Glacial immersion
An immersion in the glacial troughs of the Apennine
September 19, 2019
Should nature be a knowledge or rather a sensorial experience ?
I have to confess: I walked many tens of time through the glacial troughs of the Apennine. In the beginning I had a merely knowledge approach, a bit detached and cool-hearted; nevertheless, these valleys were there since tens of centuries, and refused speaking to me. Then, Ok, I knew what these rounded valleys were, but the sensorial part, the one making feel ourselves inside things, started coming to the surface. Gradually, almost as a miracle, I felt really immersed in these places, and started having different sight and better perception of them.
A few days ago, starting from Civago, I took a path going to a glacial trough where I had never been before, to pass della Volpe (1); I enjoyed this ascent very much so, since the weather was encouraging me, I descended along another path, from pass Vallestrina (2), then up again, through another U-shaped valley, to Passone (3).
From there I started watching the ridge in front of me, with plenty of other glacial circles (4, 5, as examples, but they were many more): small, bigger, of different generations.
I met horses (6), grazing on a glacial step; I tried to tell them of this fact, but they watched me somewhat puzzled… well, the sensorial part was definitely dominant for them.
Further on, I also realised to be walking along a tiny relict glacial step (7); but it was already a purely sensorial perception, simply a different ground shape on which I was walking. Looking up, I saw this forested valley on the sides of mount Giovarello (magnified in 8); it is more difficult to notice these valleys, when they are now coated with forest; but it came very easy to recognise its shape; from another point of view, I realised that this big circle in reality contained three smaller ones (9).
In another place along my way, I also saw a rhododendron (10) and thought about its definition of “glacial relict”. And he replied to me: “A relict is you!” This reply finally convinced me that it is better to leave space to the sensorial dimension, that is the only one progressively leading to a complete nature immersion, at the same level with all the other beings. But this require time, patience and a bit of knowledge, without overdoing.
Glacial immersion. Filippo D’Antuono. Piudimille.com. All rights reserve
![](http://www.piudimille.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/cichi-glaciali1.jpg)
1. The first glacial trough, between mont Ravino and Alpe di Vallestrina
![](http://www.piudimille.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/circhi-glaciali3.jpg)
3. The third trough, ascending to Passone
![](http://www.piudimille.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/circhi-glaciali5.jpg)
5. Another one, again along the same ridge
![](http://www.piudimille.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/circhi-glaciali8.jpg)
7. Walking along a tiny glacial step, with mount Giovarello in the background
![](http://www.piudimille.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/circhi-glaciali10.jpg)
9. That, indeed, contains three smaller troughs
![](http://www.piudimille.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/cichi-glaciali2.jpg)
2. The second trough, below pass Vallestrina
![](http://www.piudimille.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/circhi-glaciali4.jpg)
4. One of the troughs of the ridge between mount Prado and pass Bocca di Massa
![](http://www.piudimille.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/circhi-glaciali7.jpg)
&. Horses grazing on the glacial step of Alpe di Valelstrina
![](http://www.piudimille.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/circhi-glaciali9.jpg)
8. And here is the forested glacial trough of mount Giovarello
![](http://www.piudimille.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/circhi-glaciali11.jpg)
10. And finally the rhododendron