At 2912 meters the summit of the Corno Grande is the highest of the Gran Sasso massif and the most elevated mountain in the Apennines, the long mountain chain that runs along the spine of Italy. The Gran Sasso stands out as one of the most impressive massifs in Italy - enough to impress Leonardo da Vinci, who in 1501 made what is believed to be an extraordinary design of the chain. The mountains have hosted human settlement for over four millennia. Historically connected with a highly developed shepherd culture, there still interesting villages and fortifications that controlled the passes, shepherd and trade routes from Rome to the Adriatic Sea. Many of the spectacular mountain ranges near the Gran Sasso, in fact throughout much of the Abruzzo region are today protected in national and natural parks. For outdoor enthusiasts a lifetime of exploration can be had in these wilderness expanses.

For thousands of years Abruzzo was the center of a vast, organized sheep-herding culture, which only truly came to a close in the last few decades. Shepherds guided their flock from the green mountain pastures in summer to the fertile plains of the Adriatic Sea of faraway Apulia in winter. Thanks to Pax Romana, and the economic support of Roman patrician families, the shepherds were able to move great distances with their flock, a migration much favored because of the richness of the Apulian sea plain. Before and after the period of Roman stability, shepherds would only descend to the adjacent Abruzzo coast for the winter for fear of attack from marauders. From the 12th century onward, however, with the Normans, the Cistercian Benedictines and later the Aragonese, shepherding once again became an organized trade and the long migration routes again back in use, actually they even came to be protected by law. When the law began to favor crop-growers in the 19th century, however, it was the beginning of the end of shepherding. Today shepherd "ghost-towns" are all that remain of this once vibrant, though difficult way of life. Shepherds would spend up to 11 months of the year together with their sheep, during which time they would walk some 250 km to reach winter or summer grazing ground (therefore some 500 km walked each year counting only the major seasonal migration routes).

One would hope, notwithstanding the constant peril and loneliness that shepherds were able to cultivate a deep appreciation for the magnificent, if sometimes stark beauty of the natural environment. The Abruzzo has hosted many ascetics throughout its history who found its wild setting ideal for contemplation. One of the most famous hermits was Abruzzo native Pietro da Morrone, who became Pope Celestine V in 1294. While best known for being the only pope to have ever abdicated (and thus ignobly placed by Dante in his "Limbo"), Celestine was highly regarded in his times as a holy man. His "Great Pardon" was the inspiration for the future Jubilees of Rome, as it granted indulgences to everyone, including the poor and helpless who normally could not have afforded them. The Great Pardon is still celebrated every year in the city of Aquila, Abruzzo capital.

Several national and natural parks, as well as nature reserves were founded in the Abruzzo to protect the region's natural beauty. Some of the most exciting recent developments have included the successful reintroduction of the Abruzzo chamois, quite diverse from its Alpine relative, and the existence of small populations of wolves and brown bears. Outdoor enthusiasts will find it a delight to explore a mountain zone often compared to the Alps or Scandinavia, yet one that remains somewhat off the usual European circuit. Several backcountry skiing, trekking and mountain biking excursions are described below.

For more information on the Abruzzo and outdoor opportunities within, please see the fine series of guides produced by the Regione Abruzzo and Carsa Edizioni including: Along the Shepherds' Tracks, Guida alle meraviglie sconosciute, Guida ai Parchi e Riserve Naturali, Guida allo sci di fondo and Guida al mountain biking.