Campocecina – Casa Cardato – Foce dei Pozzi – Foce Ballerino – Campocecina

A superb panorama of Apuan peaks

A superb panorama of Apuan peaks

A ring route on CAI trails 171, 174, and 183. From the “Carrara” CAI refuge at Campocecina at 1320 m elevation, the itinerary starts out on Trail 171, which heads toward the end of the Campocecina road and to the houses of Acquasparta, an ancient center for forestry and herding activities, and then proceeds on the level to a beechwood and beyond, down a steep slope, to Casa Cardato at 1110 m in a lovely setting among old-growth beeches.

From this point, Trail 174 climbs to the not-far-off Foce dei Pozzi at 1220 m, with its superb panorama of Apuan peaks, and on into the upper end of the small “Valle dei Pozzi” near the entrance to sinkholes (the “Pozzi”) of great interest to spelunkers. The trail then climbs the south-facing slope to Foce del Monte Ballerino. From here, a short walk takes you back to your starting point at the “Carrara” refuge.