Monte del Papa
2,005 m
Italy
- Elevation
- 2,005 m
- Prominence
- 1,155 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Jun
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: E (CAI) (auaa.it; lemiepasseggiate.it)
Short, easy ascent of the Sirino massif's high point from the ski-area car park at Lago Laudemio (about 1,525 m): up the ski run beside the Monte Papa chairlift to the 1,865 m saddle, then a steep grassy east ridge over the 2,003 m foresummit to the 2,005 m top. About 480–500 m of ascent, 1–1½ hours up.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 2.9 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +461 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 2,005 m
- Time Up
- 1h 55m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 1h 19m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Park at the large car park at the base of the Monte Sirino ski lifts, by Lago Laudemio (shown as Lago Remmo on IGM maps), reached by a winding, signposted road from the A2 Lagonegro Sud exit. A wide track climbs through tall beech forest; keep left at the fork, pass under the lifts in a clearing and follow the ski run up the obvious valley between the Serra la Spalla dell'Imperatrice (west) and the Costa di Musco Scazzariddo (east) to the saddle at the top station of the Monte Papa chairlift (about 1,865 m), roughly 40 minutes and 300 m from the car. From the saddle turn right (west) and climb the steep east ridge on grass and some loose scree to the foresummit at 2,003 m (cairn, wooden cross and a weather station), then continue a few minutes to the 2,005 m summit with a metal cross and summit book. A twin 2,005 m top lies just to the south. Allow about 30 minutes from the saddle; waymarking is sparse and faded above the trees. Descend the same way (about 50 minutes), or, for experienced walkers, drop east along the crest and down steep grass onto the Spalla dell'Imperatrice, a narrow, open ridge above the lake, then back through the beech forest where the path is not always obvious (graded EE; about 1¼ hours). Popular extensions add Timpa Scazzariddo (1,930 m, about 30 minutes return from the saddle) or the walk along the ridge to the Santuario della Madonna del Sirino on Monte Sirino (1,907 m), which makes a 12.5 km, 800 m, 4¼-hour day.
Start
Lago Laudemio1,546 m
- Monte Papa chairlift (ski season only; not normally used for summer ascents)
- No public transport to Lago Laudemio is documented; the nearest town is Lagonegro, reached by bus from Potenza or Salerno.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lago Laudemio → Monte del Papa | 2.9 | 461 | 5 | 1h 55m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Lago Laudemio1,546 m
Car park at the base of the Monte Sirino ski lifts; the lake itself is just to the west
- Col: Monte Papa chairlift top station1,868 m
Saddle between Monte del Papa and Timpa Scazzariddo
- Shoulder: Monte Sirino2,000 m
Foresummit with cairn, wooden cross and weather station; OSM labels it Monte Sirino, not to be confused with the 1,907 m sanctuary summit
- Summit: Monte del Papa2,005 m
Key Passages
- Ski run up the valley to the chairlift saddle
- Steep east ridge to the 2,003 m foresummit
- Optional descent along the narrow Spalla dell'Imperatrice (EE)
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
The 2,005 m high point of the Sirino massif in Basilicata, Italy's southernmost glacially carved group, climbed in about an hour from the ski-area car park at Lago Laudemio by an easy path up the ski run and a short, steep grassy ridge.
Monte del Papa is the highest of a cluster of grassy, limestone tops forming the Sirino massif above Lagonegro and Lauria in south-western Basilicata, at the southern tip of the Appennino Lucano–Val d'Agri–Lagonegrese National Park. There are three summits within a few hundred metres: a 2,003 m foresummit with a wooden cross and weather station, and two tops of 2,005 m; the main one carries a metal cross and summit book. The massif is often called Monte Sirino, though strictly that is the 1,907 m top with the pilgrimage sanctuary of the Madonna della Neve.
The massif sits close to the Tyrrhenian coast and catches a lot of weather: annual precipitation is around 2,000–2,500 mm and snow lies late on the north slopes. In the Quaternary a glacier flowed about 4 km down the north side of Monte del Papa; its moraine dams Lago Laudemio (1,525 m), described as Italy's southernmost glacial lake, which is where the normal route starts.
The ascent itself is short and easy, following the ski run beside the Monte Papa chairlift, and walkers usually extend it: over Timpa Scazzariddo, along the ridge to the Madonna del Sirino sanctuary, or down the narrow Spalla dell'Imperatrice ridge above the lake. On clear days the views reach the Gulf of Policastro, Monte Alpi and the Pollino.
Climbing Notes
A half-day walk for anyone with basic hill fitness: about 500 m of ascent and 1–1½ hours to the top. The ground above the trees is steep grass and loose scree with only faded paint marks, so carry a map or GPS track for cloud, which is frequent. The Spalla dell'Imperatrice descent is narrower and harder to follow in the woods (EE) and suits experienced walkers.
Go from late May or June, once the snow has gone, until October; avoid the hottest midsummer afternoons and thunderstorm days on the open ridge. In winter the slopes are a ski area with chairlift and tows and the summit becomes a snowshoe or ski-mountaineering objective with avalanche risk on steeper slopes. Walking on the pistes is only permitted outside the ski season. There is no water above the lake.
Season
Best Jun- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Possible
- May: Good
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Ski season; winter ascent only with snowshoes or skis and winter skills
- Feb
- Ski season; deep snow
- Mar
- Ski runs often stay open well into spring
- Apr
- Snow lingers on north slopes; snowshoes or crampons may be needed
- May
- Late snow patches possible near the summit
- Jul
- Can be hot; start early and watch for afternoon storms
- Aug
- Can be hot; busy at weekends and around the 15 August holiday
- Oct
- Autumn colours in the beech forest; first snow possible late in the month
- Nov
- Frequent rain, cloud and early snow
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Rules
- Inside the Appennino Lucano–Val d'Agri–Lagonegrese National Park: stay on paths and follow park rules
- The ascent follows ski runs; walking on them is only permitted outside the ski season
- Getting There
Lagonegro (Potenza)
Naples (NAP)
- Car: A2 Autostrada del Mediterraneo, Lagonegro Sud exit, then a winding signposted road to the Lago Laudemio ski-area car park (about 1,525 m); the Lauria Nord exit via Conserva di Lauria also works
- No public transport to the lake is documented; buses reach Lagonegro
Hazards
- Weather
- Avalanche