Cervati
1,898 m
Italy
Also known as Monte CervatiAlso known as
Monte Cervati
- Elevation
- 1,898 m
- Prominence
- 1,344 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- May–Jun
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1The short route from the Sanza side: from the picnic area at Ruscio di Vallivona (1,480 m) follow the mountain road and faint tracks to the Grotta della Madonna and the Santuario della Madonna della Neve just below the top, then cross pathless pasture for the last kilometre to the summit (1,899 m). About 500 m of ascent, grade E/T.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 5.1 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +466 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,898 m
- Time Up
- 2h 15m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 1h 47m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Sanza take the SP18b towards Rofrano and then the road up Monte Cervati to the equipped picnic area at Ruscio di Vallivona (1,480 m). The route follows the asphalt road and, in places, faint tracks through the beech forest. About 300 m before the sanctuary leave the road for a path that leads in about 500 m to the Grotta della Madonna (about 1,830 m), a cave chapel, and continues a little higher to the small Santuario della Madonna della Neve (1,852 m). From the sanctuary to the summit (about 1 km) there is no set path: cross open limestone pasture and scree towards the highest point, using a GPS track in poor visibility. On the far side the summit looks down into a large doline with a small pond. Return the same way. The round trip is about 12 km. There are no springs on the route, so carry at least 2 litres of water. The chapel is open from the first Sunday of June to the second Sunday of October, and the statue of the Madonna is carried up from Sanza on 26 July and back down on 5 August, when the mountain is busy with pilgrims.
Start
Ruscio di Vallivona1,463 m
- Lamanna buses run to Sanza from Salerno and Sapri; from Sanza the start at Ruscio di Vallivona is a long way up the mountain road, so a car is needed for this route.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ruscio di Vallivona → Monte Cervati | 5.1 | 466 | 31 | 2h 15m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Ruscio di Vallivona1,463 m
Equipped picnic area on the Sanza side
- Waypoint: Santuario della Madonna della Neve1,861 m
- Summit: Monte Cervati1,898 m
Key Passages
- Grotta della Madonna
- Santuario della Madonna della Neve
- Pathless final kilometre to the summit
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 65%Overview
The highest mountain of the Cilento (1,898 m) and one of the highest in Campania, a broad karst massif in the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park. A pilgrimage sanctuary sits just below the summit, and a short walk from the forest road leads to the top.
Monte Cervati rises in the centre-south of the Parco Nazionale del Cilento, Vallo di Diano e Alburni, mainly within the municipalities of Sanza and Piaggine and touching Monte San Giacomo. It is a large limestone massif riddled with karst features: sinkholes such as the Affondatore di Vallivona, the 'nevera' doline that once held snow through the summer, and a broad summit doline with a small pond. Its slopes carry extensive beech forest and old silver firs, and the Calore Lucano river rises on the mountain.
Just below the summit stand the small Santuario della Madonna della Neve (1,852 m) and a cave chapel (about 1,830 m). The sanctuary is the goal of a long-standing pilgrimage from Sanza: the statue of the Madonna is carried up on 26 July and back down to the village on 5 August.
For walkers the mountain offers everything from a short, easy summit walk from the forest road near the sanctuary to long days of 1,300 m or more from Sanza or Piaggine. The summit view takes in the Vallo di Diano, the Lucanian mountains and the Tyrrhenian coast of the Cilento.
Climbing Notes
The short route from Ruscio di Vallivona (about 500 m of ascent, 12 km return) is a moderate walk graded E/T, but the last kilometre from the sanctuary to the summit is pathless, and there is no water on the way. The classic pilgrims' path from Sanza and the Alta Via del Cervati from Ponte Inferno are long days of about 1,300 m of ascent; they can be split with a night at Rifugio Cervati (about 1,600 m) on the eastern side.
Spring and autumn are the best seasons; summer is pleasant on top (windy, with the chapel open) but hot lower down. In winter the massif is snow-covered and requires snowshoes or crampons, and fog can make the broad summit plateau confusing at any time of year.
History
The sanctuary of the Madonna della Neve is said to date back to the 14th century; according to legend a shepherd found the statue of the Madonna in a cave after following a dove. The annual pilgrimage between Sanza and the summit sanctuary continues today.
Season
Best May–Jun- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Good
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best
- October: Best
- November: Good
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Snow; snowshoes or crampons needed
- Feb
- Snow; snowshoes or crampons needed
- Mar
- Late snow
- Apr
- Snow patches possible
- Jun
- Chapel opens on the first Sunday of June
- Jul
- Hot lower down; pilgrimage from 26 July
- Aug
- Pilgrimage returns to Sanza on 5 August; busy
- Oct
- Chapel closes on the second Sunday of October
- Nov
- First snow possible
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Rifugio Cervati, on the eastern side of the mountain at about 1,600 m: contact the hut by phone (+39 339 282 3021) to book.
- Rules
- Parco Nazionale del Cilento, Vallo di Diano e Alburni: no permit needed; dogs preferably on a lead
- Getting There
Sanza (Salerno province); Piaggine and Monte San Giacomo
Naples (NAP)
- Car: from Salerno take the A2 to the Padula-Buonabitacolo exit and the SS517var to Sanza (about 90 km, 1¾ hours); then the SP18b towards Rofrano and the mountain road to Ruscio di Vallivona
- Bus: Autolinee Lamanna from Salerno (Piazza della Concordia) or Sapri to Sanza (Bar Pineta stop); the pilgrims' path starts about 2.5 km away on the road towards Rofrano
Hazards
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 1,597 m
Rifugio CervatiHut