WLK05 Pianello – Cingualdese – Colombara

Pianello

Pianello

Catria and Acuto Mountains

 

 

 

Cingualdese

Mount Catria

Source

 

 

Colombara

The route starts in Pianello, not to be confused with Pianello di Cagli, a small hamlet in Serra Sant'Abbondio that lies immediately after the hamlet of Petrara, if you're coming from Frontone. You can park in a parking lot on the right on the short stretch of road that leads to the hamlet.

Pass through the few houses in the village and take a dirt road that climbs rather steeply. Pay attention to the first fork and take the right branch. The climb becomes less challenging now.

The route now follows a grassy dirt road that cuts across the western slopes of the two adjacent peaks of Poggio Pantano and Poggio Pantanello. To your right, below, lies the Palombara Valley, which ends in Petrara, overlooked by the peaks of Monte Roma and Cimate di Rave.

At the second fork, continue uphill, avoiding the dirt road that leads down to Petrara. After passing Poggio Pantanello, you'll emerge from the forest into the meadows surrounding the refuge and the Cingualdese spring.

At the next intersection with Via dei Pastori, turn left and, after about 100 meters, turn left again down a grassy dirt road that follows the path of trail 273 (not marked). The descent is easy and passes along the western slope of Monte Tordo (839 meters above sea level).

Along the descent, there are only two points to pay attention to: at the first fork, leave trail 273 and turn left; further down, near the village of Piccione, go through the gate on the right. Along the way, you'll come across a beautiful spring set into the rock.,

You'll soon reach the small hamlet of Piccione, almost completely uninhabited but still well-maintained. At the first houses, turn left onto a pleasant dirt road that crosses a ditch and then bends sharply north. Pass an isolated house and cross the hamlet of Colombara to reach the provincial road between Frontone and Serra S. Abbondio. At the intersection, turn left and, in less than 400 meters, reach the climb that leads back to the hamlet of Pianello.