Descending from the Apennines to the sea of the Ligurian Riviera

Yes, because she is my faithful companion, always present in my biking adventures, loyal and reliable to the point that I’ve given her a woman’s name.

The destination? The sea! However, with a lot of calm, in stages along less crowded roads, without traffic jams, toll stations, air conditioning, and parking desperation.

I depart from Bobbio (PC) early in the morning, and after a while, I leave Val Trebbia to venture into Val d’Aveto entering Liguria. Spectacular landscapes alternate with great effort. The first stop is Rezzoaglio (GE) for some delicious focaccia, the only stop after the first 46km. I take my time to gather the necessary strength to conquer the Bozale Pass at 965 metres above sea level; I then descend rapidly towards Lavagna for 25km of pure pleasure, not too fast though as the morning rain makes the risk of falls rather high, and the first kilometers have quite a slope. All the fatigue accumulated in the previous hours disappears, sweat dries up, the grimace of exhaustion turns into a huge smile as I see the valley opening up before my eyes. A stop to take a couple of photos, fill my eyes, and then I calmly continue the descent towards my destination: the sea!

Finally, after about 5 hours, I arrive in Lavagna and can enjoy a refreshing swim. I would go into the sea directly with the bike if it wouldn’t ruin it, but I care too much for it, so I lock it to a railing and head down to the beach, change, and dive into the water. It’s pure bliss.

If you wish, you can also do the reverse route, Lavagna-Rezzoaglio and back (67km), but it’s quite tough and demanding, and I recommend it for experienced cyclists.

Nicola Guazzone (biker)