150meters of symbolic cascade of Schioppo

150meters of symbolic cascade of Schioppo

"2 June 2026 Andrea Pucci: In the Zompo lo Schioppo valley, on the eastern slope of the Ernici Mountains at an altitude of around 1,000 metres, numerous springs arranged in a fan-shaped pattern bring to the surface the abundant karst waters originating from the Campo Catino area. The springs are situated on steep slopes or at the edge of rocky cliffs, where they form beautiful waterfalls. The most beautiful is Zompo lo Schioppo itself, a powerful jet of water that plunges 150 metres, creating a mesmerising sight that makes it one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Italy. To the left of Zompo lo Zoppo, the Acqua Aramiccia stream flows down, with its spectacular yet hidden 40-metre waterfall; to the right lies the Caùto resurgence; and a little further on, the Caùto gully, which is active seasonally, with its succession of seven waterfalls, up to 65 metres high, forming the final section of the Liscia gully, where the deepest cave in Abruzzo, the Liscia Abyss, opens up, with a depth of 140 metres, descending almost vertically. I’ve been longing to abseil down the Zompo lo Schioppo waterfall for years. But to do so, you first need to find the resurgence from which the waterfall’s waters emerge: quite a challenge, as it’s practically on the cliff face and it’s difficult to pinpoint its position from above. Yesterday, Silvio and I set out with the aim of reaching the resurgence: with a bit of on-site reconnaissance, map study and a touch of luck, we managed to identify the gully that runs from the Scalelle path down to the resurgence, 90 metres below, after fixing 120 metres of fixed ropes. The Saturday before, I re-equipped the Acqua Aramiccia waterfall with Roberto, whilst this past Saturday, I re-equipped the Caùto ditch together with Stefano."