nononora

We're leaving tomorrow for several days of hiking, and I'm concerned that some of the trails are just too difficult for someone who is afraid of heights and being on the edge of the mountain - namely me.

Can anyone give me an idea of the most narrow/close to edge trails so I avoid them?

flpab

When you get there you pay to enter, talk to them there. When we went last May many trails were closed because of the mudslides so only the safe ones were open. I don't like heights but there were none that felt unsafe to me. Carry water.

nononora

Good idea - I'd forgotten that there's someone at the entrance. I'm with a group, but don't think I'll be the only one concerned.

It's almost certainly going to rain on us, so that might change things too.

Thanks./

flpab

Start in Monterosso and do the hike to Vernazza. That is the easy one and nothing to be afraid of imo.

bvlenci

Here is the up-to-date trail map.

http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/sentieri_parco.asp

The blue trails are the easiest, followed by green and yellow. The red trails are closed because of the danger of landslides.

Andrew

I disagree that the hike from Monterosso to Vernazza is the "easy one." It's not an incredibly difficult hike, either, but "easy" never crossed my mind while doing it. The one between Riomaggiore and Manarola - the famous "Via dell'Amore" - is the "easy" one but it may still be closed in 2014.

The "hikes" aren't all trails, either - there are a lot of steps up and down especially right at the towns. The terrain and scenery is very rewarding, though I'm not sure how it would be in the rain. I was lucky to have perfect weather on both of my visits to the Cinque Terre.

flpab

Andrew, I am 60 years old, it was a piece of cake. The steps make you have to stop and catch your breath but the views are so beautiful. The Rain will be another thing. I only found a couple of places slippery and that was because it was wet so if it is raining be careful. Many had walking sticks.

junebug0803

Was just looking for this myself- we're not going till October, but it looks like even then many of the trails will still be closed....

http://www.incinqueterre.com/en/trails-advice

mamcalice

We did the hike from Monterossa to Vernazza one day and hiked the rest of the way the following day. The first part of the hike is the most difficult and it gets easier as you go along. The trail is slippery when wet - we were a bit surprised at its poor condition. But in our 60s and fit if not rugged hikers, we did not find it especially hard to navigate. There are places where the path is narrow and near the edge of the hill but not scary.

kja

I was on the trail between Monterossa and Vernazza when it began raining. It was terrifying. The paths were narrow and slippery and frankly quite dangerous -- the rangers closed them shortly after I set out. I feel lucky to have made it to Vernazza in one piece. The views were stunning, though! I would definitely go again if I was reasonably confident that the trails would be dry. if they are likely to be wet, no way!

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nytraveler

For the interested, please note the following recommendations:

All those walking the trails need to be fit enough to easily complete the hike

All hikers need to wear footgear appropriate for hiking conditions (not keds or similar)