Too hot to walk Tuscany to rome part in August?

[Ambma]

Dear all, I am planning on walking from Aulla to Rome next August on the vf, I work in primary schools and the only time I can do it is over this time but I am worried it might be too hot to walk as an Italian friend of mine looked doubtful when I told him I was going to do it and said it was so hot at that time of year, is it doable? I really hope so. I have done camino 2 times (frances and norte) and walked a lot...I can handle a bit of heat but not sure about if its too extreme. Any advice will be SO much appreciated, thanks so much in advance.

Also has anyone got any other ideas for other less hot walks at this time? (if you think vf not a good idea)

Anne Marie : )

 

[Stripey Socks]

I walked from Great Saint Bernard Pass to Rome last year - starting out on 8 August. Yes, it was VERY hot with little relief at night in the ostellos if they didn't have a fan etc. Some days I started walking at 430am to avoid the worst of the heat and even at that time of day it was 22-25C. It is doable if you don't mind early starts and carry lots of water. There are few fountains along the way and I found many, many cafes/bars closed for the holidays...

 

[JabbaPapa]

It very probably would have been too hot in 2019 -- but there's an extremely hot year like this only about once every 10 years or so, from cyclical behaviour of the Saharan anticyclone, so next year should be better.

I walked to Rome in August 2000, which was a normal year, and yes it can get pretty hot -- low to mid 30s in the shade, close to 50°C out in the sun was the highest temperature I saw. I felt that the Latium was actually hotter than Tuscany though, but it may just have been that year's weather that made it seem like that ...

 

[andycohn]

To give you an objective idea: Average daytime high in Siena (in Tuscany) in mid-August is 87 degrees fahrenheit. In Leon, in the middle of the Meseta, it is 79. (Source: weatherspark.com).

Plus to beat the heat, you’re going to have to get up way earlier, since Italy is far to the east in the same time zone. Sunrise in Siena on 8/15 is 6:19 AM. Sunrise in Leon on the same day is 7:29.

With respect to other walks during the summer, you’ll find a lot cooler weather and a whole web of fantastic national trails in England and Scotland. We’ve walked the Cotswold Way (105 miles) the Coast to Coast (190 miles) and part of the West Highland Way in Scotland. All are wonderfully scenic with good infrastructure. The only problem is you need to line up your accommodations, whether hostels or bnb’s, well in advance, as there are lots of walkers relative to the amount of accommodations.

There’s also some good hiking in Norway, but I don't have personal experience.

 

[intrepidtraveler]

If you decide to go for it, a trekking umbrella or an umbrella hat might be a worthwhile investment.

 

[Ambma]

Thanks so much everyone, judging by your responses I think it might be too hot, I might try to go for less time in Easter holiday instead - 2 weeks in April?...and then thats an excellent idea about uk walking...I will start to do some research...

Is it me or is it hard to find another camino frances experience? ...I am always looking to repeat that first hit : )

Happy walking everyone!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Thanks so much everyone, judging by your responses I think it might be too hot, I might try to go for less time in Easter holiday instead - 2 weeks in April?...and then thats an excellent idea about uk walking...I will start to do some research...

Is it me or is it hard to find another camino frances experience? ...I am always looking to repeat that first hit : )

Happy walking everyone!

Nothing is quite like the Frances imo for "the whole meal deal", but the Portuguese starting in Porto would be my best guess for a somewhat similar experience. I am comparing it with the Norte, Primitivo, and Le Puy, which are beautiful, but not quite the same as the Frances.