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Appennino Parmense (Eastern Sector)
Area/Range

Appennino Parmense (Eastern Sector)

 
Appennino Parmense (Eastern Sector)

Page Type: Area/Range

Location: Parma/Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Europe

Lat/Lon: 44.38669°N / 10.02983°E

Activities: Hiking, Mountaineering, Trad Climbing, Sport Climbing, Toprope, Bouldering, Ice Climbing, Scrambling, Skiing

Season: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Elevation: 6106 ft / 1861 m

 

Page By: mazzani

Created/Edited: Jan 12, 2012 / Mar 15, 2012

Object ID: 770794

Hits: 867 

Page Score: 89.02% - 24 Votes 

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Overview

 
Twin Lakes from Rocca Pumaciolo
Twin Lakes (Laghi Gemini) from Rocca Pumaciolo
 
Sillara Twin Lakes in early summer
Sillara Twin Lakes in early summer
 
Lago Verde (Green Lake) in early winter
Green Lake (Lago Verde) in early winter
 
Pradaccio Lake from Roccabiasca summit
Pradaccio Lake from Roccabiasca summit
 
Lago Scuro (Dark Lake) from Monte Scala
Dark Lake (Lago Scuro) from Monte Scala
 
The Holy Lake (Lago Santo)
The Holy Lake (Lago Santo)
 
Appennino Parmense Orientale - View on Central Peaks
Central Area's peaks seen from Monte Orsaro m. 1831
 
Appennino Parmense Orientale - View from NE
Central and Western peaks seen from Rocca Pumacioletto summit m. 1690
 
Appennino Parmense Orientale - View from NE
Holy Lake peaks seen from NE
 
Appennino Parmense Orientale - View from SW
View on Western peaks from South-West
 
Appennino Parmense Orientale - View from Passo Paitini
Monte Sillara m. 1861 - the highest peak - and Rocca Pianaccia seen from West (Passo Paitini)





The Apennines are the longest mountains’ chain in Italy. They are divided in three main parts: Northern, Central and Southern Apennines.
Northern Apennines run from West to East, separating the greatest Italian continental North Plane (Pianura Padana) from the Italian peninsula, bordered by Mediterranean Sea.
Northern Apennines are divided into two parts again: Appennino Ligure in West side and Appennino Tosco-Emiliano in East side. The Appennino Tosco-Emiliano, situated between Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany administrative districts, shows some different areas: it’s named Appennino Parmense Orientale (Eastern Parmese Apennines) the area located inside the Eastern part of Parma Province administrative boundaries and running between Cirone Pass in W side and Lagastrello Pass in E side. The area’s main valleys are Val Parma in western sector and Val Cedra in eastern sector. As in all Northern Apennines there are not very high mountains and rocky ones are few. The highest peak of all the district is the secluded Monte Sillara mt. 1861, with its fine Sillara Twin Lakes, situated one hundred meters below the mountain’s summit ridge in its Northern side; in summer, when the area is the domain of trekkers rather than climbers, this peak, as well as other ones inside the area, shows a typical shepherd’s landscape. Nevertheless, both rock climbers and ice climbers can find several and suitable play ground. Some fine 30 to 170 meters high cliffs are equipped to enjoy sport climbing in spring and summer, especially inside the magnificent Twin Lakes (Laghi Gemini) sector; during the cold season the district offers magnificent winter’s ascents to several peaks, which summits can be reached along normal routes with low technical engagement, while ice climbers can climb some interesting gullies and little ice-falls.


Nature and climate

The area, normally as far as 1.600 mts, is covered by a dense magnificent forest, perfectly preserved through several years of massive deforestation (in the beginning of the twentieth century), due to mountain people’s poverty situation in that period. Due to the great difference between winter climate – snowy and cold – and summer’s climate – relatively warm – the arboreal species that succeed in this environment have adaptations to both seasons. The autochthonous beech (Fagus Sylvatica) is the original and largest specie in the area and can reach heights of 20-30 mts, with characteristic straight trunks. Evergreen conifers as White Firs (Abies Alba) where added later as the result of forestation’s work.
Rocks, forests and climate create a landscape similar to the north Scandinavian one.
The climate is a sub-continental one, so we have cold and snowing winter and summer not too hot due to the sea influence and wind action.


Lakes and ancient glaciers


During Wurmian period the whole area was interested by a great glaciation. The landscape was sculpted by glaciers and today offers to the visitor’s eyes an undoubted evidence of the biggest glacier ever established in Apennines (very likely it was longer than 8 Kms, larger than 2,5 and higher than 200 mts). Rocks’ particular features and circular holes in the sandstone, rocky steps in the valleys and lateral moraines are evidence of.

Getting There

Parma is the nearest town to the area; it’s a nice 200.000 inhabitants town, the capital of food valley, the famous food production and factory district. Its airport offers some domestic flies and only a few international one. A good choice of international flies is provided by Milan and Bologna International Airports, both at a reasonable distance (about 100 km).
Parma is linked to other Italian and European towns by A1 and A15 motorways, so logistic is not a problem.

Access from A15 (Autocisa Motorway) – Following A15 towards North exit Pontremoli and follow the road to Passo del Cirone and Bosco di Corniglio. From here follow the road towards the locality named Cancelli. If you’re driving on A15 towards South it’s better to exit to Borgo Val di Taro and follow the road to Passo del Sillara and Bosco di Corniglio.

Access from Parma

-To Lagdei and Lagoni sectors: from Parma follow the SP 665 (Massese) towards Langhirano and Capoponte; here turn to right, reaching Corniglio, Bosco di Corniglio and the locality named Cancelli.

-To Valditacca and Pratospilla sectors: from Parma follow the SP towards Langhirano and Capoponte; here carry on straight following the road towards Palanzano and Monchio delle Corti.

Red Tape

 
A beech, still bare
Fagus Sylvatica (Beech)
 
First sunbeams near Capanna Schiaffino
First sunbeams near Capanna Schiaffino
 
Appennino Parmense - Beeches  wood  near Twin Lakes
A beeches's wood Near Twin Lakes
 
An ancient stone s bas-relief nearby Badignana Huts
An ancient stone's bas-relief at Badignana
 
The forestal road towards Badignana Huts
The forestal road to Badignana
 
Eastern Parmese Apennines flora
 
 
Eastern Parmese Apennines flora
 
 
Eastern Parmese Apennine flora
 
 
Silver Thistle
 




























Since 1995 the highest part of this area is situated under the regulation of a regional park having the evocative name of Parco dei Cento Laghi (One Hundred Lakes Park), in reason of quite a lot of small lakes existing inside the park’s boundaries. In late years this area was included inside a largest park, named Parco Nazionale dell’Appenino Tosco-Emiliano (Tosco-Emiliano National Park); wood fires are prohibited as well as free camping and other harmful activity.
Walking and climbing are allowed and many trails are marked by Club Alpino Italiano Sezione di Parma.

Main Summits and Main Trails

 
A huge frozen cross over Monte Marmagna
A huge frozen cross over Monte Marmagna
 
Monte Sillara summit cairn
Monte Sillara summit cross
 
Monte Navert seen from Rocca Pumacioletto
Monte Navert m. 1654
 
Monte Scala in early spring
Monte Scala m. 1715
 
Rocca Pumacioletto SW side
Rocca Pumacioletto m. 1690
 
Monte Orsaro seen from Monte Braiola
Monte Orsaro m. 1831
 
Monte Braiola seen from Monte Marmagna
Monte Braiola m. 1821
 
A winter image of Monte Marmagna
Monte Marmagna m. 1851
 
Monte Sillara
Monte Sillara m. 1861
 
Roccabiasca from Brusà Saddle
Roccabiasca m. 1727
 
Torricella West Gullies
Torricella m. 1728
 
Rocca Pianaccia seen from Sillara summit
Rocca Pianaccia m. 1762



MAIN SUMMITS (in order of height)

Monte Sillara m. 1861- Monte Losanna m. 1855 Monte Marmagna m. 1851 Monte Matto m. 1837 - Monte Bragalata m. 1835 - Monte Orsaro m. 1831 - Monte Braiola m. 1821- Monte Paitino m. 1814 - Monte Brusà m. 1796 - Monte Bocco m. 1790 - Monte Aquila m. 1779 - Monte Uomo Morto m. 1773 - Rocca Pianaccia m. 1762 - Monte Aquilotto m. 1747 - Cima Canuti m. 1743 -Monte Torricella m. 1728 - Roccabiasca m. 1727 - Monte Scala m. 1715 - Monte Malpasso m. 1713 - Rocca Pumaciolo m. 1711 - Rocca Pumacioletto m. 1690 - Monte Fosco m. 1680 - Monte Navert m. 1654 - Monte Tavola m. 1508

ROCK CLIMBING AND ICE CLIMBING MAIN SUMMITS

Monte Scala mt. 1715
Rocca Pumacioletto mt. 1690
Roccabiasca mt. 1727
Torricella mt. 1726
Stagnoni



MAIN TRAILS

Inside the area there is a thick network of trails marked and maintained by Club Alpino Italiano Sezione di Parma, introducing the hiker to the discovery of all the main landscape’s features, to visit the numerous small lakes and to the observation of the ancient glacier’s traces.
An easy and very satisfactory trail marked 00 and oriented W to E crosses the whole chain along the main boundary’s ridge dividing Emilia-Romagna to Tuscany.

The most interesting walks, on clearly marked paths, are:

- Trail 00 from Passo del Cirone m. 1255 to Passo del Lagastrello m. 1153
- From Lagdei to Lago Santo Parmense
- From Lagdei to Capanna Schiaffino
- From Lagoni forestal road to Capanne di Badignana and Sella del Brusà
- From Lagoni forestal road to Fontana del Vescovo and Passo Fugicchia
- From Lagoni to Lago Scuro and Capanne del Lago Scuro
- From Lagoni to Lago Verde
- From Lagoni to Buca della Neve (Snow’s Hole)
- From Valditacca to Laghi Sillara
- From Pratospilla to Lago Ballano and Lago Verde

Huts and Bivouacs

 
Parmesan Apennines - Snowfall at Pradaccio Lake .
Pradaccio Forestal Hut
 
Capanna Schiaffino (Schiaffino Hut)
Capanna Schiaffino
 
Capanna Cagnin (Cagnin Hut)
Capanna Cagnin


Huts:

Rifugio CAI Giovanni Mariotti m. 1507 (CAI Sez. di Parma) +390521889334
RIFUGIO MARIOTTI

Rifugio Lagdei m. 1250 +390521889353
RIFUGIO LAGDEI


Rifugio Lagoni m. 1342 +390521889118
RIFUGIO LAGONI


Rifugio - Hotel Pratospilla m. 1360 +390521890194
RIFUGIO PRATOSPILLA


Bivouacs:

Capanne del Lago Scuro m. 1528 (Keys available at Rifugio Lagoni)
Capanne di Badignana m. 1480 (Keys available at Rifugio Lagoni)
Capanna Roberto Schiaffino m. 1610 - always open
Capanna Cagnin m. 1589 – always open
Capanna Forestale della Pianaccia m.1250 – always open


When to hike and climb

The hikers can enjoy trails all around the year; all main summits can be easily climbed without the use of technical gear from May to November. Winter’s ascents along normal routes - from December to April - are not difficult, but require the use of axe and crampons. Best months for ice-climbing (gullies) goes from middle December to the end of March, while the period to climbing ice falls is very short (from the end of December to the end of February); conditions can change very quickly even during the coldest months on account of marine wind’s action. Best season for rock climbing and bouldering goes from May to the end of October.

Meteo

METEO ARPA EMILIA-ROMAGNA

Guidebooks and Maps

 
Arrampica Parma Guidebook
Arrampicaparma Guidebook: rock climbing, ice climbing and mountaineering in Appennino Parmense
 
Appennino Parmense Orientale map
Eastern Parmese Apennines - Western Sector Map
 
Appennino Parmense Orientale Map
Eastern Parmese Apennines - Eastern sector Map
"Arrampicaparma" by Silvia Mazzani - Alberto Rampini Pareti e Montagne Edizioni

“Appennino Ligure e Tosco-Emiliano” by M. Salvo and D. Canossini

“Le valli del Cedra e del Parma (The Cedra and Parma Valleys)” Map 1:25.000 (CAI-Regione Emilia-Romagna)

“Alto Appennino Parmense Est” Map 1:50.000 (CAI-Regione Emilia-Romagna)


External Links

CLUB ALPINO ITALIANO SEZ. DI PARMA

Images

A huge frozen cross over Monte MarmagnaAfter the storm...and a Happy New YearAppennino Parmense - Beeches\' wood  near Twin LakesMonte Matto final ridge Monte Scala North-West Gully - The crux pitch
Pumaciolo Sillara winter circuit - Rising toward Pumacioletto Ice-blades over Rocca Pumacioletto summit crossSunset on Rocca PianacciaMonte Orsaro subgroup from SouthThe forestal road towards Badignana HutsFall on Monte Scala
[ View Gallery - 124 More Images ]



"And now, in a new summer’s morning, here I am, on this very modest summit…Nevertheless, because of a divine irony, just here I met the Angel who escaped me for a very long time on so many Angelic Summits."   --SAMIVEL “The answer of the Summits”   

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