Monte Marsicano up the back side: 8 summits in one day

Since racing up Monte Marsicano from the southern Opi side on one of our very first visits to Abruzzo National Park in the Central Apennines, we’d had in mind to climb the mountain via a longer route from the more remote northern side.

Monte Marsicano has special significance. Not only is it one of the most attractive mountains in that part of Abruzzo, but it’s the mountain from which the critically endangered Marsican brown bear takes its name. Only about 50 of these bears are believed to ex...