Monte Pollino remains elusive

Today we are back looking for a nice walk to do, we are heading for the mountains.

The castle custodian from last night has given us some indication of the start of the walk and we have checked online, but it is all still a bit vague. We head off in the general direction and after a couple of false starts we find an agri-tourism B&B type place and ahead of us looks like a monastery type building on a hill. This looks right, but where can we park. We get worried when the guy from the B&B comes up to us. We are expecting a ‘you can’t park here’ but instead get a ‘are you guests’ no ‘do you need to wash up or anything’ no thanks can we park here ‘yeah no problem’.

Great Dora is safe, sound and sorted. It looks like a murky day. It is a bit rainy. We tog up in our finest wet weather gear and set off.

We walk straight pass the B&B over the motorway and head up towards the monastery.

Here, somehow we get a bit lost, but we know it must be up here somewhere. We press on. It is a bit overgrown, but not too bad.

Eventually we find a clearing and are in the dilapidated remains of the monastery. We find the right path, where we should have come and a signpost shows us the way upwards.

We are going up there. The weather is not ideal, but we are out in the fresh air. We haven’t walked in Italy as much as we wanted. Too much culture, but also not the right season. Hopefully we will be back this way in the summer. We hope to do some via ferrata in Northern Italy.

But also our travels have inspired us. We would like to come back and climb Corno Grande.

The path is interesting, well marked, and up through woods. Walking through forest is not my favourite, you don’t get the views, but today it is a bit rainy and the canopy gives you a bit of shelter.

We are climbing quite steeply now. The mountain is ours, I don’t think there is anyone else around today.

The rain has swollen some of the rivulets and streams that are cascading down the hillside. We wade through them and continue upwards.

They are the only noise on the mountain. The motorway is now far beneath us and the woods are quiet, no birds today.

We continue to climb and occasionally get glimpses of the mountain summit above. I think we could be climbing into cloud shortly!

But for now we have clear paths and an easy way forward.

Occasionally blocked by a bit of water.

We like the European system of red and white slashes. I wish they would use then in the UK. We are getting steeper again.

They are just so easy to follow, especially in woods, where it is so easy to get lost. The cairns help too.

We follow the valley up. It looks like we are heading up to a high col on the mountain.

We climb, climb, climb.

The brown fallen leaves litter the paths. It doesn’t look like anyone has been here recently.

Eventually as we climb a steep path, under which we have come across our first snow.

Soon snow covers the ground. We have bought out crampons, but it is not that steep so we continue without them.

Eventually we get to the col.

Numerous signs point to various summits, but we are in fairly dense cloud.

There is meant to be a refuge somewhere up here. Maybe it is buried! The snow has made a good attempt at burying the signboard.

I go off looking for it, and soon can no longer see Susana. I can’t find the refuge. Navigation is not a problem, to get back to Susu I follow my footprints back.

It is too risky pushing upwards. There aren’t enough footprints to follow and the fog is too dense.

We have had a good walk in some good weather, so we decide to head back.

Sometimes walks go like this. Experience tells you when it is best to retreat. It is a shame, but it is the right decision. We are soon out of the fog, then off of the snow and before long back at the monastery and then back at Dora.

We look back towards the summit, which has now cleared and is free of cloud…typical.

We pack up and head off after a quick lunch. We didn’t feel like eating at the top, the cold fog seeps into your bones.

It has been a good morning, but down here in the valley, it is still miserable and showery.

We head back to the coast.

Through more green hilly landscape.

It is not so touristy around here. We wonder what it will be like down by the sea. We are still really high and Dora has a long way to drop to the coast.

We take it slow and before long the waves are again lapping at her tires.

Another lovely place to spend the night; peaceful, with the mountains behind you and the Mediterranean in front of you.

What more could you want?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GDR