Trail 241 (Amandola): Rifugio Città di Amandola – Sella di Pizzo Acuto

The route of trail 241 from Amandola

At the hut there is a parking lot, a drinking water point and picnic tables. The climb begins steeply right away: in the first three kilometers the trail gains almost 570 m. After 350 meters, trail 242 to Garulla Superiore branches off to the right. Around km 2.5 the trail reaches the Casaletto Grascette, where trail 244 begins; a few dozen meters from the route are the Fonte Grascette spring and the Casale Grascette farmhouse.

The climb continues to Monte Castel Manardo, 1,917 m, at km 4.8. From here the ridge descends, taking in the Scoglio del Montone (1,864 m) and the Colle Bassete (1,832 m), down to Forcella Bassete, 1,701 m, at km 6.2. This loses more than 200 m, which must be regained right away: the last two kilometers climb back up to 1,980 m at the Sella di Pizzo Acuto, between Pizzo Acuto (2,035 m) and Pizzo Tre Vescovi (2,092 m).

Trail 241 (Amandola) technical details

The trail is the first part of the Park's E6 hiking route, "Al cospetto della Regina" (In the presence of the Queen): an 18 km loop with 1,490 m of elevation gain, 6 hours and 30 minutes, to be walked counterclockwise starting from Campolungo di Amandola. On the E6 the Park allows dogs only from the Rifugio Città di Amandola to the Casale Ara del Re: toward Pizzo Acuto and Pizzo Tre Vescovi they are not allowed, not even on a leash, and the ban also covers the last section of trail 241, from Forcella Bassete to the Sella di Pizzo Acuto. The Park grades the loop EE, for expert hikers, and describes it as long and demanding.

The Park also describes the landscape of the same route: first the wide grasslands of Monte Amandola, with views reaching the Adriatic Sea, then the view over the Valle dell'Ambro and the north face of Monte Priora, and finally the high-altitude grasslands of Monte Acuto and Pizzo Tre Vescovi.

Trail 241 (Amandola) map

Trail 274 reaches the Sella di Pizzo Acuto: in less than a kilometer it descends to the Rifugio del Fargno hut, or climbs to Pizzo Tre Vescovi. Hikers who prefer not to go over the summit of Castel Manardo can take trail 244, which from the Casaletto Grascette reaches Forcella Bassete on a lower line. Trail 228 and the Fuoriporta itinerary 5 also leave from the starting hut.

Points of interest along trail 241 (Amandola)

After the start, the only spring close to the route is the Fonte Grascette. The Fonte Gorga and the Fonte Bassete springs are about 300 m from the trail. The entire upper part is on open ridge.