What ( or rather who) goes
up must come down and this is only too true if you want to go to Monte Comune. From whichever direction you approach it,
there is going to be a lot of very steep uphill and then a lot of very steep
down. It is one of those
trails where my walking pole quickly becomes my best friend, since the path is often little more than a goat track covered in the loose scree-like stones so common to this area.
However
once you get to the top of its 876 metres and emerge onto the plateau with its 360° views of the
peninsula, you quickly forget about what has been and what is still to come,
and just enjoy.
In spring
it is a riot of colour: flowers of every hue, yellow, white, pink, blue and purple on a vast green carpet. For a couple of weeks the meadow
turns red, clover clad. Meantime the ferns grow higher and higher, the brambles
extend their thorny tentacles and the vegetation runs riot.
rolled into bales scattered about the
fields.
Many a picnic has been consumed up here, perched on a rock, admiring the views: the Sorrento peninsula with Capri behind, sea to the right, to the left and beyond. A simple sandwich tastes so much better from a place like this.
You can get to Monte Comune from S. Maria del Castello (Positano side) or from the Colli San Pietro (Sorrento side). We tend to walk it in either direction, using either the path of Le Tese or the trail via Capodacqua to get to or from Positano.
You do not necessarily have to pass through the small hamlet of Santa Maria, however it has the advantage of having a bar/restaurant , plus a public water fountain near the church; in other words it is a useful stopping point, especially since there is no other source of food or water between there and the Colli.The signage is not particularly brilliant, so do take a map. Again it is not a hike for the less fit or for anyone suffering from vertigo, and yet again, the correct footwear and a good supply of water are essential, especially since there is nowhere to top up along the way.
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