other participants due to an early return or a change in the track.

That said, the following definitions are given:

Difference in height: unless otherwise indicated, indicates the uphill section;

Travel time: generally indicates only the ascent time; For loops and crossings, the total time of the excursion is reported. It is calculated on the pace of a hiker with an average workout corresponding to the coverage of a difference in altitude equal to 350-400 meters per hour or 4 kilometers flat.

Degree of difficulty:

• T = tourist: Itineraries on roads, mule tracks or wide paths, with not long routes, well evident and that do not pose uncertainties or orientation problems. They usually take place under 2000 meters, have a maximum difference in height of 400-500 meters and their route has a maximum duration of 2 – 3 hours of walking. They require some knowledge of the mountain environment and physical preparation for walking.
• E = hiking. – Itineraries that take place on paths of all kinds, or on evident traces of passage in various terrain (pastures, debris, stony ground), usually with signals. They sometimes develop on open ground, without paths, but not problematic, always with adequate signposts. They can take place on steep slopes, where, however, exposed sections are usually protected or secured (cables). They can have single passages, or short stretches on rock, not exposed, not tiring or demanding, thanks to the presence of equipment (ladders, pegs, cables) which, however, do not require the use of specific equipment (harness, carabiners, etc.). They require a certain sense of direction, as well as some experience and knowledge of the alpine environment, walking training, as well as appropriate footwear and equipment. They make up the vast majority of hiking trails in the Italian mountains.
• EE  = per escursionisti esperti. – Si tratta di itinerari generalmente segnalati, ma che implicano la capacità di muoversi su terreni particolari. Sentieri o tracce su terreno impervio (pendii ripidi e/o scivolosi di erba, o misti di rocce e di erba, o di roccia e detriti). Terreno vario, a quote relativamente elevate (pietraie, brevi nevai non ripidi, pendii aperti senza punti di riferimento, ecc). Tratti rocciosi, con lievi difficoltà tecniche (percorsi attrezzati, vie ferrate fra quelle di minore impegno). Rimangono invece esclusi i percorsi su ghiacciai, anche se pianeggianti e/o all’apparenza senza crepacci (perché il loro attraversamento richiederebbe l’uso della corda e della picozza, nonché la conoscenza delle relative manovre di assicurazione). Necessitano di esperienza di montagna in generale e buona conoscenza dell’ambiente alpino, passo sicuro e assenza di vertigini; equipaggiamento, attrezzatura e preparazione fisica adeguate.

The preparation of the "equipment" before an excursion is a particularly important moment for the success of a trip or to make it more enjoyable. It is usual to think that for "walks" or outings in the mountains of a day it is not necessary to bring anything special with you but that it is enough to wear a pair of sneakers or trekking shoes to reach any destination. In participating in an excursion it can happen to get caught up in enthusiasm underestimating some aspects and overestimating one's abilities. As for the skills and the degree of difficulty of a route, please refer to the appropriate section, while we want to focus here on issues related to the preparation of the equipment.

For those who usually face mountain trails, with journeys that last several hours or days, the following may be trivial (even if a review of already known concepts never hurts); For those who approach this "experience" for the first time or are a bit rusty, it may be useful to proceed with the reading. This brief note certainly does not want to be an excerpt of a mountaineering manual in which notions, techniques and equipment for climbing peaks or slopes are reported but only provide some useful suggestions to be suitably prepared to face an environment, that of the mountain, which is different from the urban and home one and therefore requires a little preparation and modest equipment to be able to fully enjoy it.  For example, mention has been made of footwear aspects; To face the proposed excursions it is necessary to have a comfortable mountain or trekking boot, in good condition and possibly impermeable to water.

The adjective convenient may be obvious but unfortunately our experience in the field shows that nothing is so obvious and obvious. Using shoes that have not been worn for a long time or even new can create serious difficulties already in the very first moments of an excursion. Blisters and small cuts can occur even after a few minutes, making it almost impossible to continue the journey. It is therefore advisable to use a boot "already tested in the field recently"; For new footwear, try first for small stretches or short walks in order to check their ergonomics.

It is also necessary to check the state of wear of the shoe because using comfortable footwear that has been worn "forever" but which have now lost their functional characteristics can even be dangerous. For example, a boot that has the grip (commonly called tank) completely worn, does not guarantee good grip with the ground and can cause falls even with serious consequences. A quick check of the shoes will make you aware of the state of seams, strings, loops, insole etc. Finally, it is advisable to have a shoe capable of having a certain degree of impermeability in order to avoid that, crossing a meadow with wet grass (perhaps at the beginning of the journey), the boot gets soaked, consequently moistening the foot. For those who do not have them or need to change them, there are different types of boots on the market with extremely varied characteristics and costs; You can equip yourself with a good product even without spending large amounts. It is advisable to contact a specialized store where professionals in the sector will be able to show you the shoe that best suits your needs.

Obviously, clothing is also an important aspect to make the excursion more enjoyable. It is recommended to use comfortable clothing that does not impede or hinder movements and that avoids rubbing on the body, possibly of breathable material. Obviously the type of clothing to choose depends not only on the season in which the excursion takes place but also on the altitude that is expected to reach and obviously on the expected weather conditions. The advice in any case is to dress in "onion" in order to lighten or weigh down your coverage depending on the situation. For example, it could happen that even on a day a bit "cold" after a few minutes of walking, with the heating, you may feel the need to take off some garments or to cover yourself with an additional jacket or windstopper as a breeze grows. It is difficult to indicate a basic clothing for an excursion also because it depends a lot on the perception of the temperature of each one, but in any case inside the backpack there must be a windstopper jacket (literally wind stop) of different weight depending on the season. Windstopper and a garment to cover in case of rain (k-way or poncho) must always be present in the backpack whatever the expected weather forecast also because, especially in the mountains and in the summer season, thunderstorms can occur unexpectedly; It may also be useful to bring a folding umbrella with you (avoid those with an iron tip of which it is not recommended in any case the use in the presence of thunderstorms with lightning especially at high altitude).

We then came to the preparation of the backpack; It is obvious that the capacity and its content are variable depending on the type of route and the duration of the same (a few hours or more days). In order not to weigh down the reading, we want to dwell here on providing some useful indications for backpack preparation for excursions that take place over a day even if they can also be valid for the others and referring to the specifications indicated in the cards of the individual trekking for the preparation of the backpack for multi-day trips. The backpack is a personal effect that every participant in the excursion should wear and inside which all the personal equipment to be used in case of need must be placed  Personal because, even if you move in a group, the needs that may arise in facing a long or short journey can be different from person to person and everyone must be aware of the equipment they have. Experience has taught us that the preparation of a backpack belonging to two or more people often leads to a lack of essential equipment and you get to hear the usual phrase "... I thought you had put it in your backpack."

You do not want to be too strict but it is evident that if you forget for example sunscreen or sunglasses on a high-altitude excursion on a sunny day in the middle of summer, the consequences can be extremely serious both for personal safety as well as potentially ruining the day for the other participants in the group (due to an early return or a reduction of the route).

For the one-day excursion, the size of the backpack must be approximately between 30 and 40 liters, taking care to equip yourself with a comfortable model, with padded backrest and shoulder straps and ventilation structure to sweat less. It is good to remember that there are specific models for men, women and children and most quality backpacks allow the adjustment of the backrest according to your size while others are adjustable according to the height of the hiker. The adjustment must be performed with the backpack loaded and modified also on the basis of the clothing you plan to wear (eg winter jacket or summer t-shirt). It should also be remembered that, for greater comfort, it is necessary to pay particular attention to the correct distribution of loads not only on the shoulders but also in the lumbar band.

Inside, in addition to the equipment mentioned above (waterproof cape, windstopper jacket, sunglasses and sunscreen) should find place: a water reserve (water bottle or thermos) with variable capacity depending on the availability of water present during the route, a cap for sun protection and / or a wool hat to protect yourself from the cold, windbreaker (depending on expected temperatures), gloves, paper tissues, rain backpack covers, a sweet snack, packed lunch if provided.

We also recommend the following accessories: telescopic poles, binoculars, camera, headlamp (for night excursions), spare undershirt, first aid kit, emergency thermal sheet, multipurpose knife and notebook for notes.

For any doubts or concerns about the equipment needed for an excursion, do not hesitate to contact the tour manager who will give you all the necessary information.

1 . The realization of organized trips is subject to the presence of one or more Environmental Hiking Guides. The guide is the logistical organizer and the person responsible for the smooth running of the scheduled activity.

2 . Participants in the trips are covered by liability insurance from the moment of meeting until the end of the trip.

3 . Participation in the outings requires the collaborative acceptance of the guide's directives and the commitment to remain united with the group for the entire duration of the trip.

4 . Each participant in the trip undertakes not to leave waste of any kind in the rest areas or along the way.

5 . All those who intend to participate in a trip are required to personally evaluate the opportunity to register taking into account their physical / technical preparation and any foreseeable difficulties to be faced. The elements of evaluation are, from time to time, provided by the organizers of the specific trips.

6 . Personal equipment (clothing and any equipment) must be adapted to the technical and environmental characteristics of each trip.

7 . The organizers have the right not to accept participation in the trips of those who are deemed unsuitable. This lack of fitness may depend on the evaluation of training, equipment, experience or any other element deemed important for the proper conduct of the trip.

8. Paths other than those established by the organisation shall not be followed unless explicitly authorised.

9 . The guide has the unilateral right to change the destination or cancel the itinerary of the trip if environmental and / or meteorological conditions do not ensure the safety conditions of the same.

10 . Any minors must be accompanied by a guarantor and responsible person, or the compilation and acceptance of a release signed by the parents will be required.

11 . In case of renunciation of the continuation of the activity, by a participant, the entire amount paid will be withheld

12 . Reservations are required and accepted until the day indicated in each excursion.

13 . The reservation is considered valid at the time of payment of the deposit, according to the times and methods described for each trip.