From Padula to Rifugio della Fiumata
Starting from the center of Padula (932 metres), take the path indicated by the Sentiero Italia signs and climb up to the asphalt road located above the town. Turning right, you arrive at the bridge that crosses the Tordino river and immediately before this the marked path begins (980 metres, 0.15 hours). Those arriving by car from Teramo can avoid entering the town and continue on the asphalt road to Macchiatornella, cross the bridge over the Tordino and directly reach the start of the path, thus saving 0.15 hours of walking.
The path winds through characteristic erosions on the sandstone and then enters halfway up the beech forest. After crossing a stream, you reach the Ponte Flammagno (1050 metres), which marks the beginning of the most spectacular stretch of the forest. You continue to follow a secondary ridge, crossing rocky and stony slopes, you enter the vegetation again and you arrive at a small ENEL refuge (1399 metres, 1.30 hours). A path on the left leads to the catchment, where you encounter the Tordino stream for the first time. We continue the climb in a magnificent beech forest, which offers some steep and tiring sections, always with a view of the waters of the Tordino. From above you can admire a waterfall formed by four or five successive jumps and, turning left into the woods, you reach the most beautiful waterfall in the area, about 15 meters high, along an unmarked path. With a few curves, you reach a meadow, you cross an aqueduct and follow it to the left, climbing a sheep track that leads to the edge of the forest, in sight of a refuge. A short detour to the left allows you to enjoy a view of another Tordino waterfall, next to a rock tower and a canyon carved into the sandstone. A few minutes on the sheep track lead to Rifugio della Fiumata (1720 metres, 1 hour), which overlooks the valley dominated by the imposing rock face that protects the summit of Monte Gorzano and closed to the north (looking to the right) by the gentle grassy slopes of Monte Pelone .
