The sketch maps in this guidebook should suffice for shorter walks below the tree line, but you should take the recommended sheet map as well. You should definitely take a sheet map for routes that visit peaks, ridges and open mountainside.
The recommended map for each walk is given here and also in the information box at the start of each route. A lesser alternative is given in brackets (it might not, for example, cover the whole route).
Maps can be difficult to obtain, especially outside of the region. In Sulmona, try Susilibri on Via Panfilo Manzara or the tourist information office in the Annunziata on Corso Ovidio; in L’Aquila, try Agnelli on Corso Principe Umberto; or, near Pescara, the bookshop in the Abruzzo Centre shopping mall. Tourist information offices and park visitor centres often keep a small selection, and maps may also be found in bars, restaurants and newspaper kiosks. Keep an eye out! Maps 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11 and 12 can be bought online at www.edizioniillupo.it. Other suppliers include Standfords (www.stanfords.co.uk) and The Map Shop (www.themapshop.co.uk) – both of which are based in the UK but deliver by post worldwide.
ViewRanger is an online route mapping service for walkers and cyclists. Its mapping of Abruzzo is good and can be accessed via an app on a GPS-enabled smartphone when you are out and about. It can be considered a good backup to the paper map. You can create an account at https://my.viewranger.com.
Using this guide
The 40 walks in this guide are for people who want to experience the beauty, and perhaps the challenges, of a quiet and remote part of the European upland. The routes, all of which have a grade for difficulty, vary from gentle strolls to serious expeditions in the mountains. Most start and finish in a village with a bar and shop.
About a quarter are easy-going – a half day or a relaxed full day, generally suitable for young and old alike. Averaging 7.5km in length, with modest amounts of up and down, they visit woods, gorges, lakes, hill tops and old villages.
Another quarter or so are of moderate difficulty – a full but straightforward day and not too taxing; suitable for occasional but fit walkers. Averaging 16km in length, with climbs and descents (some big but simple), they visit forests, mountainsides and some summits (one over 2000m!).
The rest, however, are long walks and mountain treks for those who enjoy a full day out. Usually about 17km in length, they involve a good climb (average 1300m), often on open mountainsides and along ridges. They visit 34 peaks over 2000m, including 11 of the region’s 18 summits over 2500m. They also visit the three highest points in the Apennines. A few have one or two moves of easy scrambling and a distinct alpine feel, including one (Walk 15) that involves a section of via ferrata, for which appropriate equipment is required. Others stay lower, crossing plains and passing through woods and villages. Almost all can be shortened according to time, energy, weather and personal preference.
The route descriptions all start with a box that provides information about the walk – GPS coordinates for the start point, the likely walking time (not including rests), difficulty, distance, high and low points, total ascent and descent (often a lot more than the difference between the low and high points). Difficulty is graded as 1, 2 or 3 (1 is a straightforward wander that may involve a climb; 2 is suitable for a fit walker with reasonable experience of the hills; and 3 is for those comfortable with mountain conditions, exposure, physical demands and route finding). Several of the grade 3 walks can be made grade 2 – see route descriptions for more details. The information box also includes advice on reaching the start point, where to park and which sheet map covers the route. Additional access information is given in Appendix B.
A general flavour of the walk is provided by way of an introduction, and this is followed by a detailed route description. To aid navigation, the route description shows in bold places along the way that also appear on the sketch map.
GPX tracks
GPX tracks for the routes in this guidebook are available to download free at www.cicerone.co.uk/978/GPX. A GPS device is an excellent aid to navigation, but you should also carry a map and compass and know how to use them. GPX files are provided in good faith, but neither the author nor the publisher accepts responsibility for their accuracy.
Advice for the trail
Weather
Summer, even in the mountains, is usually hot, with midday temperatures commonly in the mid-30s (°C). A lot of walks are exposed to the sun, wind and possible afternoon thunderstorms. Be prepared. A weather forecast for every village in Abruzzo can be obtained from the ‘Meteo’ section of La Repubblica newspaper (www.repubblica.it). It is in Italian, but the symbols and numbers are self-explanatory.
Managing the heat
Carry all your water for the day. Springs and fountains are often dry in summer. For the bigger climbs and longest routes you’ll need three litres on a warm day. Keep the sun off your head. Really hot days are best avoided or made manageable with a very early start. Daybreak is a special time to begin an ascent – with a little night chill still in the air.
What to take
Take insect repellent – flies sometimes fill the sheltered, vegetated valleys. They rarely bite but can be persistently irritating. Repellent around your hat brim will