Pizzo di Camarda: a return to the Apennines

April in the Apennines is a time of transition. In the winter there are metres of powder snow, and climbing a mountain is hard work as you try to break a trail through. Although we have experienced enough snow in July for crampons, that was a bit freakish. In summer there is usually no snow at all and the Apennine peaks become a feast for hill walkers.

But we were going to be there in April and that provided some uncertainty. By the end of May in the central Apennines, most of the snow would...