Built in 1917 (between February and November), the Strada delle 52 Gallerie is a WW1 military mule road built-in position to be away from the Austro-Hungarian artillery fire. Now known as a ‘Sacred area of Italy’ because of the many lives lost, the trail is marked with placards, and each tunnel is individually named and numbered. The hike itself is a breathtakingly somber experience, but one most definitely worth the trip. I’ve included hopefully everything you need to know in this post…..and of course, included some of my favorite photos from our trip.
When to go:
This is a summer hike! Because of the altitude and mountains, the hike even in the summer can be a bit chilly and wet with moisture. The caves that receive no sunlight are very wet and slippery. Locals recommend June/September, we did this hike in August and felt it was the perfect timing. The hike has a facebook page that I recommend checking before you plan to go, they post weather information and will share when the hike opens (late spring, and closes, late fall).
Distance:
14.9km roundtrip, with an 800meter elevation gain, medium difficulty LOOP hike in which there are two options.
1) You can go through the tunnels, and then backward the same way (so tunnels 1-52, and then 52-1).
2) The other option is to go through the tunnels, and then around the backside of the Refugio down a tunnel-free path that takes you directly to the lower parking lot (this is 1km longer, but a tad bit flatter and easier in my opinion). As with any hike, I recommend taking a picture at the trailhead of the Hike map so you can reference it if you ever get disoriented.
Parking:
There is a small parking lot at a small cafe (pinned here) that is at the start of the trail, but parking fills up super fast. There is a larger area to park further down at Rifugio Passo Xomo (pinned here). Chad actually drove us up to the top, parked the car at the bottom, and then jogged up to the trailhead to meet us. The parking lot machine only accepts CHANGE (approximately 6€). This is also your last chance to use the restroom, there are no opportunities along the trail.
Once you have reached Tunnel 52 you will be greeted with Refugio Achille Papa (pin here). Not only could you potentially spend the night here, but you can drink a well-earned ice-cold beer, or have a hearty meal to fuel you for the hike back down. Here is their website for more information and accommodation booking. A budget-friendly alternative would be to just sit outside and enjoy a packed lunch.
What to bring:
Sturdy worn-in hiking shoes, flashlight or headlamp (some of the tunnels are long and pitch black), weather-appropriate clothing (layers), water, snacks, hat, glasses, walking poles, and a camera. Presley (8) was wiped but completed this entire hike. I would not personally recommend it for children as it has cliffs, drop offs, is very slippery dark, and overall a very challenging, long hike. Dogs are permitted – although the jagged rocks might be harmful to their pads during such a long hike.
I hope this was helpful and gets you better prepared to go out and adventure! Stay safe and have fun!
Leave a Reply