Colle Brignole, October 19, 2017, Bosco di Sant'Antonio, Parco Nazionale della Maiella, Abruzzo, Italy

Looking south to Monte Amaro, Monte Mileto and Monte Mattone, from summit of Colle Brignole

In Italy, I am usually the one to research and plot our hiking adventures. After the evening passeggiata and/or while killing time waiting for the (hopelessly late) hour when restaurants open for dinner, I spend my time pouring over my stash of outdated-yet-still-useful topographic maps from Edizioni Il Lupo. Using these mountaineering maps instead of free tourist maps or guidebooks means that we can find trails that are seldom used, especially on weekdays in autumn.

Autumn colors in the Bosco Sant'Antonio

The hike to Colle Brignole, however, was all K. She got the word from our landlords about a nice little nature preserve called Bosco di Sant'Antonio about 20 km south of Sulmona. I have to admit that I was a little hesitant of following through on an Italian's recommendation, thinking that it would be too tourist-centered. But I reluctantly got on board with the idea. I am glad that I did.

Meadow ascent to Colle Brignole

Situated the next valley over from the one that holds the SS17 highway, the Bosco was located in area that we had never visited despite our many years of traveling to the Abruzzo. The drive to this new valley was quite pleasant. When we arrived at our destination, we saw the telltale signs of it being a very popular spot - plenty of parking, picnic tables, informational signs, and even a cafe, albeit shuttered for the season. We opted for a loop trail around the perimeter of the Bosco which wound its way past a stone hermitage and gnarly old trees. To K, it all resembled a magical home for "elves and sprites and fairies and shit."

Sumit marker, Colle Brigole

The trails through the forest are quite short, so we followed the fairly well-marked signs to the 01 trail leading north to a summit point called "Colle Brignole." To get to the colle, we proceeded out of the forest up through a meadow, then back into the woods along a series of fairly steep switchbacks. All in all, though, it was a pretty easy climb up to a long, wooded ridgeline that eventually opens up to wide open views in all directions. We most liked the view to the north. So we plopped down for lunch admiring the nice view of Passo San Leonardo and the profile of our favorite mountain, Monte Mileto. We lamented the fact that we wouldn't have time to climb Mileto this year, but took comfort in the fact that we had found a new enjoyable hike that we would surely like to do again.

Peak: Colle Brignole
Elevation: 1,625 meters (5,331 feet) Gain: 550 meters (1,804 feet)

Distance: 7 km (4.3 miles) roundtrip

Route: 01 trail from Bosco Sant'Antonio, up and back

Conditions: Sunny, 70 degrees F