Discover my account of my three-day trek around Gran Sasso, the well-known Italian mountain that is the highest peak in the Apennines, in Abruzzo. Wild landscapes and vast, windswept grassy expanses await! One of the most memorable moments of the trek, in my opinion, was the view of Campo Imperatore, this immense alpine pasture perched at 1700m altitude: a landscape so unique that it's unforgettable.
We followed our own route, sometimes taking less-traveled paths. The GPX file can be quite inaccurate as it was drawn manually (not recorded on the ground). Both the start and end of the trek are accessible by bus from L'Aquila. We did the trek in early June, which was actually a bit early for the season: there were still many snow patches, and we didn't reach the summit of Gran Sasso because of the snow. That said, the snow-covered peaks made for spectacular photographs.
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As usual, we chose a tent for this Gran Sasso trek, offering maximum flexibility (I recommend the two-person tent from Decathlon(It's not too expensive and it's spacious). Wild camping is tolerated in most mountain areas of Italy, as long as you're far enough from civilization. And sleeping in the flowery alpine meadows of Abruzzo is enchanting!
Gran Sasso Trek, Day 1: From Arischia to the highlands
+ 1750 m / – 450 m 19km
We set off, fresh and laden, from the village of Arischia, after an early morning departure on the Flixbus from Rome. As we passed the houses, we chatted a bit with the locals. It became clear that hiking wasn't really part of the local culture: "Where are you going with those big bags?" "Towards Gran Sasso!" "To Gran Sasso? Just take the road!"
We climb quickly behind the village, along a wide path. The view opens up, revealing neighboring peaks, and in the distance, the Majella and the Sibillini mountains. It's June, but a cool breeze is blowing; it's not so hot at this altitude. A spring beside a stream (marked Nocicchia on the map) provides us with our first water supply.
We reach a first grassy plateau, which we cross. The path isn't well marked, and we generally prefer to head across the fields; the direction isn't difficult to follow. Once we've crossed the road, there's another steep climb. At the pass, a herd of free-roaming horses awaits us.
The landscape is still grassy, but you can feel that you're starting to enter a high mountain zone. The neighboring peaks are impressive, and you can see the first snows. We continue along a scenic path along the ridge.
We finally reach Pizzo di Camarda, the highest point of the day. We see the Gran Sasso, all white, in front of us; it's magnificent. I wasn't expecting such an alpine landscape in the Apennines!
We finally descended from the Sella delle Malecoste via a steep, rocky path. At the bottom, there was an ideal spot to pitch the tent: a few patches of grass nestled between stones and snowdrifts. A true high-mountain experience! However, the cold was intense at night; luckily I had my sleeping bag -5 degrees from Simond.
Day 2: The Pizzo d'Intermesoli
+ 1600 m / – 1700 m 16km
The wind blew in the morning, preventing us from sleeping because our tent was tossing around. So we set off early and crossed the Sella Falasca. A chamois watched us from afar on the way down. We made a short detour on the way back to the Venacquaro spring, as we were dry. To our right, the northern slope of the mountain was still well covered in snow.
We then climbed back up to reach the Sella Dei Grilli. From there, as it was now clear that we wouldn't be able to reach the summit of Gran Sasso due to the snow, we decided to opt for another nearby peak: the Pic d'Intermezzoli. The path was poorly marked and a bit steep in places, especially in the scree. But it didn't present any major difficulties.
From the summit, the view of Gran Sasso itself is breathtaking. Unfortunately, it's attracting clouds, so we don't see it as well as we did in the morning. We descend the scree slope and enjoy a well-deserved picnic at the pass.
We cross another valley, this time at the foot of the Gran Sasso. The feeling of solitude and high mountains is still just as intense; there's hardly anyone around. We have to cross a large snowfield to reach the Portella pass, which is fortunately not very steep.
We then follow a superb panoramic path to arrive at the Duca degli Abruzzi refugeUnfortunately, the refuge is closed, and we have no more water. We therefore have to go back down to the road to find a fountain.
After that, we set off again in the late afternoon, our legs a little tired from all the elevation gain. We headed towards Monte Aquila, passing right at the foot of Gran Sasso. The late afternoon light on the deserted mountain was breathtaking…
From Monte Aquila, we follow the ridge. A little snow at first makes us fear difficulties because the ridge is narrow, but eventually the path descends quickly and the snow disappears. Another vertical wall of the Gran Sasso appears before us in all its splendor as we progress.
Finally, exhausted, we arrive at a less steep spot where a small grassy plateau awaits us, frequented by a rather bold chamois. It's an ideal spot for our tent, with a majestic view over the entire Campo Imperatore.
Day 3: Campo Imperatore
+ 650 m / – 1550 m 18km
We set off under a glorious sun to cross the famous Campo Imperatore. The path zigzags across the flowery plain, with the stark, mineral peak of Gran Sasso in the background. This flat stage offers a chance to rest our legs after yesterday's climb.
But we quickly regain altitude along the hills overlooking the Campo Imperatore. It's once again very scenic and easy.
We reluctantly descended from our vantage point, leaving behind those sublime landscapes. The path followed a small stream, the heat increasing with each descent. We finally reached the road and then Fonte Cerreto, where a... awaited us. bus to return directly to L'Aquila. What wonderful memories!
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FR 
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