Pania della Croce and Altopiano della Vetricia

Pania della Croce (1,858 m elevation) is also called the Queen of the Apuan Alps and from the summit, as well as a series of mountains, it is possible to see the sea and, on clear days, even Corsica island.

We will start the trip from Piglionico, where the anthropologist Fosco Maraini spent his last years, in the nature peace with a view of the Panie group. Our route will continue through a beautiful beech wood and then it will reach the Rifugio Rossi (Rossi hut) among grassy meadows (it will take about 1 hour and 20 minutes to reach it). 

From the hut, it will take another hour along a path that goes up the rocky channel of "Inferno". The last stretch is along an easy ridge to the summit cross.

The view from the summit ranges from the southern Apuan Alps to Monte Sumbra, Corchia, the sea to the south and the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines to the north.

The summit represents the chest of Omo Morto, the silhouette of a man lying down is in fact perfectly visible from the Garfagnana valley.

After the stop for lunch on the summit, we start our descent along the same path, which offers us other beautiful views of Pania Secca and Pizzo delle Saette. Once our guide thinks it is ok to do so our return journey can also take place across the Vetricia karst plateau, an incredible area of water absorption that generated deep underground cavities. In this case, in addition to the very special rock formations, it will be possible to see the frightening entrance to the Revel Abyss, which, that with a single drop of 316 metres, has held for years the world record for the deepest single vertical drop.

The route will lead us back down to the main trail and then through beech forests to the cars.

• Tour duration: a whole day (about 6 hours, of which 4 hours are on foot)
• Difference in height and difficulty: medium

Price: 79,00€ per person (minimum 2 people)