General Description

The cache is on the highest peak of the southern Catena Costiera, which separates the Crati valley from the Tyrrhenian sea. On clear days you can see Stromboli and the other Aeolian islands as well as Etna on Sicily, in the other direction you get a great view over the Crati valley, the Sila plateau, and the Pollino massif in the north.

There is a lot of telecommunication equipment on the summit, some of it clearly no longer in use. Geologically, the peak is karst, with several dolines and bizarre rock formations.

Getting to the Cache

From Cosenza, you go towards Mendicino or Cerisano, and then continue towards Fiumefreddo Bruzio. Be careful, the signposting is not very well done (but sometimes you will even find indications to Monte Cocuzzo). As a rule of thumb, going uphill should be OK. From Mendicino, you go towards the small village of Rizzuto first and continue on this road. Eventually the roads from Mendicino and Cerisano unite, continue on for some kilometer, then there is a turnoff to the left, going towards Monte Cocuzzo. After some 200 meters, turn right towards the "Ritrovo". Coming from the tyrrhenian coast, you should go to Fiumefreddo and continue upwards until you find the abovementioned turnoff.

Theoretically you could drive up to 200m (or even less) from the cache. However, the road is rather bad and it is also environmentally questionable to go there by car (even if it is apparently not forbidden). Normally, you would stop at the "Ritrovo" and hike up either on a forest path (marked red-white-red) or the abovementioned road, which is "in principle" paved, but the paving already broke up especially on the steeper and more exposed sections.

The Cache

The cache itself is a 2 liter plastic box hidden some fifty meters south of the peak. Be careful, it starts getting steep there and some loose rocks are lying around. Also note that there are often strong winds on the peak and also clouds/fog may suddenly form.

The difficulty/terrain rating was done using http://www.clayjar.com/gcrs/.

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