Introduction: the Pollino National Park, the largest in Italy, is one of the few that can boast mountains of considerable height, with wide views over the Tyrrhenian and the Ionian Sea among the thousand-year-old Bosnian pines (pino loricato), the very noble symbol of the Park.
The last outpost to the south between Calabria and Basilicata, with peaks over 2000 m, the Pollino Park holds a whole range of diversity, of contrasts, of unspoilt landscape and natural features which, together with the cultural and human values that are still present and jealously preserved, make these places still unique and fascinating.
With its wild views, on the border between reality and dream, where dawn and sunset take on transcendental colours, it stands out as a fascinating destination for all those who love the mountains.
A journey in the Pollino is full of meanings that go beyond the simple hike: it becomes the discovery of a world where the land, the animals and the people who live there belong to that time which is measured out by the laws of nature.
Route description
From Colle dell'Impiso you go down towards the Piani di Vacquarro. The path follows the Frida stream. You leave it to climb up towards the Spezzavummula spring, then towards Piano Gaudolino. From Colle Gaudolino the path climbs fairly steeply up the western side of Monte Pollino until it reaches the SW ridge. Crossing a beech wood destroyed by an avalanche in 1993. You reach the summit of Monte Pollino, the second in order of height. An aerial view over the rocky spurs inhabited by the Bosnian pines. An area frequented by the eagle and the peregrine falcon. A few metres from the summit of Monte Pollino you can admire a large doline (a karst feature) where you can find a snowfield, usually until early August. The descent follows the path that goes down towards the Pollinello, to admire the thousand-year-old Bosnian pines in all their beauty. In the Pollinello wood, on a rocky spur, you can admire THE Patriarca, the oldest Bosnian pine in the Pollino, 1000 years old.
Variants and alternatives
You can go down towards Sella Dolcedorme, then towards the Piani di Pollino and Colle dell'Impiso, crossing the Chiaromonte wood.
Notes on effort and difficulty
Visitor centres and accommodation
Viggianello Visitor Centre – Bar Ristoro La Baita (1 km from Colle dell'Impiso) – Rifugio A. De Gasperi at Piano Ruggio (5 km from Colle dell'Impiso)
Frequently asked questions
Where does the hike to Monte Pollino start?
You start from Colle dell'Impiso and go down to the Piani di Vacquarro along the Frida stream, then climb back up towards the Spezzavummula spring and Piano Gaudolino. From there the path climbs steeply up the western side to the ridge and the summit.
Where can you see the thousand-year-old Bosnian pines?
On the way down from the summit you follow the path towards the Pollinello, where the thousand-year-old Bosnian pines grow. On a rocky spur in the wood stands the Patriarca, the oldest Bosnian pine in the Pollino, 1000 years old.