Trekking in the Zompo Lo Schioppo Nature Reserve

Travelling through Abruzzo, today we are heading for Zompo Lo Schioppo. We leave the motorway and get closer and closer to wild nature; one more bend and at last we see it: the Schioppo! It is a waterfall fed by melting snow, so you can only see it in spring. Not that the rest of the reserve is not wonderful in all the other seasons, but the Schioppo is truly a joy to behold and we cannot wait to see it up close. To its right you can already see the other waterfall, the perennial one, a little less imposing but still beautiful. We leave the car in a car park that appears out of nowhere after a few minutes on a dirt road, and at once we are wrapped in the roar of water: from the falls, of course, but also from the many other springs, ponds and streams that fill this dream place.
We set off along the trail; everything is well marked, with no chance of getting lost (at least if you stay on the indicated paths), and very easy going. Near the car park there is a picnic area with tables, benches and children’s games; the lawns are well kept and a small stream flows quietly and then forms a fountain, from which we drink cool, very pure water. Further on we enter the woods. Here too water runs everywhere, the vegetation is lush, the trees are covered in moss and little multicoloured flowers surround us. We reach a small lake with crystal-clear water that seems to invite us in for a swim but... it is definitely too cold... perhaps we will come back for that in summer.
The lake is fed by a stream that forms some small waterfalls, like miniature rapids, and the song of the running water stays with us. We climb on, trying to reach the base of the main waterfall where, we are sure, the scene will be wonderful. Of course we stop to photograph every magical corner of this marvellous, little-known place. At the end of the trail we decide to climb a little further, as our little explorers’ spirit is not yet satisfied... the climb gets steeper but is still very fascinating, surrounded as we are by very tall trees and endless little streams. Finally we reach the source of the second, perennial waterfall. We could go higher but we are a bit tired (OK, I am the one who is a bit tired; Ale would keep going to the very top of the mountain), so we decide to head back, stopping once more to admire the waterfalls, the stream, the lake and every part of this fairy-tale place. We reach the car to leave, but promise to come back and explore other parts of this beautiful nature reserve, strangely almost unknown outside Abruzzo.