#6: [16-Sep-13]

#5: [03-Aug-12]

#4: [28-Aug-10]

#2: [02-Jun-04]

#1: [15-Oct-01]

#7: [05-Nov-17]

22-Jun-2009 -- The Confluence Point ‘46N-11E’ is located in the north of Italy, about 20 km north of the Lago di Garda and about 15 km south east of Trento. It is not easy accessible.

Our big holiday trip from Cyprus to Germany leaded is through a hand full of countries. This gave me the opportunity to visit some confluence points. I planned to reach at least one in each country. This one was already my third CP-visit in Italy!

After visiting the Confluence Point 45N-11E, one day ago, we saw the beautiful Lake ‘Lago di Garda’ on our way direction north. We passed the lake on its east coast, passed the village Dro on the road ‘SS45bis’ and then we turned right, short before reaching Pietramurata. We drove along the lake ‘Lago di Cavedine’ with a wonderful view (direction west) to a huge mountain and crossed a much smaller massif (direction east) with a lot of beautiful wine yards on it.

After these steep, narrow roads we arrived in a scenic valley. The first village was named Cavedine and further on, direction north, we reached Stravino. I knew this village as the starting point by reading a report from June 2004. With the map from that report in mind I parked the car at a well and went uphill the right way.

Opposite the parking place was a hiking sign. I passed a quite large house which was under reconstruction and two little sheds, maybe for water supply. After that, the pavement turned from tar into stone. The way became a typical Roman road! It was very impressive to discover the two tracks on the surface! I removed the leaves, which covered the second hollow before. Maybe Caesar walked this way against the Germans, 2000 years ago!

I aimed a smaller goal… After about 20 minutes this Roman road lead to a dirt road. I turned right and after 10 minutes I had to leave this way to turn right again, on a narrow overgrown, dark path. That must be the entrance into the deep canyon, which I knew from the mentioned map. After about 15 minutes it was nearly impossible to go forward. I had to take a tracking pole, helping me to push the brushwood. Then I saw and heard a snake circa 1 meter in front of me: grey with black zigzag marking on it! Into the bargain my GPS device told me, to go 110 meters to south. But all I saw was a huge rock in front of me, which was vertical!

I was coming from the other side into the canyon, as visitor no. 2 did. So I thought that it was impossible to cross the canyon and to give up! I switched off the GPS and turned to leave. But then I saw a very steep pebble stone slope on my left, which was my last chance. I switched on my mobile and my GPS mouse again and started to climb. It was really hard with GPS in one hand and the tracking pole in the other on such an angle! All together it took me one hour and six minutes to reach the CP and nearly 30 minutes for the last 110 meters (bee-line). After taking a breath I prepared my Nikon for the pictures. This took more time as at other CPs in the past, because the satellite reception was not the best.

In addition to this it was very steep - maybe 50 degrees! But than – it was high noon – I did the picture with the exact coordinates: 46 degrees North and 11 degrees East and the church bells rung! Puh – that was my 10th visit of a Confluence Point and it was the hardest! Now I know why I am only the third visitor of this one!

After taking the pictures of the directions and some of the area I left. I found the way back easily. Back at the car, I took a ‘shower’ at the mentioned well. That was nice!

I was very glad to visit my third Confluence Point in Italy at the 22nd of June 2009! It shall be the last one on our ‘Europe Tour 2009’, which gave me the possibility to visit five Confluence Points! The Confluence Degree Project had a big influence of our way through half Europe and I don’t want to miss it!