The Pollino National Park covers 192,565.00 hectares of land and is located between two regions, Basilicata, also called Lucania, and Calabria. It also stretches from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Ionian Sea, from Cozzo del Pellegrino to Serra Dolcedorme, from Piani di Campolongo, Novacco and Lanzo, to Piani del Pollino, from the Argentino and Abatemarco rivers, to the Lao and Raganello gorges, to Peschiera streams. and Frido. The entire Pollino area is made up of the Pollino and Orsomarso mountains. The mountain range which is part of the southern Apennines on the border of Basilicata and Calabria has the highest peaks in southern Italy which remain snow-capped for a long time from November and ending in May with the melting of the first snow. The height of its peaks reaches 2,200 meters above sea level. The natural space is composed of dolomitic rocks, limestone bastions, fault walls of tectonic origin, cliffs, very deep gorges, karst caves, volcanic timps, sinkholes, plateaus, meadows, pastures of altitude, accumulations of moraine, glacial cirques and erratic rocks.
The Pollino park, thanks to its precious riches and beauties which it jealously guards, is today considered to be the largest protected area in Italy. The path that led to his formation was long and the W.W.F. of Matera in particular in the person of Mario Tommaselli who, with his great sensitivity and his love for culture and the environment, favored the formation of a group of intellectuals who fought for years if not decades to cancel speculative initiatives by local governments and companies often linked to sometimes mafia environments. Indeed, a project that was going to be carried out in the 70s and 80s was the construction of a high mountain village with dozens of ski slopes with highways which should have reached the peaks of the mountain range. Fortunately, after years of sacrifice and even legal struggles, the creation of the park was ratified by the Italian Parliament and beyond all expectations in addition to the Pollino massif, the park was extended to include the magnificent Monte Alpi and the group of neighboring mountains of Orsomarso. Thank you Mario Tommaselli, thank you on behalf of all those who shared with you the struggles and sacrifices for the realization of this great dream.
The Pollino National Park, the last outpost in the south, between Calabria and Basilicata, preserves uncontaminated landscapes which, associated with the cultural and human values jealously preserved by the local population, make these places corners of paradise unique and incredibly fascinating. Pollino Park offers wild panoramas, where the sunrise and sunset take on transcendent colors. Starting, for example, from Fosso Jannace, you enter a path that winds along the edges of the stream which is crossed several times by wooden bridges. During the walk, it is possible to admire specimens of white fir and maple, in addition to the many beech trees present on the site. By continuing to walk for a few hours, you will reach the clearings of the Jannace plain then the Pitt Accurc' source. Along the slopes without an obligatory path, you cross the plains of Pollino in the direction of the Great Gate (Grande Port 1954 m.) and here let be enchanted by a magnificent landscape framed by the Bosnian Pines. Now matter of crossing the Garden of the Gods until reaching the crest of the Serra di Crispo and from here you can observe the Ionian coast and other parts of Basilicata. For the return, take the opposite path and descend to the Sanctuary of Madonna del Pollino, to admire the upper valleys of Frido and Mercury creeks.
Another route that tickles the curiosity of tourists who are a little more experienced or accompanied by mountain guides, can be done from Colle dell'Impiso then down to Piani di Vacquarro. The road runs along the Frida stream which goes up towards the Spezzavummula source then heads towards the Piano Gaudolino. From the hill of Gaudolino, a fairly steep path goes up along the western slope of Monte Pollino to the southwest ridge. You cross a beech forest damaged in 1993 by an avalanche and you reach the summit of Monte Pollino, the second of the massif to be more precise in order of height. From there, the panorama embraces the rocky ridges rich in Bosnian pines. For those who wish to see the eagle and the peregrine falcon, this is the best place to do so. Not far from the summit of Monte Pollino, there is a large chasm (karst phenomenon) where you can observe a snow field until the first days of summer.
Leaving from Piano Ruggio, you cross the plateau and arrive at Belvedere del Malvento. From there, you take a path that climbs the south-west ridge of the mountain and you reach an altitude of 2000 meters and you walk for about 2 km to the summit and crossing it all, you can enjoy the view of the other mountains and Calabria. From the summit, you descend to the north of the mountain and you reach the Colle dell'Impiso. This route is ideal for the more experienced or in any case done with alpine guides.
Starting from Colle dell'Impiso, we descend to the "Piani di Vacquarro". Going up you arrive in Bosco di Chiaromonte and continue towards Piani di Pollino. The walk is ideal especially in spring to enjoy spectacular flowers. Climbing towards the Sella Dolcedorme at 2000 meters above sea level, take the path which allows you to reach the highest peak of the southern Apennines precisely at an altitude of 2267 meters. above sea level. An excursion which is worth to be accompanied by experts or alpine guides.
The excursion to the Raganello gorges is one of the experiences not to be missed. This pristine corner, on the border between Calabria and Basilicata, in addition to being a protected natural reserve of the Pollino National Park, is popular for canyoning, a kind of aquatic hike between multicolored rocks smoothed by water and wind.
The path of the Raganello gorges begins at an altitude of 750 meters, near the source of Lamia, and is about 13 km long and up to 400 meters deep. The canyon crosses the villages of San Lorenzo Bellizzi, Cerchiara di Calabria and ends in Civita, at Ponte del Diavolo, an architectural work which hides a curious legend about its construction.
The Raganello gorges form a canyon of around 17 km long, which starts from the Sorgente della Lamia until it reaches an area adjacent to the town of Civita, where the Ponte del Diavolo rises. Here the course of the Raganello torrent becomes more regular and flows along a more open valley which remains so until; the mouth. The Raganello canyon is distinguished by experts in two parts: the high gorges and the low gorges.
The high gorges of Raganello or Gole di Barile start from the source of Lamia until reaching the so-called Scala di Barile, near the town of San Lorenzo Bellizzi, on a path of approximately 9 km. The conformation of the stream is very rough, but of great naturalistic and excursion interest. The canyon consists of two imposing rock faces: the Timpa di Porace-Cassano and the Timpa di San Lorenzo (1652 m). They overlook the stream over a height of about 600 to 700 meters. The path consists of multicolored rocks, smoothed for centuries by the waters flowing along this route. Hikers can travel through the canyon, using simple self-insurance devices (hard helmets, ropes, carabiners), managing to contemplate scenarios inspired by Dante: the Grande Diedro, the Masso delle Rudiste, the Sorgente degli Equiseti, the Anfiteatro del Diavolo
The low gorges of Raganello start from the area of Pietraponte, where stands the homonymous bridge, a singular rock placed between the walls, until it reaches the area below the spectacular Devil's Bridge, near Civita, on a path of about 8 km. The precautions for hikers and all those who have the pleasure of contemplating these enchanting canyoning paradises are the same. The route is similar in shape to the one above, but more difficult to navigate, given the greater amount of water in the basin and the presence of more steep and uneven points: the Forra d'Ilice, the Conca degli Oleandri, the Tetra Fenditura, the cyclopean landslide.
