Path of the Gods, How Intense is it?
 

I'll be on the Amalfi Coast next month and plan to hike the Path of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei). My wife and I do a lot of walking. We love the hikes in the Cinque Terre and I never thought I had a problem with vertigo until we did the Angel's Landing hike in Zion National Park. Can anyone tell me how the Path of the Gods compares to that?

Hi Go,

>I never thought I had a problem with vertigo until we did the Angel's Landing hike in Zion National Park. <

The PotG goes as high as 770m.

From what I have read, it is not a difficult trail.

There is a book about it, but I don't have the info at hand.

((I))

I should be more specific. Although heigth is certainly vertigo inducing, I am more concerned by the steepness of the drop and level and width of the trail. In the case of Angel's Landing the trail runs out a knife edge cliff that drops 1500 - 2000 feet on either side.

Go4Fun,
I have hiked the Sentiero degli Dei, but unfortunately can;t compare it to the ANgel's Landing hike because I've never done that hike, and don't try to give information when I don't have direct experience of something. So perhaps ira is the one to answer the question after all.

However, If you do alot of walking/hiking, (I don't, but enjoy hiking) you should be fine, with the right shoes, hats, water, and sunscreen. I also took a walking stick (just a "natural" one given to me by a local friend) Views will astound, enjoy!

PS, trail is narrow in many places.

Hi Go4 - You might find these links useful:

http://www.villa-la-madonnina.com/Ph...lle/index.html

http://www.amalfihome.com/member/hikes.html

http://www.giovis.com/sentdei.htm

http://www.villa-la-madonnina.com/Ph...pri/index.html

Steve

Go4Fun

We haven't done the Angel's Landing hike you describe, but we have done (some of) the Na Pali (if memory serves) trail in Kauai, Hawaii. At the time, there were places on that trail that were rather more narrow than I would care to hike in the rain, say. The path in at least a couple of places was narrow, adjoining a steep cliff, and made of dirt. Definitely not safe if wet and muddy. So I think I understand what you mean about "it's not the height, it's the incline and the proximity of the edge".

On the Amalfi Coast, such paths as we hiked were sometimes steep, but nearly always 'civilized' (steps on the steepest inclines, etc.) My point being that I didn't see a noticeable difference in the types of trails between Amalfi and the Cinque Terre.

Good luck, and do post back about your experience.

Hi Go,

This might help you:
www.hotelondaverde.com/sentiero_deglidei.htm

The book is "Landscapes of Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast" by Julian Tippett published by Sunflower Books, London, UK

((I))

The POG is far less organised than the Cinque and is a daunting walk to the uninitiated. The best way to describe it is to relate my wifes experience as she is more the middle ground in what we are trying to ascertain. She has walked the Cinque ,Upper Garfagnana Valley, various New Zealand locales as a daytripper....... but the POG was the only time we had to manage her thru the vertigo. I felt a little exhilarated in parts and there is a feeling that the pathway looks very crumbling plus the drops seem severe.
That is an opinion for a vertiginously challenged person but the walk is fantastic.

Do get the Sunflower book for good descriptions of all the trails. There are many between the various villages. Take lots of water.

Thanks for the great question and very helpful responses!

Thanks everyone for the excellent advice and responses to my question. I really enjoyed looking at the websites suggested by Steve James. There are some fantastic photos. I guess the only way to know for sure is to go and try it.

I have the Sunflower book and we are all set to go. We are hoping for sunny dry weather.

On occasion I can be nervous about heights, but did not have a problem here. I think that there is an upper and lower path, although I'm not sure about which one we were on. The trail can be confusing as the first time we took a wrong turn and somehow we were going down the hundreds of steps to Priano, which was not our destination.

On our second try from Amalfi, we took a bus up the mountain to Bomerano and started our hike there. We wound up in a small town above Positano. It is a beautiful hike, and ditto take enough water.

We have just returned from Italy and this hike was one of the highlights of our trip. The weather on the Amalfi Coast during the 3rd week of September was sunny, dry and warm. (We went swimming in the sea at the beach in Praiano the day after the hike). We were going to use the Sunflower Book for our guide but our hotel was able to tell us how to start the hike from Praiano by hiking first to the San Dominico Monestary. This is listed as an out and back hike in the Sunflower Book.

Although the hike was very steep and there were narrow ledges I did not feel it was nearly as vertigo inducing as the Angels Landing hike. We timed the hike to be in Montepurtuso for lunch and had a fantastic meal. I think the restaurant was called it was Il Ritrovo. There is another restaurant in town (Donna Rosa?) that is more elegant and famous but didn't really offer a view.

Thanks, Go4Fun, for lettins us know how the thike was. I"m gld you enjoyed it, and happy to know the details.

dina