Before you go

If it is your first time, start with the easiest routes: on the Trails page they are listed from easiest to hardest.

Six simple rules

1. Be honest about your level. Difficulty, elevation gain and time are at the top of every route page: read them before you choose.
2. Tell someone where you are going. Which trail you are taking and when you expect to be back.
3. Start early. Do not begin a long walk in the middle of the day, especially in summer, with afternoon thunderstorms, and in winter, with few hours of daylight.
4. Stay on marked trails. No shortcuts or improvised detours. In some areas of the Park you may only walk on the official trail network.
5. If you are struggling, turn back. Tiredness, worsening weather, doubts about the route: cutting the walk short is always the right call.
6. Follow the Park rules. No litter, no fires, no picking flowers. Dogs must be on a lead, and only on the trails where they are allowed.

What to pack

• Hiking boots
• Layers suited to the altitude and the weather
• At least one litre of water per person, more in summer and on long walks. Each route page says whether there are springs along the way
• Food for how long the walk really takes, not the optimistic estimate
• Sunscreen, reapplied every two hours
• A charged phone and a power bank
• The track or the map already downloaded to your phone (see below)

Maps and apps

Finding your way

• The GPX track on the route page. Every route has one: download it from the page and open it in the hiking app you use.
• The “Alta Valle del Sagittario” map on Avenza Maps. It is the one I use, and I prefer it to a single track: it is the 1:25,000 hiking map of the valley, from Monte Marsicano to Monte Genzana. It works without signal and shows where you are. It shows the whole trail network, so it also helps you plan. You buy it inside the Avenza Maps app: the link above has the buttons to download the app for both iPhone and Android.
• The hiking map of the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park. The Park offers it on the same app: the Park’s page (in Italian).

Staying safe

• GeoResQ, the free app of the Italian Alpine and Cave Rescue (CNSAS) and the Italian Alpine Club (CAI). It records your route and, in an emergency, sends your position to the operations centre.
• Where ARE U, the 112 app. It calls the emergency services and sends your position with a few taps, even if you cannot speak. It works in Abruzzo.

In many mountain areas there is no signal. Read the route page before you leave, and download the track and the map while you still have coverage.

Weather

• Check the forecast the evening before and again that morning, on a reliable website, not just the icon on your phone.
• In summer, watch out for afternoon thunderstorms. At altitude, watch out for strong wind; in the cold months, for snow and ice.
• If the forecast is uncertain, choose a shorter walk and avoid ridges and long stretches without cover.
• If the weather turns while you are walking, turn back.

In an emergency

Call 112. In Abruzzo the call goes to the single emergency centre in L’Aquila, even if you dial 118. It connects you to the right rescue service and locates your call automatically. It is free and works even without credit or a SIM card. Say that you are on a mountain trail: mountain rescue is carried out by the Alpine Rescue (CNSAS).

1. Stop in a safe place, not in a gully or under an unstable slope.
2. Gather the key information: what happened, how many people are involved, their condition, where you are.
3. Call 112 and follow the operator’s instructions.
4. If you are not sure exactly where you are, give at least: the name of the trail, where you started, which direction you were heading and the last point you are sure of (a junction, a hut, a spring).
5. If you can, send your position with GeoResQ or Where ARE U.

Park rules

Some trails close at certain times of year to protect wildlife. Before you set off, check the Park’s website (in Italian): how to behave and trail network. If you are walking in the Park, also read what to do if you meet a bear.

Disclaimer

Balzo’s route pages are written with care and checked on the ground: at the bottom of each one you will find the date it was last checked. But trails and conditions change: weather, landslides, works, closures, signposting.

Walkers remain responsible for their own choices. Assess your fitness, your equipment and the situation you find on the ground, and check official sources when needed.

Balzo does not organise or lead walks. It does not replace official maps or a qualified hiking guide. Balzo and its author accept no liability for accidents, damage or problems arising from the use of this information.