The Path of the Gods - Open or Closed?

The Path of the Gods has been appearing in the local press rather frequently over the past few weeks, which is hardly surprising when you consider that the hiking season has now started in earnest and that  the most famous and popular route of this area is still  officially off limits. 

Yes, for anyone who has still no realised this,  the trail has been "closed" to the public since 17th November 2017, when the local authorities of Positano issued an  ordinance banning access to a part of the Path which had collapsed following  heavy rain. Since then, another small stretch disappeared over the edge elsewhere, but as far as I am aware, this one was never the object of any prohibition, although in my opinion just as risky, if not more so, than the first.

In spite of the "closure",  to start with there was very little clamor  and certainly not much publicity. People continued and continue to walk the trail, sometimes in considerable numbers and often accompanied by guides -  there is no control and little to warn people of the situation. 

It was only recently, as the start to the hiking season approached, that the first murmurings of discontent were heard. Various  foreign Tour Operators, warned by their conscientious local guides,  became aware of the situation and  began  cancelling or re-organising their walking tours. In fact, as any true professional guide knows, if there is an official ban on a path, then you  do not take groups along it. No discussion. Since should an accident happen, not only will the Insurance people laugh in your face, but you yourself and your Company will be  liable and likely to end up in a lot of very expensive legal trouble.

Unfortunately not everyone seems to realise this, or prefers to ignore it,  and the walk is still being promoted and guided by unscrupulous people with very little respect for the law or the safety of their customers. Moreover, the Path of the Gods is often still being  mis-sold which is something I have complained about before. I read a tragi-comic post today on Facebook where a lady who had been inquiring about this hike was astounded to hear that it wasn't the simple stroll she had been  led to believe: 

"But what do you mean...? They told me that the Path is for everyone, that it is open to everyone and anyone can do it, that I can even bring  children, that you do not need specific equipment and that I can do it with gym shoes or running shoes and that - if I want to - I can also bring the dog, and now you are telling me that precautions are needed ...?". 

It has to be said that the authorities have a lot of to answer for with regard to the present situation. In 6 months not only have they failed to make the necessary repairs, but they have also done absolutely nothing to make sure that the ordinance is respected. About a week ago, there was at long last an inspection carried out by  various members of the local authorities, civil engineers and Regional Parks people to start evaluating and planning the work needed. It is said that the Regional Government has promised the funding, so technically the money is there. The problem is that this is 6 months too late. As anyone who lives in Italy knows, bureaucracy is incredibly slow and there are multiple hoops to jump through before anything tangible gets done. Hopefully I will be proved wrong but I doubt it.

However all is not lost. Although the "cowboy" guides continue to take their blissfully unaware customers along the traditional and more usual Bomerano to Nocelle linear route,(probably because they know no other), there are other options which will still allow you to get more than a taste of the spectacular nature of this walk. You can set off from Bomerano and walk a circuit following the upper path from Colle Serra and returning via the lower one, or you can walk from Bomerano to Praiano (or vice versa) either via San Domenico or via the 327B, preferably using the services of one of our excellent and reliable local guides!
And here is the link to the recent Blog published by Giovanni Visetti on the same subject