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Cima Alta and Montagnone da Cerchiara
A path to be enjoyed best when the snow reaches the bottom of the valley, spotting the hills of Valle Siciliana. These conditions usually happen after a cold Balkan disturbance. In this case take the car and drive until Cerchiara. Park next to the cemetery and put on your cross country skis or snow rackets. If you're luck, you'll find a clear cold sunny day, as usual after strong snowfalls, and you'll experience something that stays in your heart for a very long time.
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* Uphill
Climb the slope that over-tops Cerchiara's cemetery and pass over the highway A24 tunnel. Keep following the dirt track that remains visible even after lavish snowfalls. The track leads through wide glades to a small iron cross that overlooks the Pisciarellone waterfall area. Turn right and start climbing up a rock slope, leaving the track behind (it's the only tough part of the path).
Once you are on the slope top, keep on climbing up to the top of Pianalunga (called "lu n' cuume" in local dialect). Move around this peak going down to your right to a saddle and then walk to the left on a track covered by snow that draws a large semicircle.
The place is really awesome: the unmistakable and majestic face of Corno Grande stands in front of you, while the Siciliana valley falls down gently to the hills and on the horizon you get a glance of blue of the Adriatic sea. Now you just have to reach the small mountain hut "Orazio Delfico al Montanino" and climb up the slopes behind it to the clear cut of "Forchetta", locally known as "moccicata dell'asino" (donkey bite), because of its bite-shaped line visible from the bottom of the valley. From there you can choose to go right reaching the top of Montagnone, or to go left to the Cima Alta peak. Both peaks are reachable from this point within a few minutes.
* Downhill
Climbing down back is easy, but people that want the challenge of a steeper slope may choose a spicy path. From the top of Montagnone start skiing along the peak with trees that leads to north-east towards the top of Colle Pelato. Before of the last uphill slope that reaches this top you find a point where the rock gullies that fall on your right towards the Siciliana valley are replaced with a steep slope.
The spot is marked by one of the no-hunting signs that cover the area, but it is impossible to miss it as it's the only point where going down is possible. The slope is steep just on a small first part, but it must be avoided when the snow is too fresh or not compact. It leads near a glade (Fonte Brecciole) from where you can take easier slopes to the Pianalunga saddle, and then get back to the main path.
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Document edited by Marco Flammini Minuti
Website http://vallesiciliana.wordpress.com