Corno Grande Occidentale 2912 m (via normale)

Corno Grande is a huge, hulking peak in the Gran Sasso. The climb to the summit from Campo Imperatore on the Via Normale is about 11 km which takes around 5 hours of hiking. The elevation gain is around 800 m. It's a popular hike so if you crave solitude, try something else. The first 700 m of elevation gain are quite easy: the path is steep but not Alpine. The last 100 m - the part after the turn off from the No. 3 trail - is more challenging and requires the use of your hands. The patches of snow - which still exist even in late June - meant we had to make several detours off trail. 

We stayed at a hotel in L'Aquila and to get to the trailhead we caught the M6 bus from the bus terminal to the Funivia del Gran Sasso in Fonte Cerreto. As of 2018, the buses are every 1 to 2 hours or so and it takes half an hour. We arrived at the funivia in time to catch the first cable car which leaves at 8:00. The ride is short and we set off from the upper station at Campo Imperatore around 8:30. By the way, Campo Imperatore is an amazing place well worth exploring: in fact the next day we came back, rented mountain bikes from a place in Assergi and joined a 5 hour, 33 km tour of the lakes. But back to the hike: the first km, 200 m of elevation gain, up to the Sella di Monte Aquila is easy with impressive views over Campo Imperatore. After reaching the saddle, the trail is quite flat for the next km. The route to the summit by the 'Direttissima' forks to the right: to stay on the Via Normale stay left. The next km up to the Sella del Brecciaio is steep, about 20%, and on the day we did it, there were patches of snow to cross but nothing treacherous. 

After turning the shoulder of the mountain, the path is again quite flat for about a km as it passes through the Conca degli Invalidi but then starts to steepen as you approach the turn off which takes you up to the summit. It's at this point that the use of your hands begins. The trail is across rock which is uneven but not loose. The trail blazes are frequent but not always obvious. The patches of snow we encountered meant going off trail to get past them. This part of the climb is only 100- 150 m and thereafter the short path to the summit follows the crest. There was patchy cloud on the day we did the hike so the views from the summit were obscured. When the clouds moved by, we could see all the way to the Adriatic coast. 

On the way down we followed the route along the crest which rejoins the via Normale just before the Sella del Brecciaio. The route along the crest is a 'via alpinistica' so it's a more technical. After that you just retrace your steps back to Campo Imperatore where you can find vans selling food and drink and also there's a bar in the visitor centre. Overall this was a fun hike, not too challenging. If you want to add a bit extra you could extend the hike to Corno Piccolo which is just 2 km away.