MTSZ
MTSZ térképportál
Turista Magazin
TuristaShop
Kéktúra
Gerecse50
A kéktúrázás napja
recommended route
Hiking Trail
· Province of Salerno
From Controne to Postiglione via Monte della Nuda and the two Sant'Elia Caves
Little Fish Trek
-
The entrance from the low wall that borders the Grotte di Sant'Elia di Controne.Photo: Mario Briotto, Little Fish Trek
Monti Alburni: crossing from Controne to Postiglione passing through the Sant'Elia Caves of Controne, the summit of Monte della Nuda, and the Sant'Elia Caves of Postiglione.
Ascent to Monte della Nuda through long and moderately gentle southern slopes.
The only steep section of a few dozen meters starts just after the Sant'Elia Caves of Controne to rise above a wooded channel; then the slope increases only at the end on the west ridge toward the summit of Monte della Nuda.
From the summit, you can descend by various routes; today's aimed to ideally connect the two Sant'Elia Caves of Controne and Sant'Elia of Postiglione.
Overall a somewhat long route that requires good legs, and which is certainly less tiring and easier to follow in the autumn season.
Autumn season is definitely better also for distant photos.
In summer, however, you enjoy the sun at the summit, which is a beauty! 😊
Author’s recommendation
In the report of the "DIRECTIONS TO FOLLOW" sheet I referred to some specific waypoints.
To understand where the various waypoints are positioned along the route, click on the diagonal double arrow in the upper right corner that expands the map located at the top right of the various pages.
Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.
Track types
Show elevation profileSafety information
Avoid in snow, frost, or recent rain.
Tips and suggestions
As a recommended period, I indicated from May to October when snow and ice should be avoided in the upper part.
However, as always, every year is different, and it might be possible to do the entire crossing even beyond the indicated extremes.
******************************
For a complete overview of the routes traveled and described in the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park (with surrounding areas), you can refer to the link → Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni Park (with surrounding areas).
Roadbook
Premise
This route was traveled on July 30, 2018, and all subsequent observations and considerations fully apply only to that day.
↓
After the easy initial part up to the Sant'Elia Caves of Controne and the following steep wooded channel (where the CAI signs end at the start), you enter a section with faint traces leading to a subsequent segment with several cairns.
On July 30, 2018, the faint traces were not visible at all due to seasonal weed growth, but I also passed through in December 2017 and with attention it was possible to keep a coherent line.
After the end of the cairns at waypoint 07, there is a short traverse leading to an easy and wide ridge: here also weeds today and in December everything was clearer.
From waypoint 08 you enter a narrow forest-pastoral track (not always continuous) until waypoint 11 where you exit to the left onto a fairly obvious forest trail.
Here begins the most complicated part in terms of orientation, or rather there are various continuation possibilities (considering that the “red dots” on the 1:25000 maps of the Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park are “virtual” since they have no corresponding markings on the ground).
After the obvious start, the trail is lost several times, and other times it joins some forks/intersections where the choice is to minimize elevation change by following the terrain shape toward Monte della Nuda.
You reach a long, narrow, and gentle small valley which you follow to its end: you can stay either in the bottom or on the left edge going uphill.
You reach a saddle where, after a first turn to the left, slightly bending right you continue on a wide and almost flat small valley in the woods, from which you first reach a forest road and shortly after the path that ascends from Pozzo di Santa Maria.
Theoretically from here it should be easy and marked up to the summit, but in practice (after the first part) markings and traces on the ground become faint.
In this last section, to be faster, I did not always try to follow perfectly the official route to the final ridge, which is then well marked and intuitive.
The descent to Postiglione chosen today is a bit slippery at the start due to gravel and scree covering the path, but then it becomes progressively easier up to the very easy final part.
Directions
Start of the hike
You need to go to Controne at the intersection between Via Nazionale and Via Giacumbi.
The hike starts in front of the entrance of Via Giacumbi from Via Nazionale.
↓
End of the hike
You need to go to the central Piazza Europa in Postiglione.
Parking
Start of the hike
There is a small parking area or road widening at the corner between Via Giacumbi and Via Nazionale in Controne.
↓
End of the hike
In Piazza Europa in Postiglione.
Coordinates
Book recommendation by the author
"Walking along THE MOUNTAINS OF SILENCE"
by Andrea Perciato
Cultural, sports and recreation association "Arci Postiglione"
*****************************
Excellent book to start getting to know the Monti Alburni even if this route is not described.
Author’s map recommendations
Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park - Trail Map 1:25000
Sheet 1 → Monti Alburni
For this hike, more or less the entire route is indicated with varying emphasis.
However, various sections are imprecisely indicated and the map should be considered a "certificate of existence" of the route, then locating the true route lines on the ground.
*****************************
In the electronic maps category, OpenStreetMap (updated December 2024) and derivatives accurately map the entire second part of the hike and a section of the start.
Book recommendations for this region:
Equipment
Normal hiking equipment.
Localization
Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.
User Questions