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| The view at 8,000 feet, entering the Valle di Femmina Morta, Amaro Massif |
Monte Amaro is the second highest peak in central Italy. It's also the most prominent peak on the Sulmona skyline, towering above the hundreds of smaller mountains that surround it. When we've been on the summits of nearby Monte Mileto (6,240 feet) and Mattone (4,285 feet), Monte Amaro literally cast its massive shadow down on us. The Amaro summit itself is 9,163 feet. The high elevation, moonscape-like valley that you have to cross to get there begins at 8,000 feet.
I opted to take the Via Normale del Sud to Monte Amaro, which follows either the Fonte di Nunzio or Fonte Romano trails near Passo San Leonardo. Those who tackle Amaro from the north actually drive up most of the elevation, parking their cars at the La Maielletta ski area and effecting a traverse. The route from the south, by contrast, requires climbing the elevation on foot. I parked on the side of the road at the Fonte di Nunzio trailhead at 7:45 AM and set off on the well marked Q5 trail through an open meadow and into the tree-covered lower section of the mountain.
I found the trail very well marked with recently-erected wooden signs and painted blazes. The Fonte dell'Orso, located where the treeline ends, produced no more than a slow drip. I had hoped to down a bottle of water here and fill up for the ascent. Not liking the looks of it and without a filter, I decided against it.
Out of tree line, the trail follows a long diagonal to the southeast where it joins another trail coming in from the south. After turning due east on the Q1 trail, the real climbing begins. Well blazed and following a clear track, the big problem is the footing as the trail switches back steeply and consistently over loose scree. Once at the top, the vertigo-inducing view from 8,000 feet back down to the treeline made me a little nervous about the forthcoming descent.
At this point, the trail proceeds into a high elevation valley called the Valle di Femmina Morta, or Valley of the Dead Woman. I never found out how it got that eerie name. Frankly, I didn't want to know.
Upon entering the valley, the trail turns sharply to the north to reveal the rounded Monte Amaro summit cone way off on the horizon. It is identifiable from afar by the rust red dome-shaped shelter - the Pelino Bivouac - located right on the summit. The trail towards to summit follows cairns and blazes over a disorienting, lunar-like landscape which I would most definitely avoid in anything other than optimal weather. The summit doesn't seem that far off, but it is. The landscape here is really deceptive.
The Grotta Canosa, a cave along the approach route to the summit cone, proved to be the high water mark of my hike. Once I got a little beyond it, I stopped at a small outcropping on the final, slightly-graded trail up to the summit in order to take a breather, drink the last of my water, and check the time. Evaluating the situation, I decided that I was pretty tired from covering well over 4,000 feet of vertical climb only a few days after doing 5,000+ on Monte Morrone. Also, if I turned around now, I might be able to make it back in time for a late lunch. I mulled it over and over in mind, not sure of what to do. Finally, I decided to heed an inner voice telling me that it would be best to head back. The descent was harder than expected, but I made it back to the car at 1:30. All told, the up and back of the Amaro massif took 5 1/2 hours.
Peak: Monte Amaro (Grotta Canosa)
Elevation: Summit (2793 meters - 9,163 feet); Grotta: 2604 meters - 8,543 feet)
Gain: 1355 meters (4,475 feet)
Distance: 16 km (10 miles) round trip, up and back to grotta
Conditions: Sunny, 60 degrees F at trail head; 30 degrees on summit trail
