Cervialto
1,809 m
Italy
Also known as Monte CervialtoAlso known as
Monte Cervialto
- Elevation
- 1,809 m
- Prominence
- 1,122 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- May–Jun
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1The usual and easiest route: from the Colle del Leone pass south of Lago Laceno, follow CAI trail 113 on a broad track through beech forest to the Valico di Filicecchio, then up onto the open Cervialto ridge and a short steep, stony climb to the subsidiary top and the trig point beyond a summit doline. About 600 m of ascent, grade E, around 4–5 hours return.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 6.8 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +602 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,809 m
- Time Up
- 2h 54m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 20m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Drive from Lago Laceno towards the La Lucciola restaurant and take the paved road towards Acerno and Calabritto, past Piano l'Acernese and Piano dei Vaccari, to a clearing among old beeches at the Colle del Leone (about 1,200 m; sources give 1,194–1,226 m). Walk about 200 m along the road to a metal barrier on the left, where CAI trail 113 starts as a mule track and then a broad, easy-angled track. After a rocky first hairpin and a rock wall, the track climbs steadily to the Valico di Filicecchio (about 1,526 m, wooden handrails), roughly 1 hour from the start; ignore the branch descending to Piano Migliato. Hairpins through old-growth beech wood lead to the foot of the Creste del Cervialto, where the path leaves the track for the nearly treeless ridge. The final 400 m or so is the hardest part: steeper rocky steps and loose stones in two stages, less clearly marked and awkward in fog. The path reaches the subsidiary top (about 1,806 m), with a radio installation, then follows the rim of a karst doline anticlockwise over a few rocky passages to the true summit and trig point (1,809 m). Descend the same way. There is no water on the route.
Start
Colle del Leone1,230 m
- No practical public transport: there are no direct trains or buses to the trailhead.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colle del Leone → Monte Cervialto | 6.8 | 602 | 25 | 2h 54m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Colle del Leone1,230 m
Small clearing on the Laceno–Acerno/Calabritto road; free parking
- Summit: Monte Cervialto1,809 m
Key Passages
- Valico di Filicecchio
- Steep, stony final 400 m onto the Creste del Cervialto
- Rocky passages around the summit doline
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
The highest summit of the Monti Picentini and of the province of Avellino (1,809 m), a limestone ridge above the Laceno plateau. A straightforward half-day walk through beech forest to a karst summit with views from the Amalfi Coast to the Alburni and Cilento.
Monte Cervialto rises above the Altopiano del Laceno in Irpinia, on the boundary between the municipalities of Bagnoli Irpino and Calabritto, in the Monti Picentini of the Campanian Apennines. It is the fourth-highest mountain in Campania and the culmination of a karst massif cloaked in beech forest up to about 1,650 m, above which the ridge is open, grassy and stony. Between the subsidiary top and the true summit lies a characteristic doline.
The nearby Lago Laceno and its holiday village make this a popular local outing, and the walk is short enough for a half day. From the top the view takes in Lago Laceno, the rest of the Picentini, the Monti Lattari and the Amalfi Coast, the Partenio and Taburno, Monte Vulture, the Eremita-Marzano group and the Alburni.
The mountain lies in the area of the Parco Regionale dei Monti Picentini. There are no huts on the mountain; the Laceno plateau has hotels, a campsite and restaurants.
Climbing Notes
The normal route from Colle del Leone (CAI 113) needs only average fitness: about 600 m of ascent and 10–14 km return, typically 4–5 hours. It is graded E; most of it is a broad track, and only the last 400 m of ridge is steep, stony and less well marked. Carry all your water, as there are no springs.
The ridge is open to wind and fog, and route-finding near the top can be confusing in poor visibility. Snow usually covers the summit from early December to mid-April; winter ascents with snowshoes are popular but need proper equipment and some experience. Late spring and early summer are the most pleasant times, with flowers and long days; autumn colours in the beech forest are also a draw.
Season
Best May–Jun- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best
- October: Best
- November: Good
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Snow-covered; snowshoes and winter equipment needed
- Feb
- Snow-covered; snowshoes and winter equipment needed
- Mar
- Snow-covered
- Apr
- Snow usually lingers until mid-April
- May
- Late spring flowers; recommended
- Jul
- Hot; start early and carry plenty of water
- Aug
- Hot; start early and carry plenty of water
- Oct
- Autumn colours in the beech forest
- Nov
- Short days; first snow possible
- Dec
- Snow usually arrives in early December
Access & Permits
- Rules
- Parco Regionale dei Monti Picentini: dogs on a lead
- Getting There
Bagnoli Irpino (Lago Laceno), Avellino province
Naples (NAP)
- Car: drive to Lago Laceno above Bagnoli Irpino, head towards the La Lucciola restaurant and take the road towards Acerno/Calabritto past Piano l'Acernese and Piano dei Vaccari to Colle del Leone (about 40.778, 15.101); free parking
- There are no direct trains or buses to the trailhead
Hazards
- Weather