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IN “PRATO AGABITO”
ABRUZZO REGION, PROVINCE AND L’AQUILA BOUNDARIES
THE SECRETS OF ABRUZZO
Between the town limits of Lucoli and Rocca di Cambio, in the mountain chain of the Velino-Sirente and in its Natural Regional Park
A great trail for trekkers, hikers, runners and mountain bike riders
PERIOD: MAY
DIFFICULTY TREKKERS: EASY
DIFFICULTY RUNNERS: DIFFICULT (*)
DIFFICULTY BIKERS: VERY DIFFICULT(**)
From the Aquila, without passing through the highway A2, going to Lucoli from State Road 584 to Casamaina afterwards direction for the mountain pass "La Crocetta" by passing the crossroad for the Old Mine, continuing on the right for the Chiesola pass. Shortly after it on the left a visible parking area on dirt ground we can leave the car.
Coming from the highway A24 (from Rome or from Teramo), take the exit at Tornimparte and direction Campo Felice. Before arriving at the Chiesola valley we find a parking area on our right, on dirt grounds, with a wooden sign marking the Pic-Nic area of Prato Agapito, also known as Prato Agabito and Prato Cabito.
Coming from west passing through the tunnel of Serralunga that connects the plain of Rocca di Cambio and, on the same road 696, the highway A25/E80 Torano-Pescara.
30 km from L'Aquila and 113 km from Rome.
Coordinates: lattitude Campo Felice Prato Capito 42°14′26.59″N 13°21′30.04″E
Altitude: 1608 metri s.l.m.
Population: 0 habitants
(*) The outbound stretch from the Campitello hut to out of the woods, in late spring and in summer, presents a vegetation that makes it difficult to find the path therefore the runner will not have a track that is easy to locate and follow. Only for this reason I defined the path difficult otherwise I would define it easy. If it wasn’t for this, the first stretch to the Campitello hut would even be suitable for low-level riders.
(**) About one kilometer before reaching the passageway leading to the lake, precisely the part of path that leads from the outbound stretch of the Campitello hut to out of the woods, late in spring and in summer, has a high vegetation that makes the path undetectable and therefore the mountain bikes have difficulty crossing the fields. Ideally, for non mountain bike experts, my advice is to end the trip at the Campitello hut and turn back. The more experienced bikers can try and force the last stretch, but I recommend doing it in the spring or fall. For this reason I have defined the path very difficult.
Start Point
Height 1615 m. o.s.l. parking area in beaten earth.
In the locality of Campo Felice, not far from the mountain pass with the name “La Crocetta” our destination is a place named Agabito Meadows, also known as Capito Meadows and Agapito Meadows .
There’s a parking area on one side of the state road n. 696, and from here, a short dirt trail that leads to "Prato Agabito", a slightly plain fully equipped picnic area which is immersed in nature.
With its wonderful panoramas, extensive pastures, and forest, in spring we have an explosion of colors, while in winter all the fields get covered with a white mantle of snow . Our excursion is in the month of May and our intentions are to cross the forest and reach the Abruzzo limits in order visit the surroundings of the Lake named “Lago della Duchessa” (Lake of the Duchess).
This territory has many trails and almost all of them are really great for trekking, running, and biking. Even in winter with cross country skiing, some trails are feasible.
This time the decision with our friends has been to trek along a trail, back and forth, for a total distance of 18,30 kilometers. Although this trail is great for runners, for bikers the last kilometer of the way outward is difficult and only for experts.
First Steps
After one last check on the equipment our first steps are in the direction of a dirt road on the left side of the locality sign, Agabito Meadow. On the way we discover a fully equipped area with some barbeques, benches, wooden tables and a water fontane. It’s perfect for picnics, so the next time we decide to come here it may not only be for trekking.
Easy to walk the trail leads us into the wonderful beech forest named “Bosco Cerasolo”. Once in it, nature’s brilliant and bold colors reach us from everywhere.
There are several trails in the forest that can be taken and we must be careful to follow the right one. Bringing along a Global Positioning System (GPS) can help if you’ve never been in this mountain place before. Even a map would also be a good idea. We brought along both because it’s always better to have alternatives in case of need. Any way the trail to follow is the largest one and the easiest, as you can see in the photo’s beneath.
Within a few minutes we enter in the Cerasolo forest where we discover its indecisive lord, the Beech tree.
1,10, 100 beech trees , many are secular years old and even more. Years ago woodcutters had provided all the regions needs of wood from this forest. We follow one scenery after another with an incredible variety of flora. Sometimes the woods open onto green meadows covered with wild flowers.
After about two hours of trekking we found the trail crossed out by big rocks. We suppose it’s the end and from now on it’ll be just a foot trail.
The first half of the trail has been the easiest part to cross, from the beginning to the mountain shelter“Rifugio del Campitello”, a series of continuous ups and downs for a little more than 7,2 kilometers, going from a height of 1575 m. over sea level (o.s.l.) to 1700 m. o.s.l..
From this point onwards the path is lost under the vegetation along the last part of the forest we must cross, but we keep trekking uphill a few meters from the bottom valley we have on our right and which gives us the direction.
After one and a half hours we decided to rest around the shelter for a few minutes.
Lasciando rifugio forestale del Campitello
Towards the Top
Afterwards while proceeding upwards and out of the forest, for another half of hour, we find the residues of a path and follow it towards the region limits of Abruzzo with Lazio. Our direction is the top of Cimata di Macchia Trista, at 2090 m. o.s.l. moving towards the last snow patches of the past winter.
We trek up through the bottom valley for about one Km., and for one more hour, leaving the mountain top “Uccettu” (height 2006 m. o.s.l.) back behind us.
At this point we reach, what we consider the only steep part of the trail. We move towards Cimata di Macchia Trista for about 800 meters, and then we cut the mountain side at the height of 1966 m. towards the lake. The new direction is taken transversely crossing the border line Abruzzo-Lazio is easier than the path leading directly to the Uccettu top (height 2006 m.). If it wasn’t so steep, with this shorter path it would certainly be an alternative for the view point we want to reach.
Lake of the Duchess
"Lago della Duchessa"
The Arrival
After another hour of trekking we see the “Lago della Duchessa” appear.
The Lake of the Duchess is of karstic origin, placed at a height of 1788m. o.s.l., is located in a glacial valley dominated by imposing summits (Monte Murolungo 2184m, Monte Morrone 2141m), and is one of the highest lakes in the central Apennines.
Apparently the environment seems disheartened and bruised, but the flora is well represented by the presence of plant species and communities. If lucky you have the chance to see very rare species.
We’re around a height of 1966 m. o.s.l. and in order to respect our schedule we decide to stop here.
After a fifteen minute pause, time to catch our breath and to eat a sandwich. After admiring the wonderful panorama, we begin our way back.
Return Trip
Essentially, the return is getting back on the same trail and having a second chance to enjoy even better the details of the surroundings that maybe haven’t been seen when trekking upwards.
In fact, we notice some wild herbs “olaci”, kind of spinach, that many nature seekers look for. They’re used in some of our region traditional recipes.
We noticed several edible mushrooms and not edible too.
Green meadows with wild flowers. Strawberry plants that made us foresee a lot of sweet strawberries in the next month of July when they will develop.
A little more than three hours and we got back to our car. A little tiered, but satisfied and happy. We have passed a day in the open air on the mountains, far from noise and everyday routines.
It took us a little more than seven hours of trekking for the whole trip including the pauses.
The route has been traced with Oruxmaps, a program for tracking paths android GPS application. www.oruxmaps.comand can be downloaded from our section reserved to our members.
*If you’re a member of our site don’t forget to download my free KML file and the specific file, reserved for the only members, on the excursion . You’ll be able to see the trail on Google Earth or your Garmin G.P.S. and android too.
For the moment everyone can also download the reserved for only members files, but it won't be for long..join in our FREE membership.
It is worth dealing with a little effort to bring home a great experience.
Giuseppe Libero
THE SECRETS OF ABRUZZO
UNDERNEATH ENJOY A SHORT PHOTO PRESENTATION THAT GIVES AN IDEA ON THE PATH AND THE NATURAL BEAUTIES OF ITS SURROUNDINGS.
