Introduction: a PD- (Peu Difficile, not very difficult) mountaineering route with grade II and III moves, a low-angled chimney and moves on low-angled slabs. Fun for the character and the variety of the route. Height gain 1090 m from the junction on the SS17 main road, with a round trip that, depending on the way back you choose (e.g. the normal route), can reach as much as 15 kilometres in length.
As a base in the area you can rely on the Rifugio del Lago Racollo.
On the same massif you can also climb La Cimetta from Campo Imperatore.
Route description
The Via dei Laghetti on Monte Prena is a very popular climb and very well known among hikers and mountaineers. In winter it turns out to be much simpler, thanks to the massive presence of snow in the gullies, which lets you avoid the little grade II and III steps in the lower part of the route.
In spring, when the snow has melted, pools of sky-blue water (the laghetti, the little lakes) form in the limestone rock; they are the main attraction of this route.
The start of the Route is not easy to find, although further on the route is very well marked with yellow and red paint marks and direction arrows.
You can leave the car near the junction between the SS17 main road and the road coming from Santo Stefano di Sessanio. Shortly after the junction we find a wooden enclosure where the livestock is branded in season.
Looking at Monte Prena, in the foreground we have Monte Paradiso and behind it, barely visible, the Veticole. You walk over the grassy meadow keeping Monte Paradiso on your right and the Canale on your left.
You enter the canala (the broad gully) following evident traces of path. Following the canala you pass a brick and concrete building (a water intake), then carry on along the walls that hold back the flow of the water. Carrying on along the left edge of the canale you begin to glimpse the yellow paint marks at the start of the route. You get past a fence that stops the livestock going any further. Then the route clambers up little gullies along the mountain. Shortly you come to the first little grade II move. The arrows clearly show the way, although you may find pegs a few metres higher up, away from the marked route.
In this case you can set up a rope to move sideways, as the arrows suggest.
The first step is perhaps the trickiest. Then you come to moves on little slabs and rocks that offer excellent holds and just the right roughness for your shoes to grip.
The second more technical passage is a ledge on a big, sloping and exposed slab of rock. Here too it is useful to set up a belay for the other members of the hiking group.
More slabs, rocks and grassy slopes up to a slightly low-angled chimney. Very comfortable for those who know how to move in chimneys, it is the last of the technical passages that call for some climbing ability.
The rest of the climb runs over rough rock, sometimes covered in fine gravel. Depending on the season we may find a few tongues of snow covering the gullies. An ice axe is useful for those who don't want to lug crampons along.
You reach a ridge, the point where you join the Brancadoro ascent route. Then, with the summit in sight, you carry on over broken rocks and loose rubble without any particular difficulty.
Variants and alternatives
Notes on effort and difficulty
Visitor centres and accommodation
Frequently asked questions
How hard is the Via dei Laghetti on Monte Prena?
It is a PD- mountaineering climb with grade II and III moves, an exposed ledge, low-angled slabs and a chimney. It's advisable to bring two half ropes and a few slings for the belay stands. In winter the snow in the gullies covers the little rock steps.
Where do you park for the Via dei Laghetti?
You leave the car near the junction between the SS17 main road and the road coming up from Santo Stefano di Sessanio. From there you cross the grassy meadow and go up the canala (the broad gully) to the yellow paint marks that mark the start of the route.
