Walking Group in our region

[falcon]

I have just joined the CAI Verbicaro walking group. In fact this group is largely made up from members around Scalea and surroundings and most of the walks tend to be in the mountain areas with levels of various difficulties. They also organise cultural excursions to various places but I am still getting into all of this myself.

It is very much the same as our Ramblers group and if anybody is interested do let me know to give you full details. I am now helping with building the website for the group which is temporarily held at Home . This will hopefully be finished by the end of the month.

The present programme of walks is at: Calendario and the next outing is this Sunday 25th October. If anybody is interested, do let me know.

da bocca del monte a cozzo dell'orso difficoltà E (medium difficulty)
durata h.6
partenza h.7 da Verbicaro
guida Zaccaria Addiego 3388073977

Francis

[brynithel3]

Hi Francis

Thanks for that information. I will certainly look at the calendar for next year and plan to try one of the routes. It might even help my Italian.

Ciao

John

[Dermot Brophy]

Ciao, Francis,

Like, John, I would be most interested to get involved with that group. My mountain walking in Ireland has gradually become les and less energetic, so I like the idea of difficulty-graduated walks.

We're going back very shortly, but 2010 is another year, so I'll be visiting that web-site as soon as I get the details.

This forum is a superb service to us all. Thanks to those who keep it going¬

Dermot

[Helena&Jerry]

Dear Francis

This is good news. I will certainly 'join' the site when it is up and running.

Again, like other readers, although I am over in November, I will be too busy to join that month's outing but hope to do so next year.

What a great opportunity to see the locale through the eyes of the locals; and yes, better get some practice in so as not to be a total wimp on a 6-8 hour walk.

[Doug]

Greetings Francis,

We too appreciate this information on the hiking groups. We'll be living there fulltime by March and will have to get involved. It would not surprise me if I end up doing volunteer maintenance work on trails for the Parco di Pollino (if they seek help) given my background with national forests and recreation in the states. A pensioner should not just lie around on beaches and sip wine fulltime right?

Learning the language thru the scuola, like Lesley and Brian have been doing, will be our top priority but I can imagine how a good hike with the locals would be a valuable learning experience too.

Here's a question for you all. Does anyone understand the land status situation in Italy? Some of the trails I see go off across what appears to be private land. I found this in the Papasidero area when exploring last winter Dermot and you might remember my reports of the trails above the town as well as the one following Fiume Lao. As near as I can tell, the National Park is a protective designation overlaying private lands and the park is not owned/managed by the government like we are used to in the US. So does all this mean that (unless posted closed) one can take off walking anywhere?

Saluti, Doug

[falcon]

Hello all,

Thanks for all the interest. It certainly bodes well for all of us. I thought I will give you an update on my first walk with the group last Sunday.

This walk was in the Valle Sepe I think from Verbicaro. We were joined by a group from Cosenza and it was a really great day with the weather also holding well.

I cannot give much details on the walk as I do not know the terrain and forgot my gps trackstick to record the route. In fact we started off about 10.30 from Verbicaro and must have walked about 2 and three hours before lunch which was an experience in itself. I enphasise this as I am used to a packed lunch as we do with the ramblers. Nothing of the sort in Italy of course.

It was all planned that we end up in what I call a sheperd's refuge around 1pm and while some, like myself, had a few paninis organised. A fire was soon going outside using newly collected twigs and other wood as well as another bigger fire in the refuge.

The beauty of the rest of the lunch was a plethora of antipastos prepared by a some of the women members in the group as well as some cheeses and salamis that sort of appeared on the table outside, carefully covered with tablecloths for the occasion.
The significance of the fire became clear apart from its warming effect when about a 100g of spaghetti in a lovely sauce appeared in plastic plates for all. Home made wine flowed in measured quantities as there were more members than expected. Dessert did not disappoint either as the newly prepared 'fresh' dried aromatised figs were passed around. Also a lovely fig tart was also shared around. Believe me it was an experience to remember. They tell me it is mostly like this on most occasions.

The rest of the walk back was as interesting when we started back about 3pm but what made the day so nice is that lunch which brings all together in conversation. Fortunately for me even though I speak reasonable Italian now, there was an English schoolteacher from the scuola media in Scalea to get me out of bother when I got stuck.

Unfortunately I could not attend todays meeting as I have visitors staying with us this week. However will pass your interest to my local contact in Scalea so that we can get organised soon regarding the subscriptions. Apparently the society's year starts in November so that we will all be joining at the start of the year.

I will try and complete the website soon after my visitors go next Tuesday and will come back with the full details then.

[falcon]

The website for our walking group in the region is now active at Home . The verbicaro bit is simply because the 'sede' is based there. Most of the people are from the Scalea/Daimante/Santa Maria areas.

You are welcome to join the group and the form can be downloaded online and sent by post to the website address or provide the details required on an email and I will forward it to the right person. The site email address is segreteria@cai-verbicaro.org or you can click on it from the website. The site is presently in Italian bar one page which I have translated but will quietly be working on the rest of the pages as I have time.

The next walk is on Sunday 22nd. if anybody wants to join in on this one.

Francis

[Dermot Brophy]

Ciao all,

Have just registered on the CAIV forum. Will keep an eye on it as it grows. Probably will only have a virtual presence until next summer, but I greatly appreciate the work done to set up this line of communication.

Grazie, Francis.

Dermot

[falcon]

Originally Posted by cool

Hi Dermott,Just back from a walk up Djouce Mountail in Wicklow ,love the idea of doing some over there .Myself and the wife would love to join.Please keep us informed and good luck .,,,,,,,Cool .

You will be very welcome. As I explained before, it is best to show interest at least via the site and will be great if you also join the forum as well although there are no posts as yet. I want to convince the group that that is a good way to communicate although they do not seem to very internet friendly here! Will be going for the fornightly reunion on Wednesday and hope to show there is some 'foreign' interest in the walking group.

[falcon]

Originally Posted by brynithel3

Hi Francis

Thanks for that information. I will certainly look at the calendar for next year and plan to try one of the routes. It might even help my Italian.

Ciao

John

Hope to put next years programme which is now complete on the website and the site forum after next Wednesday reunion at the sede. Please keep checking in on the website and the forum which is yet empty as I do not want to step on any Italian toes by posting before it is discussed on Wednesday.

[falcon]

Originally Posted by Doug

Greetings Francis,

We too appreciate this information on the hiking groups. We'll be living there fulltime by March and will have to get involved. It would not surprise me if I end up doing volunteer maintenance work on trails for the Parco di Pollino (if they seek help) given my background with national forests and recreation in the states. A pensioner should not just lie around on beaches and sip wine fulltime right?

Learning the language thru the scuola, like Lesley and Brian have been doing, will be our top priority but I can imagine how a good hike with the locals would be a valuable learning experience too.

Here's a question for you all. Does anyone understand the land status situation in Italy? Some of the trails I see go off across what appears to be private land. I found this in the Papasidero area when exploring last winter Dermot and you might remember my reports of the trails above the town as well as the one following Fiume Lao. As near as I can tell, the National Park is a protective designation overlaying private lands and the park is not owned/managed by the government like we are used to in the US. So does all this mean that (unless posted closed) one can take off walking anywhere?

Saluti, Doug

Hello Doug
Thanks for the interest in the local walking group. Keep checking in on site but I am keeping off the forum there till I talk to them about it on Wednesday at the fornightly re-union. I have photos yet to upload to the site but unfortunately I had to go back for a week to Liverpool to sort some things out with my little business. We will be stopping here till first week in Dec and then back for Christmas but hoping to come long term from March. Easter should be good in this area with all the religious ceremonies.

Like you I have been involved with footpaths etc as my previous work was a Highway Eng in England so had plenty of experience there in the field. I have already found out that the Cosenza group go out regularly to maintain paths and put signs up. If you look on the home page on the website the presentation that I attended was about a project to identify all the paths in parts of the region and have them all signed as we are used to them in England at least.

You are also right about the Italian language experience. It is fantastic how quickly you can make yourself understood once the necessity arises. I also attend the scuola and that is a great help. However I woud suggest do a bit by yourself if you can before you go there. It can be a bit difficult as some of the teachers do not have a word of English.

Re designation of paths: I have found out there is a system of laid out and identified paths on maps but not necessarily on the ground (hence the project I mentioned above). Some of the paths are also unidentified on a map and the situation is a lot more complicated all round. Hence my opinion for all of us 'foreigners' is to join a local group and the CAI of course is the recognised national organisation like the Ramblers in the UK and you must have your own in the States.

Anyway keep in touch and will keep updating the site with further info in the future.

Francis

[Niamh]

Hi All,
We would be interested in joining in some of the "not too difficult" walks while we are there if that's ok. Will keep an eye out on the forum and take a look at that website also.
Ciao
Colman, Niamh & Liam

[Doug]

Originally Posted by falcon

Hello Doug
Thanks for the interest in the local walking group. Keep checking in on site but I am keeping off the forum there till I talk to them about it on Wednesday at the fornightly re-union. I have photos yet to upload to the site but unfortunately I had to go back for a week to Liverpool to sort some things out with my little business. We will be stopping here till first week in Dec and then back for Christmas but hoping to come long term from March. Easter should be good in this area with all the religious ceremonies.
Francis

Howdy Francis,
'It looks as we'll be there when you return, so let's stay in touch and we can rendezvous when you get to Scalea. I'm dropping you a PM. Ciao, Doug

[travelingsuep]

Thank you Francis, I am so pleased you started this thread. Like others, I will be interested in joining next year, if my shippers do not loose my boots (but that's another story). Also, I will go to the site in a moment.

Thxs again. Love the sound of lunch, beats my peanut butter sandwiches, trail mix and apple!

Sue

[falcon]

Originally Posted by travelingsuep

Thank you Francis, I am so pleased you started this thread. Like others, I will be interested in joining next year, if my shippers do not loose my boots (but that's another story). Also, I will go to the site in a moment.

Thxs again. Love the sound of lunch, beats my peanut butter sandwiches, trail mix and apple!

Sue

HI Sue,

Please note the site is not quite finished yet but have managed some translations for a few pages. The main reason is there are not many photos is that I am relying on a 3G connection which are not what they say they are. I will be heading back in our camper on Saturday so as soon as I get back to UK will get as much of the site complete for all to see. We are also waiting for the formal approval of the activities programme from the CAI 'sede' in Cosenza and then will be able to publish it. I do know the one event not to miss will be some time in July when the Festa della montagna will be in full swing for three days I believe.

Francis