Having arrived at the Ionian Sea the Kalabrian Coast to Coast trek was complete. Subtracting the drive around the mountain, (which cut out 6.0 miles (10k) and 2,200′ (677m) of elevation) we hiked 33 miles (55k) (I am including our brief off trail adventure the last day) and gained in elevation, or went uphill, according to all trails, 5,103′ (1,570m).
For my fellow peregrinos out there, as a basis for comparison; The Frances route of the Camino Santiago from Leon to Santiago is 195 miles (312k) with an elevation gain of 15,044′ (4,585m). So, while traveling 17% of the distance of the Camino we climbed 34% of the elevation.
The Kalabria Coast to Coast trek is one that, while definitely doable, should not be done on a lark unless you in fairly decent physical condition. We (Stephen and I) hiked in the hills of east Tennessee on some of the toughest local trails and thought we were in a good position to take this trek on as we knew it would be a challenge. In retrospect it would have probably been better if we had trained a bit more :-). Having said that there are definitely portions of the trail, such as the Lago Acero area near the top of Monte Acido, which are definitely easier sections of the trail that would be absolutely wonderful for a leisurely day hike or picnic.
Now, in fairness, I was warned by Rosy (more on Rosy later) that the hike from Pizzo to Soverato was the more difficult trek from an elevation standpoint. But, it would have taken an extra day of train travel to get to Soverato, so I opted for starting from Pizzo.
The Trek is fairly similar to other certificate type treks in that one gets a “passport” to get “validated” as one makes the trek by having the passport stamped along the way.
At the end of the trek, either in Pizzo or Soverato, one goes to a specific bookstore, or libreria, for validation and receipt of a very nice certificate of completion.
Some final notes if one is thinking about doing this trek. You will need trekking poles. Not necessarily all the time, but, there are several sections of trail that are natural runoff paths that are steep, severely eroded, and contain large cobbles that will be extremely difficult to maneuver either in ascent or decent with out the help of the poles.
Water, pack plenty of water as fountains are limited between villages and be careful when comes upon a fountain for many are not potable.
The secret weapon and unsung hero of this trek is Rosy at the Kalabria Trekking association. Getting in contact with Rosy at https://www.kalabriatrekking.it/ is essential to a successful trek on the Kalabria Coast to Coast trek. Rosy can handle luggage transfers, provide hiking suggestions, dining suggestions and most importantly the codes to the gates at the Lago Agitola reservoir because, trust me, you do not want to hike along the highway any more than necessary and cutting through the reservoir is not only pleasant, but much safer. Rosy can also be contacted on WhatsApp at +39 351 814 6225 (number provided with Rosy’s permission). I met Rosy at the Lago Acero picnic site. I would have liked to have gotten a picture with Rosy, but Rosy did not tell me that I had met him/her (I’m pretty sure it is her, but, just in case 🙂 ) until we were in Soverato. Through our interactions I have come to consider consider Rosy as a friend without whose help we probably would not have made this trek. I suspect that Rosy is a teacher, as he/she was with the group of school children that were at the picnic area when we were there. In any case Rosy is extremely knowledgeable, conscientious and, I guess, a little camera shy LOL. Thanks Rosy!
Ok, that’s it for this post. Back to pictures and more about our journey with the next dispatch.
Lou Hikes? 
Wow!
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