Monte Aquila from Campo Imperatore

Nice easy tour, excellent to do with your girlfriend who is afraid of the mountains

The starting point of our tour was the parking lot at the mountain station of the Gran Sasso cable car (2130 m) at Campo Imperatore. Here we laced up our hiking boots and backpacks and headed past the observatory to the left. We followed the path to a fork, where we followed the sign for Sella di Monte Aquila. Arrived on the Sella di Monte Aquila (2335 m) we followed the signpost to the Corno Grande Direttissima and hiked comfortably downhill between blooming meadows. Further on, over a gravel field, the path climbed steeply to the saddle. Here we went over the ridge to the summit of Monte Aquila (2498 m) and enjoyed what was the highest picnic for us with a fantastic view, at least to the east. The clouds were just moving over the mountains from the west, which blocked our view, but offered a beautiful natural spectacle. The descent led us back to the Sella di Monte Aquila. Here we followed the signpost to the Rifugio Duca degli Abruzzi, a small managed hut. We first followed the path along the saddle. We ran first to the right, after a stony ascent to the left below the ridge and at the end over the ridge to the hut (2388 m). Here we again enjoyed the view to the fullest before we descended along the trail following the serpentines to the starting point.

A highly suggestive trek immersed in an area of rare beauty. Definitely one of the most beautiful treks in Italy and beyond! Walking at the foot of Corno Grande means fully enjoying an uncontaminated territory within the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park. During the trek you first reach the top of Monte Aquila at almost 2,500 m, and then enjoy a well-deserved stop at the famous Rifugio Duca degli Abruzzi. Explore the tour on https://eorapedala.it/trekking-gran-sasso/

We leave behind the 35 degrees of Civitavecchia with 80% humidity, heading towards Gran Sasso. We arrive at Campo Imperatore and the music already changes, 19/20 degrees and a strong wind from the west decree the awakening of our poor carcasses. I could not resist the unstoppable desire to cross the still snow-covered passages despite the relentless heat. It was primordial pleasure The rest speaks for itself On the way back the temperature suddenly drops to 11 degrees and a violent hailstorm, which also slightly damaged our car, unexpectedly catches us “at the exit of a tunnel”. As the good Claudio says “at the exit of a tunnel” you don’t always find the sun. Enjoy the show 🤜🤛✌️🙏👋🔜🇮🇹 🏔️