Walk 32. Pania di Corfino, 1602m

The rock wall in Orecchiella Nature Preserve

Rifugio Isera - Pania di Corfino - Sella di Campanaia - Rifugio Isera

Starting point: The rest area in front of the Rifugio Isera, 1209m, above Corfino.
Access: From Castelnuovo di Garfagnana in the direction of Castiglione/Modena, after 2km (after a tight curve in a secondary trench) go left toward Corfino. Go right before the village into the Parco Naturale; go right in front of the Visitor Centre to the car park in front of Rifugio Isera: 19 km.
Walking times: Rifugio Isera - Pania di Corfino 1½, hrs., descent 1 - 1½ hrs.; total walking time 2½, - 3 hrs.
Ascent: 400m.
Grade: Short mountain hike on forestry roads and trails; the very steep ascent requires sure-footedness and a head for heights.
Refreshment: Rifugio Isera (20 beds; tel. 0583/660203) .
Map: Carta dei Sentieri e Rifugi No. 15/18, Multigraphic Firenze.

The Parco Naturale dell' Orecchiella encompasses the expansive forest areas and flower meadows around the limestone massif of Pania di Corti no, which emerges as the foremost of the higher sandstone peaks of the Appennine over Garfagnana. By the way, the preserve area was created by the efforts of the local population and the forestry administration; only three small reserve areas are official.

We walk along the gravel road past Rifugio Isera and through the wood, following bends (or on short-cut paths) up to the wonderfully-situated Orto Botanico, 1240m. At the rest area in front of it, a path branches off to the left with the marker 62 that leads between trees and straight across an area of scree to the foot of the cliffs. There, go right and over the steep, rocky grass slope into a grass depression. Head right to a meadow saddle (sign) and from there, right onto Pania di Corfino, 1603m. The cross is located somewhat below, on the edge of the cliffs.

Back to the meadow saddle, go right down into the wood and around a shallow basin to a fork. Go left to Sella di Campanaia, 1518m (wooden cross), around which a bounty of narcissus bloom in May. There, turn off to the left and walk along the partly cobblestone path through a wooded valley to the bend in the gravel road, on which we head back to the starting point (the path branching off to the right also leads there along the stream).

This walk was reproduced by kind permission of Rother Walking Guide »Tuscany North« by Wolfgang Heitzmann / Renate Gabriel, © Bergverlag Rother · Munich. For more information and to purchase your copy of the full guide visit their website at www.rother.de