****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
This guide book gave excellent details for the two hikes I did, which was all very thorough and useful. However, there were two serious errors. One of these (the second) is a significant danger, which is why i mark the book down to three stars -- barring this grievous mistake, the book warrants 5 stars.The first error is understandable, and presents no great harm. For the Tuscan Hill Crest hike, the instructions are incorrect at the point after Torracia di Chiusi (p 206), where the text incorrectly reads "Veer right on the other side by a pylon and branch out on an overgrown grassy track through an olive grove." You have to veer *left* about 5-10 feet before you reach the pylon; you do not turn right on the far side of the pylon. (Past the pylon you pick up the Via Francigena trail, which one has just left at this point). This is an obvious mistake which was a confusion & bother. It took about 30 minutes to figure out the right way, after going the wrong way. The directions after the olive grove were very detailed and helpful (as i found throughout the guide), which allowed me to confirm I was back on track.The second error is more serious. The book says the Promontorio di Portofino circuit (pg 64) is a "moderate" trail. While the trail is moderate from Camogli to the Batterie, after that point the circuit is an expert trail. There are large signs at the beginning and end of the trail which warn the trail is of "high difficulty", and only for "expert" hikers. I think if you have a trail where there is a significant part that is expert, the trail cannot reasonably be called "moderate". The expert trail constitutes the majority of the Promontorio circuit. This is noted only passingly on the map as a "hazardous path area". The text gives only this: "Conglomerate cliffs now rise above the track, and the walk gets tougher with five or six exposed sections that offer a wire cable fixed to the rock as hand support (not suitable for children or those unsure of foot)". The trail is certainly far more than "exposed", and "tougher"; it is expert. The description rather understates the cliffs passing here, where you are walking on the extremely steep edge of a cliff, with only a few feet between you & a precipitous fall directly into the cliff-side and the sea below. It is safe with the cable chains, but there ought to be warnings; those with vertigo are at significant risk. The danger is multiplied by the length of the cliffs passage, which can be very tiring. At the end of my hike, I saw a rescue helicopter picking someone up off the cliffs. Also, proper hiking footwear (i was okay in running shoes, but this is the absolute minimum) is absolutely required here, and this was not clearly explained.Also, the time given for completing the Promontorio trail was seriously aggressive, given the difficulty of the cliffs passage. The Tuscan Hill Crest took me about as long as was specified; but the Promontorio circuit took at least an hour or two longer. Also, there is one spot on the Promontorio trail that is poorly marked and easily lost -- this is shortly after you have finished the cliffs passages, and right before you enter the last part of the trail before San Fruttuoso.
