Sentiero CP5 - ‘Anello di Piano delle Capelle’

This beautiful walk, part of a series of capanna or stone-hut walks is one of the very best of all the way-marked walks created by the Maiella National Park. Extensive views of mountain peaks, the sea, along with the Pescara valley. And all the while, you are walking amongst some of the most finest and most haunting of any agricultural architecture in the world. In spring the meadows are filled with butterflies and flowers.

Walk details
Signs : CP5 with the red and white bands. The signage is not consistent and I strongly recommend downloading Avenza Maps: Offline Mapping from your App store.
Trail name: Anello di Piano delle Cappelle
Start and finish point: Km 11.2 on the road down from Passo Lanciano towards Lettomanoplo. There is a lay-by where cars can be parked.
Hiking difficulty: Easy/moderate
Uphill difference in height: about 350 m.
Difference in height downhill: about 350 m.
Length: about 5.8 km
Walking time: about 2h.30
Water points: A fountain at Fonte dei Trocchi - about half way through the walk. Usually reliable throughout the year.

A brief description of the walk;
YOU ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED TO PURCHASE THE AVENZA MAP FOR MAJELLA NORD BEFORE DOING THIS WALK. THE MAP IS ENTIRELY DOWNLOADABLE, AND YOU CAN TRACK YOUR PROGRESS AS YOU WALK TO ENSURE YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT PATH.
Park in the lay-by at kilometre 11.2 on the Passo Lanciano - Lettomanopello road. Leaving the hairpin of the road, is a well used and obvious farm track. Continue down this until a fountain is reached - Fonte del Papa. There is faint path off to the right, signposted CP5 and leading uphill. The Vallelunga, an obvious gully should be kept on your right hand side all the way up the mountainside until you join another wide and obvious track (footpath signed as D1). As you climb, the path becomes fainter until it barely exists, but providing you keep a straight-ish line up the hill and keep the vallelunga on your right, you’ll not go wrong. At the intersection of the path with D1, there is a private farmer’s summer hut. It is open all year and there would be no objection to you sheltering inside in case of bad weather. At the junction of D1, turn right and follow the track up hill until after a kilometre or so, you’ll see another finger post CP5, pointing downhill. Follow this. Essentially when the path becomes faint again, you need to keep going straight downhill keeping the valley ‘Neviera’ on your right. Eventually you arrive at the Fonte dei Trocchi, where there are often cattle guarded by noisy sheepdogs. By pass these, and continue downwards through fields and through gaps in walls until eventually you reach the wide farm track which you began on. Turn left for the car.