Pizzo Catarineci

Peaks: Pizzo Catarineci (1660m)

Area: Madonie, Sicily

This is a typical Madonie peak, characterised by a high limestone plateau and lying on the eastern fringe of the National Park, the most accessible mountain from our Gangi base. It was our last day in the interior, and an early start seemed prudent to properly penetrate the Madonie. Pizzo Catarineci was an excellent choice, a notable presence from the east, with the route up starting from the Portella Ferrone immediately above Petralia Soprana. It was a stunning morning, not too hot, perfectly quiet and still, with crystal clarity all around. I was expecting a major navigational challenge, suspecting that this peak would be very rarely ascended. This may have been the case, but most of it had excellent waymarking which looked recent - a big but welcome surprise. The first section took part of a long distance footpath - initially, along an ancient cobbled donkey track through beautiful woodland with the low sun streaming through the branches. Above, it moves more steeply to finally leave the treeline just below the start of the plateau. Views opened out down to Petralia and across the baked yellow plains to the south. Further east, Etna rose above a series of beautiful blue valleys still filled with morning mist. It was stunning, as was the plateau itself (these are called 'piano' in Italy, even in the Dolomites, and are usually limestone plains raised above the surrounding land). It was enchanting - small copses between sharp limestone outcrops. The navigation became trickier but eventually it was obvious that the true summit was the furthest away, a long and lumpy haul to the far end of the plateau, where I took a scrambling direct line up shallow chimneys to the summit. Stunning views to Etna, many miles distant but with a visible plume of steam. Closer, the higher peaks of the Madonie like Pizzo Carbonara and Pizzo Antenna. A memorable few minutes on top, absolute clarity and peace, and then it was back across the plateau. Where the ground steepened on the descent, I ran down (intent on catching breakfast back in Gagni) and made it to the car in 18 minutes: 1.25 in total. The cappuccino was still warm.