Stazzo Gigi Panei (Primo Casale) at the Lago della Duchessa

The Val Fua is a narrow valley wedged between the steep faces of Monte Morrone and Monte Murolungo. Where the Val Fua comes out, at the upper mouth of the broad Caparnie valley ...

The Duchessa mountains (Morrone, Murolungo and the well-known Lago della Duchessa) are easy to reach from Cartore. From this small uninhabited hamlet you can get into the Val Fua.

The Val Fua is a narrow valley wedged between the steep faces of Monte Morrone and Monte Murolungo. Where the Val Fua comes out, at the upper mouth of the broad Caparnie valley, stands the stazzo (shepherds' stone enclosure)/bivouac hut named after and dedicated to Gigi Panei, who began his climbing career right here among these mountains. The stazzo is kept relatively well and shows the signs of some repeated maintenance. Inside we found a message that says: "The hut must be left better than we found it".

From the hut, which is much used in summer, you can reach the Lago della Duchessa in less than 20 minutes.

What to know before you set off

The stazzo is an unstaffed shelter, open all year round, at about 1670 metres, with 4 beds. There is no water, no food and no contact person: think of it as a spartan shelter, to be used with your own sleeping bag and supplies. Conditions can vary a lot from one season to the next, and in our fact sheet the cleanliness and the condition of the building are rated insufficient, so better not to count on it for an overnight stay with no alternative.

The location remains excellent for hikes in the Duchessa: besides the lake, from here you can climb Monte Morrone with the Punta dell'Uccettù, Monte Murolungo and the Cima di Macchia Triste. For the classic approach read the hike to the Lago della Duchessa from Cartore; to get to know the protected area, see the fact sheet on the Montagne della Duchessa Nature Reserve.