Grande Anello dei Borghi Ascolani Stage 3: Ficocchia to Abetito

The route of Grande Anello dei Borghi Ascolani Stage 3

From the former holiday camp (colonia) at Ficocchia, a path heads down through dense woodland to the hamlet of Uscerno, in the municipality of Montegallo. After a small bridge over the Fluvione stream, a dirt track climbs toward the village of Meschia, in the municipality of Roccafluvione.

From Meschia the trail continues to the village of Abetito, in the municipality of Montegallo. The route includes a lunch stop before the final section. The stage is linear, not a loop, and is walked from Ficocchia toward Abetito.

If no beds are available in Abetito, it is possible to spend the night in Meschia. The walk's directions provide for this alternative when accommodation in Abetito is not available. The previous stage ends at Ficocchia and is described on the page for Grande Anello dei Borghi Ascolani stage 2. The next one, stage 4, starts again from Abetito.

Stage 3 technical data: Grande Anello dei Borghi Ascolani

The stage starts in Ficocchia and ends in Abetito. The length is about 11 km and the walking time is 4 hours. The elevation gain is over 500 m, while the descent is about 380 m. The highest point is around 850 m and the lowest around 440 m.

The difficulty is E on the CAI scale. The trail is numbered GABA3 and is managed by Le Marche Experience. The Grande Anello has signage along the way.

Map of Grande Anello dei Borghi Ascolani Stage 3

The track links Ficocchia and Abetito on a one-way route, with no return to the starting point. The elevation profile ranges between about 440 and 850 m. Along the way, in order, the route passes Uscerno, Meschia and Abetito. To follow the rest of the trek, the general page of the Grande Anello dei Borghi Ascolani is a useful reference.

Points of interest along Grande Anello dei Borghi Ascolani Stage 3

Uscerno. A small hamlet of Montegallo, surrounded by chestnut groves, with small caves and little waterfalls.

Meschia. The village is the most distinctive spot on the stage. Visitors immediately notice the large rounded sandstone boulders. Charcoal burning was a widespread trade in the village, and today there is a small museum dedicated to the charcoal burners. The boulders are glacial erratics, carried down the valley by ancient glaciers.

Abetito. It is one of the roughly twenty hamlets of the municipality of Montegallo and offers a spectacular view of Monte Vettore. Just before the entrance to the village, both Monte Vettore and Monte Sibilla come into view.

Also marked along the route are the church of San Pietro, a picnic area and two drinking water points. Checking the weather forecast before setting out is advisable.