Sibillini trail 222: Capotenna – Passo Cattivo

The route of Sibillini trail 222

Capotenna cannot be reached by car: it is the point where trail 221 ends, climbing from Rubbiano through the Gola dell'Infernaccio. At the start of trail 222 there is a drinking water point; the Sorgente del Tenna is about 200 meters away.

The climb is long but even, with no steep pitches: the gradient stays around 13-14 percent from start to finish, and there are no downhill sections. Halfway, at km 3, at about 1,550 m, the Casale Monte Berro farmhouse is less than 200 meters from the route. A kilometer higher the trail passes beside the Laghetto di Passo Cattivo, a small lake. In the last hundred meters the trail joins trail 257 and reaches the pass.

Trail 222 technical details

The Park's entire E9 route, "L'orrida gola dell'Infernaccio" (The fearsome Infernaccio gorge), from Rubbiano to Capotenna and the Passo Cattivo, is 14.9 km long with 1,680 m of elevation gain and takes 7 hours one way.

In 2026 the Comune di Montefortino reopened the lower part of the gorge, from the Valleria parking lot to the second junction for the Eremo di San Leonardo, with a mandatory helmet; the upper part, toward Capotenna, has remained closed. The other end, the Passo Cattivo, can instead be reached on trail 257.

Points of interest along trail 222

The Park describes the valley as one of the wildest environments in its territory: the route follows the river up to its source, through landscapes shaped by water. From the Passo Cattivo, it adds, it is possible to descend the other side toward Ussita, Castelsantangelo sul Nera or Visso.