Episode 205

This Italian hike starts in Pompeii, not for the ruins, but for Vesuvius Volcano. But due to COVID-19, access to the summit is by advance appointment only. So we head to Matera, the third oldest inhabited town in the world. It’s inhabitants lived in local caves up until the 1970’s. We decided to hike and explore some of those caves. That hike reminded me of the cave, on Corno Grande, that I spent a night in for shelter, back in 2007. That cave became the new plan. But first we visited Polignano a Mare and Vieste to see their seaside caves. Then we return to L’Aquila and on a rare sunny day started a hike from Campo Imperatore, in the NP Grand Sasso. We made our way to the foot of Corno Grande and then east along the ferrata cables to crawl back into that life saving cave.