TREKKING ON HORSEBACK from Campolico to Ghorio di Roghudi
Descrizione
Technical data
Municipalities: Sant’Agata del Bianco, Samo, Africo, Roghudi
Difficulty: ER (expert riders)
Time required: roughly 8 hours
Kilometres covered: 33.26
Ordinance Survey Map: F° Motta San Giovanni, Bovalino
Near Campolico, there is a furnished forestry station with a playground and a rural accommodation facility called Villaggio Borgia. At Roghudi it is possible to stay overnight at the Chorio di Roghudi hostel.
Arrival by car
The Campolico Locality at about 4 kilometres from Sant’Agata del Bianco and 10 kilometres from the SS 106 highway. Park here.
The trek
The first half hour of the trek is devoted to riding along the tarmacked road to the turning for Campolico –Samo junction- Varì station. Here you turn right onto an old mule track leading down to a brook, to then head uphill towards Litri (a difficult stretch). On the plateau you can admire the Nino Martino caves and, then, having taken an easy trail among oaks you will follow it until it joins the tarmacked road again near the Runci picnic area. Continue on this road and turn left onto a track that leads downhill to the Aposcipo River. Just before this, you will find, in the Previteria locality, a sheepfold with a drinking trough. The next leg of the trek takes about 15 minutes; it is difficult, and riders are advised to dismount and lead their horses here. The waterway you encounter has to be forded; then, close to a lime kiln, a steep uphill stone-paved mule track takes you to San Leo. Having reached the top an easy track leads to Africo Vecchio’s cemetery where you will find a turning to the left leading to the ruins of this old village. Having ridden though the village and passed the school, another trail leads you back to the dirt track you left previously and takes you promptly to the villaggio Carrà , where it is possible to take a rest at the Zanotti Bianco Porta del Parco [Park gateway]. You ride along the dirt track once again for about 2 kilometres as far as a junction; take the left-hand turning and after 2 more kilometres, you will join the tarmacked road for Rocca del Drago and ride as far as the bridge over the Furria Torrent and then up to Ghorio di Roghudi.
Source: Guida Naturalistica della Calabria Greca– Alfonso Picone – Rubbettino Editore – Collana Parco Culturale della Calabria Greca.
Text and photos by Dario Arcudi