Monte Terminillo
2,217 m
Italy
Also known as Terminillo, mont Terminillo, +2Also known as
Terminillo · mont Terminillo · Mons Tetricus · Монте Терминилло
- Elevation
- 2,217 m
- Prominence
- 1,163 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Jun–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1The shortest and most popular summer route: CAI trail 401 climbs steeply from Campoforogna (1,671 m) above Pian de' Valli to Rifugio Rinaldi on the top of Monte Terminilletto (2,108 m), then follows a simple but slightly airy ridge over the Sella del Cavallo to the main summit. About 600 m of ascent, grade E, 3½ hours return.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 4.8 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +650 m
- −104 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 2,217 m
- Time Up
- 2h 59m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 15m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start from the large Piazzale di Campoforogna (1,671 m), just above the resort of Pian de' Valli. A sign at the start of the road towards the Sella di Leonessa marks CAI trail 401, which climbs very steeply to a dirt road and follows it below the antennas of the Terminilluccio. From a broad grassy saddle the path heads for the Terminilletto, crosses its flank in a long diagonal and zigzags up an old ski run to Rifugio Massimo Rinaldi on the summit of Monte Terminilletto (2,108 m), about 1¼ hours from the start. From the hut, follow the ridge north-east, first level and then descending, to the Sella del Cavallo (about 2,050 m). The ridge is easy but a little airy and needs care. From a junction beyond the saddle a steep path climbs to the summit of Monte Terminillo (2,217 m), about 45 minutes from the hut. Descend the same way (about 1½ hours). A direct ascent along the ski runs from Pian de' Valli to the hut is also possible and slightly steeper. With snow on the ground the route becomes a mountaineering outing requiring crampons and an ice axe.
Start
Campoforogna1,671 m
- Pian de' Valli ski lifts operate in winter; not needed for the summer route.
- Pian de' Valli is reachable by bus from Rieti (Cotral regional buses; check current timetables). From Pian de' Valli walk up the road or the ski runs to Campoforogna.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Campoforogna → Monte Terminillo | 4.8 | 650 | 104 | 2h 59m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Campoforogna1,671 m
Piazzale di Campoforogna, start of the road to the Sella di Leonessa
- Feature: Terminilluccio1,865 m
The track passes below its antennas
- Hut: Rifugio Massimo Rinaldi2,096 m
On the summit of Monte Terminilletto
- Summit: Monte Terminillo2,217 m
Key Passages
- Very steep start of trail 401 above Campoforogna
- Slightly airy ridge from Rifugio Rinaldi to the Sella del Cavallo
- Steep final path to the summit
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
The 'mountain of Rome' (2,217 m), highest of the Monti Reatini above Rieti. A ski resort built in the 1930s on its southern slopes gives easy summer access: a short, steep walk past a CAI hut on the Terminilletto and along an airy ridge to the top.
Monte Terminillo is a large, fairly isolated limestone massif in the province of Rieti, Lazio, about 100 km from Rome. Its two faces differ sharply: the southern side is heavily developed, with the resort of Pian de' Valli, ski runs, roads and the hotels of the 1930s, while the northern side above Leonessa is wilder, with cliffs, glacial cirques and scree. Six tops exceed 2,000 m, including the Terminilletto, the Cresta Sassetelli and Monte di Cambio. Karst drainage from the massif feeds the Peschiera springs, a major source of Rome's water.
The name is usually linked to the mountain's position as a boundary ('termine') between the Papal States and the Kingdom of Naples. It earned the nickname 'la montagna di Roma' because generations of Romans have skied here and because the peak can be seen from the city on clear winter days.
In summer the normal route is a short, popular hike of about 600 m from Campoforogna, with a staffed CAI hut on the way. In winter the mountain takes on an alpine character: the north-east face holds classic snow and ice gullies such as the Canale Chiaretti-Pietrostefani, and the ridges are corniced.
Climbing Notes
The summer normal route is suitable for any fit walker: about 600 m of ascent and 3½ hours return, graded E. The steep start and the slightly airy ridge between Rifugio Rinaldi and the Sella del Cavallo are the only points needing care. Rifugio Rinaldi, run by CAI Rieti, offers food and beds from June to September and is a natural stop or overnight base.
With snow, from roughly November to May (longer on the north-east side), the route has a mountaineering character and requires crampons, an ice axe and the skills to use them; the ridge can be corniced and icy, and avalanches are possible on the steeper slopes. Experienced parties climb the north-east gullies in winter (Canale Chiaretti-Pietrostefani, PD+, up to 60°). The longer loop from Pian de' Valli via the Cresta Sassetelli (680 m, about 5½ hours return) is a quieter alternative.
History
Virgil and Varro mention the mountain (as the 'tetricae horrentes rupes' and the 'gurgures alti montes'). Systematic exploration and summit climbs began in the late 19th century, from Lisciano or Leonessa; Enrico Abbate described a winter ascent in February 1882. The CAI Rome section built the first hut, a prefabricated wooden structure, on Monte Terminilletto, opened in 1903 and dedicated to King Umberto I; it was lost after the Second World War, and CAI Rieti rebuilt it as Rifugio Massimo Rinaldi, opened on 16 November 1969. After CAI president Angelo Manaresi climbed the mountain in December 1932, Mussolini visited in January 1933 and ordered the Via Terminillese road (completed 1935); hotels and in 1938 the Terminilluccio cable car followed, making Terminillo one of Italy's first purpose-built ski resorts. The resort boomed after the war and declined from the 1980s. Terminillo has hosted nine Giro d'Italia stage finishes.
Season
Best Jun–Sep- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Winter mountaineering only; crampons and ice axe
- Feb
- Winter mountaineering; classic gully season on the north-east face
- Mar
- Winter conditions; ski touring
- Apr
- Spring snow; avalanche risk
- May
- Snow lingers on the north-east side into May–June
- Jun
- Rifugio Rinaldi open from June
- Aug
- Busy at weekends; afternoon thunderstorms
- Sep
- Rifugio Rinaldi open until the end of September
- Oct
- Hut open only on request; first snow possible
- Nov
- Early winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter mountaineering only
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Rifugio Massimo Rinaldi (CAI Rieti): book overnight stays with the warden (tel. +39 351 772 1735). Bring a sleeping-bag liner or sleeping bag.
- Getting There
Rieti (Pian de' Valli is the resort village below the summit)
Rome Fiumicino (FCO) or Rome Ciampino (CIA)
- Car: from Rieti take the SS4bis (Via Terminillese) to Pian de' Valli and continue up to the Piazzale di Campoforogna
- Bus: Cotral regional buses link Rieti and Pian de' Valli; check current timetables
- Rifugio Sebastiani (north-east side) is reached by road from Pian de' Valli towards the Sella di Leonessa; the road may be closed in midwinter
Hazards
- Weather
- Avalanche
- Cornices
- Exposure
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,108 m
Rifugio Massimo RinaldiHutStaffed
Staffed June to September; at other times on request for groups