Whether you are a mere “tourist” or an avid walker a hike in the Campo Imperatore/ Gran Sasso area is a must.
From Caporciano it is about 30 to 45 minutes by car, depending on where you choose to start. There are various options, with various levels of duration and difficulty, which you can find in any printed or online guidebook. We limit ourselves here to suggest a very brief selection, referring you to the CAI maps and various guidebooks for route details. On the way back, always better not to delay the start of the mountain walks, you can stop in one of the villages you encounter along the way, all very beautiful and each with its own characteristics: Santo Stefano di Sessanio with its Medicean tower, Calascio with its fortress, Castelvecchio Calvisio with its characteristic walled nucleus.
Three Lakes Ring
In about 35/40 minutes from Caporciano, through San Pio delle Camere, Calascio, Santo Stefano di Sessanio and, from there, going up the provincial road, we arrive at Rifugio Racollo, our starting point for this walk . The route, easy, on comfortable terrain, extends for 13 km with only 400 meters of elevation gain, but allows for fantastic views of the plateau. Shortly after the start, we pass the ruins of the Cistercian grange of Santa Maria del Monte, a medieval outpost of sheep farming. On the way back we suggest a restorative break at Rifugio Racollo. In the summertime, reservations are recommended to eat a full meal, but you can always buy excellent sandwiches from them, especially the prosciutto, pecorino and “giro d’olio” ones.
Pericoli Field Ring
Another easy and scenic route, this time at the foot, or rather better to say “on the flanks” of the Gran Sasso itself. From Caporciano by car, in about 50 minutes you arrive at the hotel of Campo Imperatore, terminal also of the cable car that arrives from L’Aquila. From here, elevation 2130 meters, proceed to the left of the Observatory and climb up through some hairpin bends, at the end of which you go to the right and towards the slopes of the Passo di Monte Portella (2260 meters). You continue to the Sella di Monte Aquila saddle, at about 2330 meters. You then descend to the right crossing Campo Pericoli. This is a glacial basin around 2100 meters. At the first fork you go left arriving at Rifugio Garibaldi, 2231 meters, the oldest on the entire Gran Sasso, built in 1886 (12 beds and 8 in a small room). Then descend again to the 2156 meters of Passo del Lupo, cross the southern slope of Monte Portella to return to Campo Imperatore.
The total route is about 9.5 km with about 600 meters of elevation gain.
The Brancastello Ridge
This is one of the most interesting and scenic trails on the Gran Sasso. From the trail you can admire the pyramid of the Corno Grande that rises with extraordinary grandeur above the Valle dell’Inferno. The trail includes a steep climb but is always elementary. The starting point is reached from a left turn (1800 m) of the paved road to the Campo Imperatore hotel, where a dirt road, recognizable by the old picnic tables at the beginning, branches off to the right and climbs halfway up the hillside to Vado di Corno. On foot follow the dirt road, which bends to the right and gives way to a path indicated by trail markers 106 and 6. A comfortable ascent leads to Vado di Corno (1924 m), cut by a service road to the Tunnel ventilation tunnel construction site, which passes vertically (evidence of the impact of the work even on the surface) The trail climbs and continues on the rocky and spectacular ridge line, avoiding a landslide and reaching another saddle. The path, which splits into several tracks, climbs a grassy jump of the ridge, traverses to the right and reaches a plateau (2118 m), in front of the clearly recognizable Pizzo San Gabriele. On the Isola side the stazzo of Rigo Rosso can be seen. Edelweiss begin to appear here. You pass a second steep section, and come out into a sloping basin. Go around a grass and gravel knoll, leave the little path to Pizzo on the left (2210 m), and continue in the direction of Monte Brancastello.
Total duration about 4/5 hours for 11 km in length and 700 meters in elevation gain.
- Rifugio Racollo
Location Lake Racollo, 67020 Santo Stefano di Sessanio AQ
Phone: 328 164 9396
Location 42.39853015874543, 13.656831456717306 - Il Palazzo Locanda and Residence
Via Gabriele D’Annunzio, 13, 67020 Santo Stefano di Sessanio AQ
Phone: 328 161 5128
