Monte Sirente

From the road between Rocca di Mezzo (13 km) and Secinaro (7 km), park at the Chalet del Sirente (1,156 m); a small road opposite leads down to the Fonte all'Acqua spring and picnic area. Follow the dirt road a few hundred metres to a fork at 1,228 m, leaving the Ippovia and the Majori route, and take the more obvious track right up the winding Valle del Condotto. At a second fork leave the valley-floor mule track (path 18) on the left and climb in hairpins to a shelf at 1,330 m where the dirt road is met again (30 minutes); if you find yourself on the valley floor, go back, as this junction is easy to miss. Path 15 (red-white waymarks) runs alongside the road, then climbs a wooded valley that steepens into hairpins and reaches the edge of a grassy basin at about 1,750 m (1¼ hours more), facing the Altare della Neviera. Climb straight up, then make a steep diagonal climb under high rock walls into a grassy valley and over a crest at 2,050 m overlooking Valle Lupara. Traverse to the Valle Lupara scree, pass a distinctive rock spur and climb a final steep pitch to the broad saddle on the summit ridge at 2,225 m (1 hour). Turn right along the very wide ridge, round the head of the Canalone Majori and cross meadows, scree and rock slabs to the cross, which stands above a vertical drop (30 minutes). Return the same way (about 2¼ hours). Sure-footed walkers can descend the steeper Canalone Majori (Valle Inserrata), whose floor is long stretches of loose scree, back to the chalet.