The Fondillo Valley

Of a particular beauty, fresh and full of clear water (trout and frequented by Dipper), you can visit and walk in every season, offering visitors its beauty all year. If the spring with the young green of the trees take up to stagnate after the severe winter and the beautiful blooms that are a great prop up call to the visit, the summer offers abundance of water and shade in its magnificent beech trees. And if 'this fall with its fantastic burst of color offers an unforgettable sight, along the Valfondillo after a heavy snowfall in winter, either on foot or by cross-country skiing is an experience not to be missed. In short: it is a real valley for "every season." l 'route ...

The route that we propose, starting from the old sawmill Opi, the SS Marsicana (1,084 meters above sea level) takes three hours, with a drop of almost 1200 meters, the Bear Pass.

He takes the obvious path that runs along the creek Fondillo (on the left are the sources for supplies of fresh water), and after about fifteen minutes to get to the cave bottom.
Here, with a wooden bridge, begins a trail that climbs to Monte Amaro and that in about two hours provides the opportunity to meet the herd of chamois less confident of the National Park.
Leaving the jumper on the left, you continue along the main road along the entire bottom of the valley, we came to a clearing where there is a stone shelter (cave Sfranatara, 1201 meters).
A short distance from the refuge, the path that goes right, there is a spring with a spring of water. This clearing can also be regarded as the final goal of a peaceful stroll, where you can stop and enjoy the spectacular beech forest that surrounds the place.
Several rivers shore up the area in the sky is easy to spot prey, the Buzzard is the most common, is less easy to spot the golden eagle, although present.
The woods are full of flowers: Aquilegia, Turk's cap lilies and orchids in spring innumerable, but strictly protected from harvesting, the mushrooms from late summer to late autumn.
An addition of emotions to the beauty of the place: the beech woods are frequented by the mysterious and elusive Orso Bruno Marsicano. Do not worry, it is now established that do not like neither the presence nor the smell of humans, and therefore has no intention of being noticed.
Returning to the route, to proceed to Step Bear must take the path that bends to the left.
The trail at this point becomes a bit 'steep and enters a forest of firs.
The road becomes steeper and winds in a dense beech forest.
Subsequently, the dirt remains on the right, but you must leave to take the path that bends to the left and in a short time, through the woods, you get to Step Bear.
This crossing, used for centuries by shepherds to reach Melbourne, is a very long time by pilgrims from Pescasseroli and Opi go to the famous Sanctuary of the Madonna di Canneto, in the valley.

One recommendation, which is customary whenever a path in a national park, but especially important in areas such as this delicate balance of nature from the point of view: never leave the marked paths, via in silence, not to collect anything to leave even other visitors the chance to see what you have seen, brought back the remains of lunches and garbage varies.