Circular trail Ventarola - Monte Ramaceto - Fo' de Driun - Passo Crocetta

This is a classic itinerary in the Regional Park of Val D’Aveto, the Ramaceto circular trail starting from Ventarola, called "Ring A6".

Ventarola is a small hamlet in Rezzoaglio, reachable by car in about an hour from Lavagna following Provincial Road 586 of Val D’Aveto; parking is available in the area before the houses or (if full) along the road.
An alternative option is taking the bus from Chiavari to Parazzuolo, then walking for 2 km.

After crossing the village, which captivates with its presence of ancient abandoned stone cottages next to well-renovated houses, including a shelter accessible by reservation, a wooden bridge allows crossing Ventarola Stream to continue through a green plain.
Passing by a rustic building, once an "Ancient Medieval Inn", continue on the Ventarola Meadows to reach a crossroads called Quadrivio della Crocetta, where a resting area with wooden benches and tables has been set up.

Continue to the right here, following the trail marker which advances on a flat stretch, crossing Ventarola Stream multiple times (after heavy rains, some crossings might be challenging), then begin ascending through a beautiful beech forest, a pleasant refuge on sunny summer days.
After crossing the stream a couple more times, a little over an hour later, exit the forest and arrive at Bocca di Feia, a grassy expanse where several trails converge.

The directions are clear; to reach Ramaceto, continue left, following to tackle the steep ascent along the ridge, allowing panoramic views of the valleys below, the Gulf of Tigullio, and the Portofino Promontory.
After about 30 minutes and a final short rocky section, you'll reach the summit (1318 m above sea level) where the Ramaceto Chapel stands, a stone structure that provides shelter in bad weather.

Here the view is so amazing: on one side, the Ligurian Apennines with all its peaks, on the other, the sea, which on particularly clear days allows glimpses of Corsica and the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago.

Continue the journey, always following the trail marker towards the main summit of Monte Ramaceto (1345 m. above sea level), which rises in front of you.
You can reach it in about 30 minutes, following the path that runs along the ridge with some sections through the beech forest. The summit, surrounded by vegetation, is relatively unremarkable from a landscape perspective.

Now begins a very distinctive and enjoyable section: walking on terrain consisting of sandstone layers that make it uneven with sometimes narrow passages.
The trail, following the ridge, allows you to admire from above the lush Val Cichero with the villages below and the Gulf of Tigullio.

Upon reaching the intersection in Fo’ de Driun, descend to the left, always following the Alta Via trail marker that guides you through a beautiful beech forest until you reach the intersection in Passo della Crocetta.

From here, taking a wide dirt road, you'll return to the parking area at Quadrivio di Crocetta in about 15 minutes, where you'll find the trail taken at the beginning leading back to the starting point.

The path on Google Map

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