Area: Gran Sasso, Italy
After something of an enforced rest day yesterday, marooned in Casale St Nicola (where we did a 7k trot into the untrodden woodland to the west directly below the main face of Corno Grande in very hot weather), we checked out and headed up to Campo Imperatore, well over an hour away but only a few miles as the crow flies. It is an extraordinary landscape, famously reminiscent of Tibet or Mongolia, an undulating treeless plateau, devoid of water. Extraordinary display of wild flowers, prime time of year. We parked below the top and headed up to Vado di Corno, a tiny col of vivid white limestone. In theory we could have got here from Casale but it would have taken four hours rather than 20 minutes! That's the nature of the range. From here, a superb 5km ridge unfolds towards Brancastello, a mouth-watering prospect. In fact, the whole outing, although short, was hugely enjoyable. Initially, a narrow path goes just below the crest before moving onto it around Rigo Rosso. From here, the climb kicks up and Brancastello looks very like a Ross-shire Munro. It is never particularly arduous however, and I was up in around 90 minutes with Steve just behind. A big snowfield fringed the summit of bright white rock. The weather was much hazier now, lacking the clarity of Tuesday, but the views along the rest of the ridge to Monte Prena were excellent and it would have been nice to have continued (but the location of the car prevented that!). In front, Corno Grande and the Portella ridge, with the Abruzzi hut visible. We took in the side peak of Pizzo San Gabriele on the return, and at the end of the spur looked directly down to our hotel in Casale St Nicola almost 2000m below, with the motorway snaking down to Pescara. I trotted back to Vado di Corno, light jogging at times, supremely enjoyable. After an espresso at Campo Imperatore we drove two hours straight down to the baking 35c heat and manic driving of Roman suburbia.
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