The Sentiero del Centenario on the Gran Sasso

The Gran Sasso is the highest mountain in the Apennines, and the Sentiero del Centenario follows its wildest backbone. Traced by the L'Aquila section of the CAI to mark the section's centenary, it is a long and demanding ridge traverse that unfolds almost entirely at altitude, far from the crowded huts and the cable cars. It is precisely its difficulty that keeps it off the mass hiking circuits: the crowds don't come here, only those with experience, fitness and the awareness of moving over serious terrain.

The route

The itinerary runs along the massif's long eastern ridge, a succession of peaks, cols and rocky crests with walls plunging away on both sides. You cross summits such as Monte Brancastello, Monte Prena and Monte Camicia, the last famous for its huge north face, one of the most imposing walls in the Apennines. On one side the route looks out over the Campo Imperatore plateau, the great high-altitude grassland nicknamed Little Tibet, and on the other over the deep gullies dropping toward the Teramo side.

An airy trail

It is an airy trail in the fullest sense of the term: long stretches on the ridge crest, exposed passages, rock steps fitted with cables and short scrambles that require the use of the hands. This is not a route to take lightly. It calls for a sure foot, complete freedom from vertigo, navigation and risk-management skills, as well as adequate gear that many choose to supplement with a helmet and via ferrata protection at the trickiest points. Its length and commitment mean it is generally walked by hikers already accustomed to high mountains, often broken up with a bivouac at altitude.

For this very reason the Centenario is not for everyone, and no serious guide would recommend it to anyone who has not already built up experience on similar terrain. Its technical difficulties, exposure and length place it among the most severe itineraries in the central Apennines. Those who don't feel up to it can still savour the setting by walking only the first stretches from the access points, then turning back without committing to the most critical passages. Even so, the sweeping view of the ridges and gullies amply repays the effort, and reveals why this corner of the Gran Sasso remains as beloved by enthusiasts as it is unknown to ordinary tourism.

Getting there

The most convenient starting point lies in the Campo Imperatore area, reachable from L'Aquila by heading up toward Assergi and then along the road climbing to the plateau, where the huts and observatories are based. From here you gain the ridge. Since this is a traverse, you finish at a different point from where you started, so the logistics of the return must be arranged in advance, because public transport at altitude is scarce and seasonal.

When to go

The suitable window is limited to high summer, July and August, when the ridges are free of snow and the weather is on average more stable. Even so, on the Gran Sasso afternoon thunderstorms are frequent and violent, and fog can shroud the ridge within minutes, making navigation difficult. Walking in the early morning, when the air is clear and the raking light sets the rock aglow, is also the best way to enjoy the solitude of these peaks before the sky turns.

A practical tip, worth more than any other: do not venture onto this trail without having checked the weather for the entire day and without a safety margin. Set off at dawn to have time to complete the traverse or to give up in good time, honestly assess your own abilities and those of your companions, and remember that on an exposed ridge the true mountaineer is the one who also knows how to turn back. Approached with respect, the Centenario delivers one of the most thrilling and solitary traverses in the whole of the Apennines.