From Passo del Lupo, the ski centre above Sestola, a cable-car carries visitors to Pian Cavallaro (1861 metres). From here, the climb to the top of Monte Cimone (2165 metres) is not very hard. First, a well walked section of path 441 leads to Buca del Cimone (1966 metres). Then path 439 takes us to the junction with path 447, which brings us to the top in just a few minutes. The peak itself is marred by the Airforce Weather Observatory, but on particularly clear days the view from the Tyrrhenian Sea in the South West to the Alps in the North is breathtaking. Even in hazy conditions, the panorama stretches from the towns on the edge of the Po Valley to the Apuan Alps and right along the Apennine Ridge from the province of Bologna to that of Reggio Emilia. Path 485 leads down the other side of the mountain to path 449, which quickly returns to the chair-lift. At many points on this walk, one may catch glimpses of marmots, which live on Monte Cimone in large colonies. They are quite used to people, but the sentinel of each group still gives a piercing whistle of alarm at the approach of intruders, and this tells the walker that marmots are close at hand. They can often be picked out by the trained eye, although their coats offer excellent camouflage amongst the mountain rocks.