"I hadn’t climbed a hill in weeks so today I took myself up Monte Circeo (750 from Torre Paola then descending via the Direttissima), something special to break the bad spell. Why is Monte Circeo so special? At 540m it is certainly not the highest of peaks in the Lazio region, that title is claimed by Monte Gorzano far to the north. Nor does it compare favourably in that respect to the Volsci mountains, which lie closer. There Monte Semprevisa towers majestically in comparison, at 1536m. In part, in this dissimilitude lies Monte Circeo’s appeal. It stands alone, some 20km from anything remotely resembling a hillock, and its mass rises improbably, seemingly out of the sea like some coastal Uluru. It is connected to the land, but by a low plain segmented by saltwater lakes, and tessellations of commercial greenhouses and solar farms which shimmer at the slightest provocation from the sun. From almost anywhere in this region, this craggy promontory, whose obstruction no doubt plays no small part in preventing the flat area that were once the Pontine Marshes from being fully swamped by the sea, is what the eye is drawn to. And the closer one gets to it, the more its delicate and frag..." — vygodski • Apr 29, 2021

"It might seem surprising that this peak, being a promontory surrounded by sea at all sides except to the North, so visible from so far and wide, has not been climbed more. But the reason for it becomes clear, when the most direct path is for the most part a scramble in exposed and precipitous terrain. The path up (marked as Sentiero 1) to the anti summit of punto dell' Istria has a more or less sheer drop to the left, the subsequent climb to the summit of Monte Circe has an even higher sheer drop to the right. The single path (well-marked with red/ red and white / and yellow paint) takes you on a twisting descent to the saddle and ascent along this ridge. A wrong turn in an idle moment, will take you over the edge. The walk is mentioned in several guidebooks so it might seem like a saunter. I would not attempt it in poor light, wind or rain. Warnings aside. (Did I say it was dangerous and scary?) It is a spectacular experience. This mountain is the stuff of legend, look up Circe in an encyclopedia, it offers views of the whole of the Lepini, the Ausoni and Aurunci mountains as well as the Pontine islands. On a very clear day the view should be exceptional. " — vygodski • Jan 1, 2017