One of the most popular hikes in the area of Massa Lubrense, from Termini to Punta Campanella, which is also part of the Athena Trail, is now off limits until January 2016 due to work being carried out on the path and in the area around the tower. A locked gate by the shrine at the point called Cancello will bar all access not only for vehicles but also for pedestrians.
In his latest blog, Giovanni Visetti proposes an alternative route so that walkers will still be able to enjoy the amazing scenery and flora between Punta Campanella and Monte Santa Croce at the top of the ridge.
His suggestion is to create a new
circuit, for the moment named the Giro di Santa Croce, starting
from Termini, but following the newly cleared path from Via Cercito
towards Vuallariello (see my blog "When in Termini - another option for an interesting hike" ).
Once past the caves, up the
steps and out into the open, instead of following the new trail up towards
the belvedere, ideally the original Vuallariello trail should be cleared, so that hikers can follow this to Campo Vetavole and
join the official CAI300 path there.
When you join this path, marked on all the maps and guides of this area, you will have the
usual 3 choices of how to proceed:
-
follow the path to the west towards the belvedere before coming out
onto the road and walking to the chapel of Monte San Costanzo and/or
back to Termini.
- follow the old CAI path up to and around the "radar" station and which then takes you back down onto the road and on to Termini and/or Monte San Costanzo.
- follow the newer CAI path
which takes you above the Bay of Jeranto and on to the pine woods and
Monte San Costanzo (very panoramic but not for those with vertigo).
Whether or not the local
authorities embrace Giovanni's suggestion (I am optimistic they will),
it is of paramount importance that clear, multi-lingual signs are in any
case put up at all key points of the original routes to warn hikers of the new situation;
this not only in the centre of Termini and at the start of Via Campanella, but also
along key points of the CAI 300 trail, on Monte San Costanzo, at the Belvedere, at
Rezzale, at Campo Vetavole, in order to warn anyone walking the Athena Trail
clockwise (Monte San Costanzo - Punta Campanella - Termini) that they
will find a locked gate at the end. Their only option then will be to
retrace their steps and face the long climb back up the ridge. To be
honest I wouldn't wish that on anyone and especially not in the heat of
the day or even worse as night is drawing in.
Giovanni continues his blog
with the consideration that since the path to Punta Campanella is going
to be closed for months and that from September onwards there will be a great number of
hikers in this area, it might be an idea
to propose the "Giro di Santa Croce"
as a valid alternative to the classical Termini to Punta Campanella or
Athena Trail, with a view to it then even becoming an official route in its own right, especially if the feedback of those that have tried it out over the coming months is positive.
In fact if you compare the three, Santa Croce is shorter and has less elevation. What is more, you avoid the long stretches along the paved road to Punta Campanella, have shade for the uphill part, but still have the views :
In fact if you compare the three, Santa Croce is shorter and has less elevation. What is more, you avoid the long stretches along the paved road to Punta Campanella, have shade for the uphill part, but still have the views :
- Athena trail - 7km and 500m elevation
- Punta Campanella there and back - 6km and 300m elevation
- Giro di Santa Croce - 4.5km and 250m elevation.
Click for link to Giovanni's blog.
NB the purple "x"s on Giovanni's map indicate where the path is now closed.
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