Day five - Mt. Tre Calli hike

This walk involves a bus trip from San Lazzaro to Bomerano. Bomerano seems to be the walking centre for Agerola. From the village square where the bus dropped us off there was a bustle of activity.

We looked round the square 

Allan soon found the way

Off up Via Tommaso Mannini 

As we left the village outskirts there was a deficit derelict building that would make someone a fabulous project.

After a step up hill section on via Mannini we came to a junction here we turned left, uphill via Pendola with a sign pointing to Paipo and Alta via dei Monti Lattari " this is just over the hill in the next valley"

Continuing up via Pendola bends to the left taking the stone steps uphill following the all to familiar red and white marks we were now on the local route 2, enjoying views over the Agerola plain it was time to slip the lower section of my trousers off and walk in shorts as it was a glorious day.

Rather than road walk up the zig zags we took the first steps we could to shorten our ascent, on reaching the tarmac again we turned left and followed the road until we saw the metal cross on the right side, here the red and white marks indicated uphill with a sign M. Tre Calli, we commenced ours ascent walking through beautiful wildflowers like a someone's giant rockery.

Following the trail we reached a paved stone pathway which goes steeply uphil, once the paved section stops the going levels out and we were walking through oak and chestnut trees.

We had been accompanied by a couple of French walkers managing to keep just ahead of them. The path rose steeply again well marked zig zagging to gain height.

On passing a big protruding rock we missed the arrow pointing left, after 200 metres with no reassuring red and white marks we turned back, met up with the French couple again, the continuation of the route was easy to see from this direction.

Before the summit there is a promentary with a point with some exposure but giving views back across Agerola.

Turning our back to the sea we walked uphill over a rocky section with a distant wooden pole and the all familiar red and white marks. On gaining height the summit was a bit of a scramble giving 360 views over Agerola, Amalfi, Positano the islands of Capri and Ischia and the bay of Naples.

Looking down into Sorrento

We were probably the first people up there that morning this was only 11am, we could hear a group of Australians below us quickly coming up behind. We so enjoyed the isolation and beauty of the view all too ourselves. The French couple weren't long joining us, but we were beginning to chill so decide to move on.

 We headed north along the Calabric crest with the highest mountain on the Amalfi coast before us Sant'Angelo a Tre Pizzi (the big massif with triple peaks) we looked long and hard at this trying to work out if there was a ridge walk and walk down into Positano as an end. We were at 1108 metres and we were looking up at peaks of 1326, 1426 and 1450 metres careful studying maps afterward showed there not to be a complete traverse but local walks 4 and 5 as individual summits.

A magnificent mountain

And looking the other way terraces lay before us

We were in for a long descent and looking back up to Mt Tre Calli we could see the top was well populated with the naked eye.

Having come off the edge we had a kilometre + contouring round, we could hear goats on the hillside in the woods. We were soon at Capo Muro's crossing point 1079 m and the way marks

Following the directions to Paipo and the red and white marks and dropped down through a rocky area there through some shrub.

The views were equally amazing as we dropped lower 

Taking time to enjoy the views as we descended, we were following the red and white marks now of route CAI 41. This was a gentle descent down to a dirt road continuing along to a tarmac road which meandered its way to the corner where we reach the cross from where we started our ascent. We were heading back into  Bomberano down the same steps to via Pendola where the dog we had passed on our way up had little moved.

Coming back to the original square, and working out that the one way system through the village, we would need another road to return home to San Lazzaro.

The bus dropped us off in Piazza Avitabile just opposite a bar where a beer and panini went down a treat.

We had chance to wander round the little village and explored the church but didn't find anywhere else to eat that evening so we stayed in the hotel and ate there.

An excellent days walking don't think we could have bettered it unless we had researched the Sant'Angelo a Tre Pizzi but there is always another time to return and explore more.

Day four - Scala and the Nature Reserve of "Valle delle Ferriere"

Today is the day we move hotels, leaving our bags in reception we were to catch a bus from Amalfi to Scala.  

We went up on to the roof terrace and captured the cathedral exterior.

We had plenty of time today only 5 hours walking bus left every half hour so we slipped into the cathedral and wandered around taking it all in.

We then walked down to the Piazza Flávio Gioia where we watched the world go by as we waited for our bus.

We were soon up in the hill village of Scala. This is an old village with a large church on the main square.

Passing a water fountain 

There are some lovely old steps leading up to homes set in the hillside.

Passing a 13th century Manor House which has kept much of the original features and is now  private dwellings.

 We then walked out of Scala towards the tiny village of Minuta, along a twisting road giving views over Ravello.

Once in the little square of Minuta we had views of the village of Pontone and the ruins of S. Eustachio.

On retracing our steps we saw donkeys loaded up to transport goods down into the village.

We now climbed up a flight of stairs for 350 steps so we were looking down on Ravello and Minori and Maiori.

We contoured along through pine woods with amazing views Amalfi, Atrani and Torre dello Ziro

We would walked along the Ceraso Aqueduct continuing along the Valle delle Ferriere to the innermost point in the valley. The instructions warned that we may get our feet wet, but we managed a successful crossing.

We then followed the stream on our left side along for about 1 km, a very pretty valley.

We were now on an Italian Alpine Club route signed by red and white marks to indicate the way, these were going to be very familiar for the rest of the holiday. Walking over limestone we set off uphill again following the way marks we descended to another stream with waterfalls 

We were soon walking into the outskirts of the small village of Pogerola the views back across the wooded valley we had just negotiated were wonderful.

It was fantastic walking in the woods with the spring flowers

A final flight of steps and we were in Pogerola 

We found some lunch in a little restaurant the view from the terrace looking back into the valley.

From here the guided walk suggested walking back to Amalfi and taking a local bus to Agerola - San Lazzaro.

We were having such a good day, it seemed a waste to walk back into town when our next destination was just over the hill.

We asked in the restaurant and yes you can walk takes about 90 minutes, sounded good to us. As always it was a flight of steps out of the valley!

Soon we were climbing steeply but the views back across the valley grew more majestic as we ascended.

We really felt we were perched right up above Amalfi 

We continued the ascent up past a deserted church, Madonna dei Fuondi and over the Coll with M. Scorch on our left. We were now off piste following an ancient little used pathway between Amalfi and Agerola. Walking up into some woods and following a rough dirt road we came to the edge of the valley looking over into Agerola and down into a village we weren't sure of. A local out rabbiting indicated we were to go straight down the poorly made out track zigzagging the hillside to the yellow building. This we did in no time and descended into the village of San Lazzaro easily finding our new hotel on the Main Street. We had had an adventure and not got killed!!