The Sentiero Italia through the wild Aspromonte
The Calabrian stretch of the Sentiero Italia crosses the Aspromonte National Park, a massif of torrents and forests kept far from hikers by its bad reputation. A ridge traverse that offers total solitude in one of the least-visited mountains of the South.
Foto: Sargon24 (CC BY-SA 4.0) — Wikimedia Commons
The Aspromonte long paid the price of its dark reputation, the one made of crime news and kidnappings, and even today many hikers cross it off out of prejudice. It is both a shame and a stroke of luck: a shame because they deprive themselves of one of the wildest and most surprising mountains in Italy, and a stroke of luck for those who do go, because here solitude is total. The Aspromonte National Park is a massif carved by deep torrent beds, cloaked in beech and pine forests, with peaks that top nineteen hundred metres and that seem impossible when seen from the sea. The Sentiero Italia, the great hiking backbone that runs the length of the peninsula, crosses it, offering one of the most remote ridge traverses of the whole route.
The summit of Montalto
One of the most iconic points is Montalto, the highest peak of the massif, crowned by a great statue of the Redeemer and by a viewpoint from which, on clear days, the gaze embraces both seas, the Ionian and the Tyrrhenian, and on the horizon the smoking Etna. Many paths set off and cross here, and the landscape changes constantly: from the high-altitude beech woods you descend towards warmer forests and towards the headwaters of the torrents.
Waterfalls and monoliths
The massif hides wonders that few people know. The Maesano Waterfall, near Gambarie, is a spectacular drop of water reachable with a walk through the forest. The Valley of the Great Stones holds rocky monoliths in fantastical shapes, such as Pietra Cappa, one of the largest monoliths in Europe, and the rocks of San Pietro, destinations of a route that starts from the area around Natile and Antonimina. The torrents, such as the Amendolea and the Bonamico, are extremely wide rivers, almost dry in summer, stone motorways that split the mountain and that on their own tell of the power of water over this land.
Gambarie d'Aspromonte is the natural logistical hub for those who want to explore the higher reaches: a small mountain resort on the Tyrrhenian side, equipped with lifts and lodgings, it is the point from which many itineraries towards Montalto and the beech woods begin. On the opposite side, the villages of the Locride and the Grecanic area serve as a base for the southern stages, while to the north the trail continues, linking up with the rest of the Calabrian backbone.
This is not a mountain to take lightly. The paths are not always carefully waymarked, phone coverage is patchy or absent, the torrents can be treacherous and finding your way requires experience. For those who do not know the area, relying on the park guides or on the local sections of the CAI is the wisest choice, as well as the best way to grasp what the mountain conceals. Those with the right skills can organise multi-day traverses using the refuges and villages, but always checking beforehand on the state of the paths and the fords.
Getting there
To get here, the reference point is Reggio Calabria, from which you climb up to Gambarie along a panoramic road that in a short time takes you from the sea to the thirteen hundred metres of the resort. The Ionian side is reached from the Ionian state road and from the villages of the Locride. A car is in practice indispensable for reaching the trailheads, often far from towns and poorly served by public transport.
When to go
The ideal season is late spring, between May and June, when the beech woods burst with fresh green, the torrents still hold water and the high-altitude meadows are in bloom; or October, with the woods ablaze in red and gold and the clear air throwing open the views over the two seas. Summer can be sweltering at lower altitudes and dry along the torrents, while May and October offer perfect temperatures for walking. These are the months when Calabria's coasts are still or once again crowded, while the Aspromonte stays empty as ever, giving those who climb up a silence that no longer exists elsewhere.
One last piece of advice: never underestimate this mountain. Set off with plenty of water, proper boots and your route planned, and always tell someone where you are heading. The Aspromonte repays respect with a beauty that very few Italians know, and it punishes carelessness more than many more famous peaks.
Practical guides for Udine
Practical info
When is the best time to visit The Sentiero Italia through the wild Aspromonte?
The recommended time is May, June and October, when it is less crowded.
Where is The Sentiero Italia through the wild Aspromonte?
The Sentiero Italia through the wild Aspromonte is located in Aspromonte National Park, Calabria.
