Fanano - rifugio Duca degli Abruzzi

A fairly easy loop trail that starts near the Capanno Tassoni mountain hut; parking is paid, but if you arrive early in the morning, you can park in some open areas along the road leading to the hut; From there, take the forest road that leads to the ridge for about 4.5 km, passing by the Budale picnic area, where you’ll find the Alpini fountain and can refill your water bottles.

Continue along the forest road until you reach the Croce Arcana; from there, the most spectacular section in terms of scenery begins, offering truly breathtaking views; Follow the trail slightly lower down on the Tuscan side, avoiding Trail 00, which runs along the ridge; the trail is fairly narrow with some exposed sections and requires a bit of technical skill to navigate the steep ascending steps. You’ll then arrive at Lake Scaffaiolo, where you can stop at the Duca Degli Abruzzi mountain hut for a slice of Fananina cake or blueberry cake.

From here, the downhill section of our loop begins, proceeding along a singletrack on the Bolo-Modena side; you continue by fording the newly formed Dargagna stream, and the trail winds along the edge of the forest with some exposed cross-slope sections until you reach Bocca di Lupo, after which we descend into the woods toward Ospitale until we reach another forest road that leads back to the Capanno Tassoni Mountain Hut. This is a simple loop with limited elevation gain, but it requires good technical skills and control of your bike on both ascents and descents; however, it offers stunning views of our Apennines.

Watch out for pedestrians, especially on weekends