
Where is Laghetto di Campaccio?
Italy, europe
4.2 km
2,314 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, adventure junkies, listen up! You HAVE to check out Laghetto di Campaccio, a ridiculously gorgeous mountain lake chilling at 2,314 meters (that’s 7,591 feet!) in the Italian Alps. We're talking Sondrio province, Lombardy region – picture-postcard Italy at its finest.
You'll find this alpine gem nestled near Livigno, east of the Cima Piazzi peak. Getting there is part of the thrill – a wild, unpaved track that winds its way up from Monte. Brace yourself for 4.2 kilometers (just over 2.5 miles) of seriously steep terrain, averaging a leg-burning 15.57% gradient! And the twists? Oh, there are twelve hairpin turns to keep you on your toes! The track is narrow, and the elevation gain is a whopping 654 meters. But trust me, the views from the top are SO worth the white-knuckle drive.
Road Details
- Country
- Italy
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 4.2 km
- Max Elevation
- 2,314 m
- Difficulty
- hard
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