Valle dei Gigantini - Cima di Mercori - Valle di Campolongo

Premise

This route was walked on August 29, 2019, and all subsequent observations and considerations may fully apply only to that day.

The description is rather brief because it is an "open proposal," meaning that – with good observation of the maps and the terrain during the hike – you can vary the loop at will while keeping the visit to the Valle dei Gigantini fixed.

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The approach trail – not an official CAI path – starts quite wide with sections like a dirt road.

You advance for a long time up to the Raia di Campolongo area.

Then begins a stretch where, at least with the grass grown in August, more attention is needed to keep the right way.

Anyway, these are not difficult slopes, and a possible mistake can be recovered only with a bit more effort.

In such open areas, the GPS track can indeed help even though it is never precise to the meter: the important thing is to have a general idea of the direction to continue over the medium distance of tens of meters.

With a final stretch still on a wide path, you reach the west entrance to the airy Valle dei Gigantini.

Here you feel like... camping!

To go towards Cima di Mèrcori, at the east exit from the Valle dei Gigantini, you must climb the wooded slope with a diagonal heading back northwest: there is an official trail with very faded markings, but there are also good small trails that can be walked without wasting time searching for the official signs.

You thus reach – with an ascent of about 115/120 meters of elevation gain – the easy final woodland ridge where (at this point) the markers inevitably appear.

Now proceeding southeast on very gentle slopes, you arrive at the summit cairn of Cima di Mèrcori.

Actually, it is not a very panoramic summit, but it is a nice detour for those who appreciate walking on woodland paths.

For the descent, we headed fairly straight down (always southeast) to go... have a snack in the large and well-equipped picnic area of the Ruscio di Vallivona locality.

It is a somewhat wild descent on slopes that are sometimes "almost steep," but always with ground where the shoes have good grip: it is fun but absolutely not a suitable line for those who want to climb Monte Mèrcori from that side.

For other more regular descent alternatives from Cima di Mercori compatible with closing this hike, see routes:

• Monte Faiatella, Cima di Mercori and Monte Cervati from Ruscio di Vallivona
• Monte Cervati and Cima di Mercori from the Maggiociondolo Trail

From the picnic area, follow marked trails south to the saddle dividing Cima di Mercori from Monte Faiatella, then turn right-west to descend the entire Valle di Campolongo.

After an initial essentially mandatory route section, one could almost wander freely in the wider part of the valley.

However, to protect ourselves from the August sun, today we walked for a good stretch on the shaded forest road on the right; in the last part, we returned centrally to take a look at the Inghiottitoio or Affondatore of Campolongo.

From today’s return on SP 388, it is necessary to walk about 500 meters on asphalt to return to the starting parking lot.