SI V16V

From Portella Mele (altitude 1500 m), continuing through the beech trees—this route intersects in a plateau suitable for possible camping functional to the trek, without making fires—with stop V16 Piano Battaglia/Petralia Sottana or vice versa, via the Sentiero della Pace no. 587, following the red and white vertical and horizontal markers, one can reach the Santuario Madonna dell'Alto (at an altitude of 1827 m.) as a variant in spring, summer, and autumn, when there is no snow, adding about 4 hours to the travel time to reach Petralia. The path, beautiful and immersed in the beech forest, begins with an ascent, continues along the slope under Monte San Salvatore, and then arrives at the bevaio (water point) and the sanctuary at 1827 m.a.s.l., where there is a notable marble statue of the Virgin Mary from the Gaginian school dating back to the 1500s. The sanctuary opens in the first half of August and on the third Sunday of May. The trail continues back to the bevaio, a few hundred meters back, with a "direct" route called the Antico Sentiero dei Pellegrini, originating from the 1400s (579), a winding path on the left side of the catchment area, then continuing with a mule track and a section of asphalt at the end downhill. Upon arrival, there is an ascent of about 100 m of elevation gain to reach the historic center of Petralia Sottana (960 m.a.s.l.) and the stopover point (which also coincides with the arrival of the classic V16 stage), an ascent for which it is necessary to conserve energy.