This is the highest massif in the Abruzzi and its main peak is Corno Grande (2 912m high). On the northern side, ridges with many gullies slope away gently, while on the southern face, Gran Sasso drops abruptly to great glacial plateaus edged by deep valleys. The lush pastures and tree-covered slopes to the north contrast sharply with the desolate grand expanses to the south.