Sibillini trail 101: Forca di Presta – Monte Vettore

The route of trail 101 to Monte Vettore

Forca di Presta can be reached by car or by bus. The trail, clearly marked on the ground, climbs at first just below the ridge. At around 1,920 m, near a saddle, it passes the cross commemorating Tito Zilioli, a mountaineer from Ascoli who died at that spot during a snowstorm.

After the cross the trail climbs to Monte Vettoretto (2,052 m), a modest summit, 2.8 km from the start. From here the trail cuts diagonally across the steep slope below Cima di Prato Pulito, on slippery scree, and reaches the Sella delle Ciàole saddle, at about 2,240 m, where the Rifugio Tito Zilioli hut stands.

From the hut the trail bends right, to the northeast, and climbs quickly to the summit: the last kilometer or so gains more than 230 m.

Sibillini trail 101 technical details

The Rifugio Zilioli, 1 hour and 45 minutes from Forca di Presta, was rebuilt by the Ascoli Piceno section after the 2016 earthquake and inaugurated on August 1, 2021. It has an emergency room that is always open and a locked room that can be booked only by a CAI member. It has no running water or toilets.

The recommended seasons are summer and fall: in late spring there may still be patches of hard snow.

For the Park, trail 101 is the first half of the E15 hiking route, "Vita dura, in alta quota" (A hard life, at high altitude), which descends from the summit to Santa Maria in Pantano on trail 131: 11.8 km, 1,100 m of elevation gain, 5 hours one way, graded EE. The Park lists it as a maintained trail.

Points of interest along trail 101

There is no water along the trail: the Fonte delle Ciàole spring is more than 200 m from the route. From the summit all the other peaks of the Sibillini can be seen, as well as those of the Laga, the Gran Sasso and the Monti Gemelli.

From the Rifugio Zilioli a variant descends to the Lago di Pilato: it is graded EE, with grade I scrambling passages at the "Roccette", and adds about 3 km and 300 m of elevation gain for the round trip. The section was closed after the 2016 earthquakes and the 2017 avalanches and is not marked: the Park recognizes as historic trails to the lake only those climbing from Foce. Before attempting it, check its current status.