They call them “red blades”, but they could safely appear in a Far West film set, perhaps next to John Wayne who rides at dawn under a sky that promises a storm. But no. We are in Italy, in the Marche, in the heart of the Monti Sibillini National Park, above Lake Fiastra. You don’t need a passport, nor a water supply to cross the desert: a pair of comfortable shoes, a pinch of curiosity and a free half day are enough.
A scenario from western films, a stone’s throw from home
The name could deceive it, let’s face it. The term “red blades” evokes swords, knives, battles, perhaps something sharp blood soaked in blood. In reality, the word “blade” takes on a meaning of its own: in the local dialect indicates a steep and crumbly wall, a mountain that seems to liquefy and collapse in the sun, leaving its rust -colored soul discovered. That red, that ancient rose, are the result of a slow, inexorable dance between rock, wind, rain and time, while the rock formations that meet along the path are nothing but stratifications of gravel, clay and limited, carved by atmospheric agents as gigantic natural cathedrals.
To see them closely, they seem to be carved by hand, perhaps by a distracted artist who left his incomplete work. Pinnacles, Guglie, Torrioni: a motionless, but vibrant world, which transmits something ancient and at the same time out of time, which is right there, within reach of boots.
How to get there: between the lake, the dam and the Lecceta
The starting point of the most common excursion is the Dam of Lake Fiastra. Just leave the car to the parking lot, cross the dam on foot and start climbing. At the beginning you walk on a quite wide and in good condition dirt road, then the path enters a holm oak forest, a welcome relief in the hottest hours.
The route is about 7 kilometers long, between round trip, with a difference in height of 200 meters. Translated: suitable for almost all, including children. It only needs a little desire to walk and some pause here and there to resume breath – also because, let’s face it, the view is worth every single step.
Alternatively, you can start from the Belvedere della Ruffella, passing through the hamlet of Fiegni. A path perhaps less beaten, but equally suggestive, which will be able to give beautiful views of the lake and the Valle del Fiastrone.
The final surprise: a Martian canyon among the Sibillini
After about an hour of walking, the landscape suddenly changes. The vegetation thinks out, the path opens, and a red canyon opens in front of the eyes that is not expected, as if nature had decided to play the illusionist: a moment before you are in a humid and shady forest, the moment later you find yourself on Mars, or in Arizona. Or maybe in a dream.
The red blades appear like this, almost from nothing. The form is typical of calanchaive morphologies, the result of the erosion of sediments filed millions of years ago. But there is something more, an imperfect, almost fragile beauty, which changes color with the light of the day: at dawn they seem golden, in the afternoon they are tinged with rust, at sunset they become ancient pink, for a show that really leaves you speechless.
Viva nature: between holm oaks, roses canine and Apennine wolves
There is not only rock in this enchanted corner of the Marche, given that we are in the Sibillini Park, a place where biodiversity is the master.
Along the way we can meet a very varied flora, among oaks, carpini, wild flowers and, with a little luck, some shy mushroom that springs between the dry leaves.
Without forgetting the fauna. We could meet a squirrel that looks at us curiously from a branch, find a hedgehog with a natural discretion (he will show up in the most unlikely hours), and stalk an impatrice that leaves the tracks well imprinted in the earth. And if luck should assist us – in addition to a good view – we could even spot a pilgrim hawk or a real owl to twisted over the blades.
Definitely rarer, but not impossible, the meetings with the Apennine wolf and the mysterious wild cat.
Are you ready to know the secret life of the mountain?
Because it is worth going there (even if you are not types of excursions)
Because the red blades are a real surprise. They are not sponsored as they should, they do not fill the social networks with a pleat of glossy photos and influencer stories. Yet, once you get to the top, you can easily feel part of something, like an admission to an exclusive club, of those without a card but with an open heart.
There are no climber equipment, not even the physical fitness of a trail runner. Just slow down, observe, let yourself be amazed, and maybe bring a sandwich into the backpack to eat it sitting in front of that red wall, which seems alive and pulsating like an ancient heart.
A dispassionate advice
Try to go to the soon, or in the middle of the week, because in summer and on weekends the path is filled with families, Sunday hikers, school groups on a trip and so on. Nothing bad, let’s be understood, but to truly savor the magic of the place, to hear the sound of the wind between the spiers and the silence of the canyon that breathes, you need a little peace.
And maybe, in the event that you still remain useful time, you could consider the idea of going down to Lake Fiastra for a dip, a picnic or simply to relax with your feet in the water. Because, let’s face it, here the beauty never ends.
The red blades are not arizona.
They are much more: a small Italian geological miracle, one of those places that will make you exclaim “But are we really still in Italy?”.
Oh yes, we are. And thank goodness.
