Corno Grande
2,912 m
Italy
Also known as Western Summit of Corno Grande, Корно Гранде, +3Also known as
Western Summit of Corno Grande · Корно Гранде · კორნო-გრანდე · Corno Grande - Vetta Occidentale · Корно-Гранде
- Elevation
- 2,912 m
- Prominence
- 2,477 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 2
Road closedReported 21 Sep 2026
The Funivia del Gran Sasso closed for routine maintenance from 21 September 2026 (last day of operation 20 September); no reopening date was published. The road to Campo Imperatore remained open.
ilgransasso.itNoticeReported 14 Sep 2026
The Ferrata Bafile on the east side of Corno Grande was closed by order no. 120 of the municipality of Isola del Gran Sasso from 14 September 2026 until further notice, after damage to the protection.
neveappennino.itPath closedReported 4 Sep 2026
The Ferrata dei Ginepri (formerly Brizio), which branches off near the Sella del Brecciaio, was closed by order of the mayor of Pietracamela from 4 September 2026 for public safety until extraordinary maintenance is done. The normal route itself is not affected.
stefanoardito.it
Routes
2Sources differ: EE (CAI) (it.wikipedia.org Via normale al Gran Sasso; Stefano Ardito) · T4 (Upper slope of scree and polished slabs is often rated harder by visiting walkers)
The standard ascent of the Apennines' highest summit: about 800 m of ascent from the Campo Imperatore plateau (2,130 m) over the Sella di Monte Aquila and the Brecciaio scree to the Conca degli Invalidi, then a steep final slope of scree and polished limestone to the Vetta Occidentale. A long half-day; no technical gear in summer once the snow has gone.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 5.0 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +844 m
- −60 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 2,912 m
- Time Up
- 3h 34m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 31m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the hotel and car park at Campo Imperatore (2,130 m, top station of the Gran Sasso cable car) take the path left of the observatory towards Rifugio Duca degli Abruzzi, and at the first fork go right on CAI path 101. It traverses below the Portella ridge and climbs to the Sella di Monte Aquila (2,335 m), about 45 minutes. Leave the Monte Aquila/Direttissima path on the right and follow path 103 down into the Campo Pericoli basin, ignoring the branch left to Rifugio Garibaldi, to the foot of the Brecciaio scree. Climb the scree diagonally (a couple of loose, awkward steps) to the Sella del Brecciaio (2,506 m), another 45 minutes. Zigzags lead past the start of the Ferrata dei Ginepri (left) and the Cresta Ovest path (right), then a short descent enters the Conca degli Invalidi, where the route from Prati di Tivo and Rifugio Franchetti joins at about 2,690 m. Turn right on path 103A: steep scree and simple slabs of polished rock lead to a notch above the Calderone corrie and along the crest to the cross on the Vetta Occidentale (2,912 m), about 1 hour from the junction. Descend the same way: about 1 hour to the Sella del Brecciaio and 1½ hours from there to the hotel. The upper slope is crowded on summer weekends and stones knocked down by other parties are the main danger; stay on the waymarks, which keep left of the gullies that funnel rockfall. Snow lingers in the Conca degli Invalidi into early July, and until it has melted an ice axe and crampons are needed. In a thunderstorm, do not continue beyond the Sella del Brecciaio.
Start
Campo Imperatore2,129 m
- Funivia del Gran Sasso, Fonte Cerreto (about 1,115 m) to Campo Imperatore (2,130 m)
- Buses from L'Aquila to Fonte Cerreto (Assergi), then the Funivia del Gran Sasso to Campo Imperatore. The cable car closed for maintenance on 21 September 2026; check ilgransasso.it for reopening.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Campo Imperatore → Corno Grande | 5.0 | 844 | 60 | 3h 34m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Campo Imperatore2,129 m
Hotel, car park and top station of the cable car from Fonte Cerreto
- Col: Sella di Monte Aquila2,336 m
- Col: Sella del Brecciaio2,491 m
- Feature: Conca degli Invalidi2,640 m
Junction with the route from Prati di Tivo; take path 103A right
- Summit: Corno Grande2,912 m
Key Passages
- Brecciaio scree to the Sella del Brecciaio
- Steep scree and polished slabs above the Conca degli Invalidi
- Notch above the Calderone corrie
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 85%Overview
The highest summit of the Apennines (2,912 m) and of peninsular Italy, rising from the Gran Sasso d'Italia above the high plateau of Campo Imperatore. The normal route is a steep but non-technical walk of about 800 m from the cable-car station; the Direttissima offers easy grade II climbing up the south face.
Corno Grande is the crest of the Gran Sasso d'Italia massif in Abruzzo, inside the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park. It has four tops: the Vetta Occidentale (2,912 m, the main summit with a cross), the Vetta Centrale, the Vetta Orientale and the Torrione Cambi, all over 2,870 m. To the south the mountain rises only 800 m above the Campo Imperatore plateau, but to the north and east its limestone walls drop steeply towards the Teramo side, and the Paretone of the east face is one of the biggest walls in the Apennines. The corrie between the summits holds the remnants of the Calderone glacier, long cited as the southernmost glacier in Europe and now split into small glacierets.
Because a road and a cable car reach Campo Imperatore at 2,130 m, the summit is one of the most frequented in central Italy. The normal route climbs over scree basins and the Sella del Brecciaio to the Conca degli Invalidi and finishes on a steep slope of scree and polished rock; the Direttissima climbs the south face directly with short grade II steps. From Prati di Tivo on the Teramo side a longer route via Rifugio Franchetti and the Sella dei Due Corni joins the normal route in the Conca degli Invalidi.
On a clear day the view reaches both the Adriatic and the Tyrrhenian side of Italy. The summit's popularity is also its main hazard: on summer weekends the upper slopes are crowded and stonefall triggered by other walkers is common, so weekdays and early starts are worth the effort.
Climbing Notes
The normal route needs fitness for about 800–900 m of ascent and 5–6 hours on foot, sure footing on steep scree and polished limestone, and a head for mild exposure near the summit. Altitude is not a significant factor. Wear stiff boots; a helmet is sensible on the final slope because of stonefall from other parties. Until the snow has gone from the Conca degli Invalidi (usually early July), an ice axe and crampons and the skills to use them are needed, and early-season accidents are frequent.
The Direttissima is a good first alpine scramble for walkers comfortable on grade II rock; less experienced parties should take a rope or a guide, who are available in L'Aquila and Assergi. Most people do the trip in a day from Campo Imperatore; an overnight at Rifugio Duca degli Abruzzi or in Campo Imperatore allows an early start ahead of the crowds and of afternoon thunderstorms. The cable car closes for maintenance in some autumn weeks (from 21 September in 2026) and winter access is mainly by cable car for ski-mountaineers and climbers with winter experience.
History
The first recorded ascent was made on 19 August 1573 by the Bolognese military engineer Francesco De Marchi, in the service of Margaret of Austria, who was then governor of L'Aquila, with the local hunter Francesco Di Domenico, approximately along today's normal route. The Albergo di Campo Imperatore, built in the 1930s at the top of the cable car, is where Mussolini was held and then freed by German paratroopers in September 1943. The CAI Rome section built Rifugio Duca degli Abruzzi on the Portella ridge in 1908. The five historic via ferratas of the massif were refurbished with National Park funding in 2016.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter mountaineering only; avalanche risk on the approach slopes
- Feb
- Winter conditions; ski-mountaineering for experienced parties
- Mar
- Winter/spring snow; ski-touring descents of the north side and Canale Bissolati
- Apr
- Spring snow; ascents need ice axe, crampons and winter experience
- May
- Snow on the upper slopes and in the Conca degli Invalidi
- Jun
- Snow often lingers in the Conca degli Invalidi until early July; Rifugio Duca degli Abruzzi opens mid-June
- Jul
- Main season; crowded at weekends; afternoon thunderstorms
- Aug
- Main season; very busy around mid-August
- Sep
- Stable weather and fewer people; huts and cable car close in late September
- Oct
- Often good until the first snow; short days, services closed
- Nov
- First snow; ice on polished rock
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Rifugio Duca degli Abruzzi (CAI Roma) is booked through prenotarifugi.cai.it or by phone; it has 22 places in two dormitories.
- Fees
- Funivia del Gran Sasso fare (Fonte Cerreto–Campo Imperatore)
- Overnight fees at Rifugio Duca degli Abruzzi, with discounts for alpine club members
- Rules
- Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park: national park regulations apply; stay on marked paths
- The Ferrata dei Ginepri (Brizio), which starts near the Sella del Brecciaio, and the Ferrata Bafile were closed by municipal orders in September 2026
- Getting There
Assergi (Fonte Cerreto) and L'Aquila
Abruzzo Airport, Pescara (PSR); Rome Fiumicino (FCO)
- Car: A24 Rome–Teramo motorway, exit Assergi, then to Fonte Cerreto; the provincial road (SS/SP 17 bis) continues 22 km to Campo Imperatore when open
- Cable car: Funivia del Gran Sasso from Fonte Cerreto (about 1,115 m) to Campo Imperatore (2,130 m); closed for maintenance from 21 September 2026
- Bus: local services from L'Aquila to Fonte Cerreto; check current timetables
- From the Teramo side, the road to Prati di Tivo gives access to the northern route via Rifugio Franchetti
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Weather
- Avalanche
- Exposure
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,388 m
Rifugio Duca degli AbruzziRefugeStaffed
22 beds · Staffed mid-June to late September (15 June – 27 September 2026); emergency room with 3 bunks always open
Book Rifugio Duca degli AbruzziWebsite of Rifugio Duca degli Abruzzi