Special Event in the Nebrodi - Inauguration of the Sentiero dei Vuturuna by Gianni Musumeci

October 05/08, 2017
Description - The dolomitic massif of the Rocche del Crasto and Traora in the Nebrodi, overlooking the Rosmarino stream valley in the province of Messina, was until 1965 the habitat and refuge of a rare colony of about 20 Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus). Thanks to the unique nature of the area, they had long been settled on the crags above the town of Alcara li Fusi. These vultures, “a relict species, a testament to times gone by,” as Angelo Priolo wrote, had managed to survive by adapting to the fringes of traditional pastoral life. As scavengers, these birds performed a useful “cleanup” service in this rugged and vast territory, where the economy is deeply tied to shepherding and livestock farming. The local people had great respect for these large carrion-eaters, whom they called in their dialect “vuturuna”—the gliders—due to their flight technique during hunting, courtship, and their grand evolutions in the sky while catching thermal currents. It was a spectacle to see them flying with their enormous wings spread over the skies of the Rocche or above the valleys, scanning the territory in search of carcasses. After they had fed, little remained of the dead animals but a few bones, thus preventing putrefaction and the onset of unfortunate epidemics. One griffon in the colony was easily distinguishable from the others: an adult male who carried the memory of an “encounter” with two shepherds who had captured him while he was busy devouring a carcass. Before releasing him, they tied a small bell to his neck with a leather strap. From that day on, the unfortunate Noè—the name he was given—lived with the sound of the bell, which announced his presence whenever he returned to the Rocche. On a sad and cursed day in 1965, the ringing of Noè’s bell was heard no more, nor were the Griffons seen gliding in the skies; “a foolish and useless extermination operation,” as Fulco Pratesi wrote, killed them all. A shortsighted campaign born with the intent to “purge the territory” of foxes using strychnine-laced bait resulted in a massacre of foxes, dogs, and even the vultures that had fed on their carcasses.
A young engineer with a passion for ornithology, Angelo Priolo, was, against his will, a witness to the agony and death of the last Griffons of Sicily. Some of them were embalmed and immortalized in a diorama, designed by Angelo Priolo, which represents the scene of that tragic event. This diorama can be seen in the first room of the civic museum of natural sciences in Randazzo, which bears his name in memory. It was the discovery and the history of the Griffon diorama that led to the “Sentiero dei Vuturuna” being slowly conceived, developed, and marked along its approximately 60 km route, using ancient sheep tracks (trazzere), abandoned paths, and uncharted trails, following the compass into the heart of the Nebrodi Park. A path that begins in this room of the natural sciences museum in Randazzo and ends at the acclimatization cage for the new griffons at the foot of the Rocca Traora in Alcara li Fusi, on whose walls the colony has been settled for years now. A path that is at the same time an imaginary “flight” of the ancient Vuturuna returning to the Rocche, a journey (in the Boer language, “trek” means journey) into the history, culture, and nature of these places, and a tribute to Angelo Priolo, a true master of ornithology, shy and reserved, who deserves to be known.

Costs: € 190.00. The costs include: overnight stays in B&Bs, hotels, or agriturismo with double or triple room accommodation, dinners and breakfasts from the evening of the first day until the morning of the last day, packed lunches (excluding the first day), bus and minibus transfers from Portella Dagara to Floresta (round trip) and from Portella Gazzana to Longi (round trip), transport from Alcara Li Fusi to Randazzo, and daily heavy luggage transport service.
Costs do not include: travel expenses to reach the meeting point, the first day's packed lunch, and any extra expenses not specified.
Deposit: € 50.00 at the time of registration, to be handed to one of the excursion directors.
Meeting point: Thursday, October 05, at 08:30 AM, Hotel Scribano, Randazzo.
End of trip: Sunday, October 08, at 05:00 PM, Alcara Li Fusi.
Max number of participants: 25
Daily walking hours: 5 to 8 hours.
Nights: we will sleep in local B&Bs, hotels, and agriturismo.
Meals: packed lunches, agriturismo, and restaurants.
Trip type: itinerant/stationary.
Difficulty: demanding.
Required equipment: trekking clothing, hiking boots, long trousers, hat, trekking poles, shower sandals, rain poncho (k-way), sweater, waterproof jacket, water bottle, and personal toiletries.
Tips: For this trip, I recommend bringing a backpack with a maximum capacity of 30/35 liters; everything else you don't need during the hike can be placed in a duffel bag/trolley that the shuttle will take to the arrival point of each hike.
Duration: 4 days / 3 nights.
Booking deadline: September 30, 2017.
Notes: the excursion may be subject to changes due to unpredictable natural events; in such cases, the guide will make the final decision.
Director: Gianni Musumeci (3471236200) - Salvo Marletta (3334987946)
Co-directors (technical and logistical support): Carlo Battaglia - Maurizio Azzara and Sylvana Myburg.

Program

DAY 1 – Randazzo – Masseria Monte Colla - 11.5 km – 5 hours
At the start in Randazzo, each participant will be given a Hiking Logbook (Carnet di Marcia) to collect stamps.
The trail begins with a visit to the Griffon diorama at the natural sciences museum in Randazzo. Afterward, the museum curator will mark this Logbook with the 1st stamp of the trail. Following an old scout tradition, this “travel companion” will indicate the route, rest stops, water fountains, as well as the history, naturalistic, and architectural landmarks encountered along the way. The blank pages are for your notes, which, after completing the trail with the final stamp in Alcara Li Fusi, can be shared along with your photos in a dedicated Facebook group.
This stage features an uphill elevation gain of approximately 700 meters.

DAY 2 - Masseria Monte Colla – Lago Trearie - 21 km - 8 hours.
The 2nd stage features a descent of 456m to the bridge over the Flascio and an ascent of 486m to Lago Trearie.

DAY 3 - Lago Trearie – Portella Gazzana, 14 km, 6.5 hours.
In this third stage, we have an ascent of 226m up to Serra Pignataro and a descent of 680m to Portella Gazzana.

DAY 4 - Portella Gazzana – Alcara li Fusi, 12 km, 6 hours.
The 4th stage features an ascent of 290m to the Rocche del Crasto and a descent of 780m to Alcara Li Fusi.