Hiking in Piedmont ... with a serious side of Hedonism
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Hiking is a hot topic these days with many
high-profile celebs hitting the hills to
de-stress. There are plenty of operators out there offering self-guided or
group walking holidays, based on pre-booked accommodation with luggage
transportation between hotels. For something different though, I tried out an
escorted tour with a small group specialist operator, Hedonistic Hiking who,
as the name might imply, aim to take hiking to a different level.
As you might imagine, hedonism - 'the pursuit
of pleasure' - does not of course come cheap. The price may well initially raise
an eyebrow but what makes this different is the all-inclusive nature of the
holiday. From the moment the group meets, literally everything is included:
the guided hiking of course, plus boutique hotel accommodation, transport, all
meals (and not just any old meal, but more of that later), fine wines, all entrance
fees, wine tastings, even coffee stops, the occasional ice-cream and protein
snacks out on the hikes.
Each group numbers no more than 16,
transported in two minibuses, and is personally guided by either one or both of
the co-owners, an Anglo/Australian couple, Jackie and Mick Parsons. Splitting
their time between Australia in the winter and Italy in the summer, Jackie and
Mick both come from an activity holiday background and decided to launch their
own venture in 2007. They've not looked back since and, even though their tours
are now a sell-out early every year, admirably they have no ambitions to scale
up - for them, it’s all about sharing their passion for Italy and the
opportunities it gives for guided, gourmet hiking.
I joined one of Jackie's groups on a
'Jewels of Piedmont' tour. This was one of the first itineraries they came up
with when they started and remains one of the most popular. Based in two
delightful boutique hotels, the first part of the week is based in Saluzzo for easy
access to the foothills of the Alps and on day 4 (our day off walking) we
transferred to the hilltop town of La Morra, from where we could survey the
surrounding Langhe Valley where we were to hike through vineyards and hazelnut
groves. The tours are deliberately labelled hiking rather than walking. This
particular tour was grade 2 (they go up to grade 5) and most days were
relatively easy 8-12km routes, but it did also include a more challenging day
hiking in the foothills of Monviso. It’s not the distance but the elevation
that creates the challenge (especially for a hill-allergic hiker like myself).
That said though, our group took it on with gusto and, with Jackie's support
and encouragement, not only conquered it but got an enormous sense of satisfaction
from doing so. She told us afterwards that particular day's hike was more a
level 4 - the difference on a grade 4 tour though being you would be taking on
the elevation challenge every day!
One of the joys of hiking is that it gives
you plenty of time to think - and if you are need of thought inspiration,
Hedonistic have that covered too. All of the hikes were punctuated with stops
to places of interest along the way. The region is awash with churches and
castles with amazing frescoes, abbeys and small museums - Jackie provides all
the necessary the context and historical background. It could be overload were
it not for her light touch and ability to assess the group mood (she responded
admirably to any rebellious cries of 'not another church!').
People who go on these tours are pretty
serious walkers, but they are perhaps even more serious gastronomes. In order
to enjoy the holiday to the full you really need to love both in equal measure
and have an appreciation not just for food and wine, but also its provenance
and quality.
Jackie and Mick research and plan all the
walking routes themselves but they also do the same with the boutique hotels
that they use, the restaurants and wineries. Everything is organised down to
the smallest detail. For our restaurant meals in the evenings, we are always
given a set menu - but it was a menu that had been personally selected by the
team, ensuring not only the opportunity to try the wide variety of local
speciality ingredients and dishes but also to provide balance and avoid
repetition. The same went for the paired wines we were served with each course.
Whether we were eating in a local Osteria, a mountain refuge or Michelin Star
restaurants, the quality of the food, wines, service and welcome throughout
were simply outstanding.
Helping out on every tour there is also a
'culinary host' - on our tour it was the lovely Cinzia, a native Piedmontese
(now living in the UK and running a Italian cheese shop in Heathfield, East Sussex).
She takes time out every year to join the Piedmont tour and brings her
encyclopaedic knowledge of the region's food and wine with her. At every meal,
Cinzia would give us a detailed explanation of what we were about to eat... and
drink.
But Cinzia's real moment of glory came at
lunchtimes as preparer of the celebrated Hedonistic Hiking picnics. No soggy
sandwiches for us, no sirree. I am not sure there can be anything nicer after a
morning's hot hike than to be greeted by the sight of a splendid picnic table
set up in a shady spot, heaving with delicious-looking cured meats, cheeses,
breads and salads prepared from the best ingredients at the morning's market or
freshly picked from the hotel's own veggie garden. Sweet treats, tarts and fruit
would follow, and all washed down with a choice of wines, beers and soft
drinks. Hell, they even provided us with picnic stools and mats to sit on. The
attention to detail was really quite staggering.
Hiking, chatting, sightseeing, dining and
drinking together over the course of the week our eclectic little group - a mix
of Australians, Americans and Brits ranging in age from 40 to 78 - all got to
know each other and happily, all gelled. It took a few days for everyone to
settle in but, in tune with the pace of the hiking, gradually the different
life experiences, trials and tribulations, personalities and comedic traits
emerged. It was only 7 days but, by the end, there was a true sense of
camaraderie. At our final night dinner (aptly, in a Michelin star restaurant in
a magnificent castle) speeches were made, emotions laid bare, enduring
friendships promised and even some tears shed. Maybe it was the hiking, maybe
it was the hedonism - either way this particular 'pursuit of pleasure' was an
absolute joy.
Cathy was a guest of Hedonistic Hiking on
their Jewels of Piedmont tour, June 2018. Next available date is 23-30 October
2019, priced at 2,895 Euros pp (excluding flights to Turin). For details of this
and other itineraries, visit www.hedonistichiking.com
Silver Travel Advisor recommends Hedonistic
Hiking
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Thanks for a great article and film on Hedonistic walking in Piedmont, Cathy.
Mountains, Italian food and wine, hiking, camaraderie.....what a perfect combination of ingredients for a holiday.