Calderone glacier

Calderone sits between 2680 and 2800 meters (8790 and 9190 feet) in a steep north-facing cirque below Corno Piccolo in the Gran Sasso massif. Longitudinal crevasses cut through the ice surface, while lateral moraines line the edges of the glacial basin.

The current ice field is the last remnant of large Quaternary-period glaciers that once descended to elevations between 1200 and 1500 meters (3940 and 4920 feet). Scientific observations began in 1929 and have since documented the retreat of ice in the Apennines.

Ice from the formation was once stored in caves below the glacier tongue and transported to L'Aquila and Teramo during summer. Local people still refer to the site by its old name, which relates to the cauldron-shaped basin where the ice rests.

Access follows steep hiking trails from the upper cable car station at Funivia del Gran Sasso. Snow conditions vary greatly depending on the season, and fog can make orientation difficult.

Georadar investigations in 2015 showed a maximum ice thickness of 25 meters (82 feet) in the middle to lower section. These measurements surprised researchers, as they revealed more ice mass than expected.