Fields and pastures in San Rocco di Tretto, and views over the Scledense valley amidst gentle slopes that reveal the landscape of yesteryears: a journey to discover a territory that until a short time ago was not only admired but also lived in. The walk, 4.8 kilometers long, can be completed in about two hours. With its elevation gain of only 120 meters, it is particularly suitable for families with children, and often frequented by those out for a stroll with their dogs.
The starting point is marked by a sign that reads "Sr1", right next to the church of San Rocco, near which there are parking lots where you can leave your car. As you climb the road towards Colletto, you encounter the only challenging slope of the walk, which however lasts less than ten meters. After following a path along the mountainside, the vision of the bright meadows appears.
A few minutes later, you pass Contrà Gilerte; you continue towards Mount Summano, as indicated by the sign "Sr1", along the paved road surrounded by the grasslands of San Rocco. Just before the "Il Maggiociondolo" farmhouse, there is, to the left of the municipal road, a small refreshment area with benches, tables, and an old fountain with a bowl for water placed nearby, from which four-legged friends can, if necessary, quench their thirst. Moving forward, you take a fairly wide dirt road, bordered by two rustic wooden fences; along the way, you encounter other farm animals such as donkeys, goats, and even horses. The path, which becomes wider as it passes through the meadows, suggests that until a few decades ago it was also crossed by carts and livestock and was walked daily by the inhabitants of Tretto. This vast grassy area, called "Sacche," is characterized by the presence of large beech trees that are bordered on the left. Then the path narrows and returns into the thick of the forest, bare in winter; the trail remains mostly flat and easy to walk on, due to the absence of rocks, stones (often slippery in the mountains), and pebbles. If you are with your dog, you must pay attention to the barbed fences for grazing animals that border one side of the trail.
This part is evocative because occasionally you may come across an abandoned object: such as an old chair leaning against the trunk of a tree, or a sort of hut with a roof where a romantic picnic was probably organized during the summer.
A few steps later, you find yourself again amidst the meadows: this time the path is delimited by a medium-height stone wall, in ruins, formed by large boulders stacked next to each other.
Another sign that the territory was inhabited for a long time, when man and nature lived together in harmony. Finally, always following the signs of the "Sr1" sign, precise and clear and placed regularly at intervals, you arrive, via the paved road, at Contrada Sostere, from where you can admire the panorama of Tretto and observe more closely the ancient stone washhouses, the still functioning fountains, and the typical mountain dwellings.
Four-legged friends, moreover, can play or quench their thirst with the water that flows from a tap placed alongside the road, in a small ditch, now dry due to drought.
After Contrada Sostere, continue towards Contrada Ferracini; here the path, before entering the dense forest, widens until it almost blends in with the surrounding environment.
Along the path, inside the woods coming from the clearing, you will encounter the stones mentioned earlier, now even more imposing and disordered in their arrangement. At their feet, many trees with slender trunks have grown, but they soar for many meters towards the sky. This is the most panoramic stretch, which runs along the mountainside and from which you slowly descend along a slightly steep descent that leads back to the main square of San Rocco and the church, as well as the starting point.
(GdV, domenica 18 febbraio)