Walk 4 Morrone di Pacentro and Monte Mileto
Walk 5 The Orfento valley
Walk 6 Caramanico and the Orfento gorge
Walk 7 Monte Amaro from Lama Biancha
Walk 8 Monte Amaro from La Maielletta
Walk 9 Monte Amaro from Fonte Romana
Walk 10 The Alento valley above Serramonacesca
Walk 11 Monte Porrara ridge
CORNO GRANDE AND CAMPO IMPERATORE
Walk 12 Monte Prena and Monte Camicia
Walk 13 Santo Stefano and Rocca Calascio
Walk 14 The west summit of Corno Grande
Walk 15 The east summit of Corno Grande
Walk 16 Campo Pericoli and Pizzo Cefalone
Walk 17 Monte Bolza ridge
Walk 18 Pietracamela and Prati di Tivo
Walk 19 Monte Corvo and the Val Chiarino
Walk 20 Monte di Mezzo circuit from Campotosto
Walk 21 Cima della Laghetta and Monte Gorzano
Walk 22 Villetta Barrea and Civitella Alfedena
Walk 23 The Val di Rose
Walk 24 Monte La Meta and the Mainarde crest
Walk 25 La Terratta
Walk 26 The Scanno town and lake loop
Walk 27 Serra del Campitello and Monte Godi
Walk 28 Monte Marsicano
Walk 29 Colli Alti and Bassi from Pescasseroli
SULMONA VALLEY AND MONTE GENZANA
Walk 30 Anversa degli Abruzzi and Castrovalva
Walk 31 Monte Mattone from Pettorano sul Gizio
Walk 32 Monte Genzana from Pettorano sul Gizio
Walk 33 A tour of the Valle del Gizio
THE SIRENTE-VELINO REGIONAL PARK
Walk 34 Monte Sirente
Walk 35 The Celano gorge via Fonte degli Innamorati
Walk 36 Monte Velino
Walk 37 Monte Ocre
Walk 38 Fontecchio and Pagliare di Tione
Walk 39 The Navelli plain
Walk 40 Monte Viglio
Appendix A Route summary table
Appendix B Further access information
Appendix C Italian–English glossary
Appendix D Useful contacts
Monte Prena from Vado di Feruccio (Walk 12)
Entering the open valley behind Monte Ocre (Walk 37)
Corno Grande group from Monte di Mezzo (Walks 20)
INTRODUCTION
Campo Imperatore from Sella di Monte Aquila (Walks 14 and 16)
It’s 7.30pm. You are standing on the tower of the isolated medieval castle, Rocca Calascio, set dramatically at 1500m on a narrow ridge in the heart of Abruzzo. Fading light is softening the seemingly endless ridges, peaks and valleys that lie in every direction; the silence is underlined by occasional barking from a hamlet below.
One other building stands nearby. The beautiful octagonal church of Madonna della Pietà is isolated against the dramatic south east face of Corno Grande, the apex of the Apennines, 16km to the north and 1500m higher still.
It’s early June. The day has been hot and sunny, although the hours on the trail were eased by a gentle breeze rising from the Adriatic. The air is still warm but it’s time for a light sweater.
This is the centre of the Gran Sasso National Park. The peak and west flank of Corno Grande blaze in the sinking sun while the steep, stark east wall has fallen into shadow. You think about yesterday, when you stood on that summit and fed sweetcorn kernels to the choughs. You felt that you could see from one side of Italy to the other, while all the mountains of Abruzzo were ranged around.
Now, slanting rays light up the ancient village of Carapelle Calvisio, lying on a lower ridge to the south. The forest has darkened, providing a fine background to the glowing tones of the beautiful old buildings.
The peace is extraordinary and the view immense. It is easy to understand why 10th-century barons chose this place to raise their
