- Average travel time: 5 and a half hours without stops
- Distance: 11 kms approx
- Interests: walking, nature
- Difficulty level: A hiking path of medium difficulty, requires some training for the length and elevations.
- Elevations: 550 meters up and 540 meters down
- Trail markers: white-red markers and signs of the trail.
- Characteristics: dirt roads and farm tracks, large trails through forest, avoid during rainy periods.
About a 35-40 minute drive from Orvieto in the municipality of San Venanzo this great natural path for trekking and adventure lovers. This route winds through woods and green areas where you can see very beautiful naturalistic views from inside the large Elmo ring.
The location is below the Peglia river, in the woods of Elmo and Melonta, following the waterways between rapids and ditches. These waterways served the “Mill of Fruga” that now is a picturesque ruin and the path starting point. Going forward along the path switching between other ruins of abandoned farmhouses including the farmhouse of Podere Montarsone, about 1 km from the cottage you reach an area that borders the forest among the slopes of Monte Melonta and Elmo. At this point the path tightens across a stream that generates a clear pool of water called Pelacane and near the Ripa Murata: a large rock wall where the water flows fast.
The path heads down to the Chiani river already mapped by the local mountain community and finally, just along the Chiani, the old farmhouse Pian della Casa.
Anyone wishing to take instead the whole Elmo ring path at the area of the Fruga mill head north, taking a dirt road uphill towards Cittina houses past the Montarsone ditch. From here climb up 560 meters to Settano and then Pomontone. From this here the path comes down along the ridge of Mount Melonta (623 mt) where you descend to the Tenuta Melonta. The descent is quite long and leads to the shores of the Chiani river.
The area is dense with vegetation and is rich in rivers and clear streams. To resume the circular path you must again pass a section of the Montarsone ditch and a portion of the Moat dell’Elmo. Exceeding the latter, near Pian della Casa is a crossroads indicating the climb to Pratelle and Poggio Casa Nuova houses, just below the farm company Elmo. To reach the starting area (mill Fruga) continue for another short stretch until you reach Cerquosino.
