Marcellina - Monte Gennaro - Palombara Sabina

I did this trail cross-villages, starting in one town and ending in another. It's a great route, as it can be done with the Cotral buses.

I took the metro at 06:00 to Ponte Mammolo station, where I caught the Cotral bus to Marcellina, which leaves at 07:00. I arrived in Marcellina at around 08:00, had a coffee and started the trail.

First you start walking up the streets of Marcellina until you reach the start of the trail. On this part, I strongly recommend wearing a long-sleeved shirt and long pants, as the vegetation is somewhat closed in and the plants have many thorns that can hurt you.

In this part of the trail, the path may seem deserted and in closed forest, but don't be afraid, as it is always well marked.

The point of greatest difficulty is an old gate that closes off the trail (I believe so that cattle doesn't escape). This gate is old and the wood is very fragile and it is locked and won't open. There were three options: jump the gate and risk breaking the wood, take the road with the cars and gain a few more kilometers on the trail or go underneath, through the gaps in the gate. I chose the last option because I'm thin, but someone overweight couldn't do it.

When you reach the end of this path, you end up on a paved road and must go to the left, because at the end of this road is the begin of the trail to Monte Gennaro.

The path in this part is very beautiful, there are several cows along the way, but they are afraid of humans and run away when they hear you are nearby. There's no reason to be afraid.

On this whole part of the trail I only met one person, until I reached the plateau (at the church). There, as well as beautiful landscapes, I met other people doing the route.

When I reached Monte Gennaro, I took a short lunch break (15 minutes) and continued towards Palombara (walking around the tower).

The descent from Palombara is easier than the descent from Marcellina, but the landscape is more monotonous, always the same well marked path and the same trees.

The path is completely well marked and the trail is well frequented, the part of the trail in Palombara is more visited, you see families and groups.

On the plateau before Monte Gennaro the trail signalization can get a bit confusing, so pay attention to the map or look on the ground for pyramids made of stone, this is the sign that you're following a trail, but check the map to see if it's the trail you want.

Likewise, when you are almost on the top, in more deserted areas, the marking is made on stones painted red or stacked like pyramids or even red ribbons on plants.

I strongly recommend:
- Long pants and a long-sleeved blouse
- Trekking poles
- Hiking shoes
- Sunscreen and insect repellent
- 2 liters of water per person
- Food for 6 hours on the trail
- A light jacket, as it gets a bit cold at the top of the mountain because of he wind, even on summer days

The trail is well marked, well frequented and safe, so it is possible to do it alone. I did it alone. In this case, take plenty of safety measures!

If you have any questions, you can ask in the comments and I'll answer them.