Pié di Fontona – Fontona – Colla di Gritta (REL trail marker 574 / former no. 4)

The route starts from Pié di Fontona, a locality on the flat valley floor behind Levanto. The first section climbs gently along the valley beside the stream, following a convenient paved mule track that soon reaches the historic village of Fontona, with its typical colourful houses and the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel.

After passing the village of Fontona and its characteristic olive terraces, the trail (official marker 574) changes pace and begins to climb more steadily and steeply. The typical vegetation of the Ligurian terraces gradually gives way to dense coppice woodland, dominated by chestnut trees, holm oaks and maritime pines. Walking in the shade of the woods, the route intersects old local tracks and historic dry-stone walls at several points, evidence of the former agricultural use of these slopes.

The climb ends at Colla di Gritta, at an elevation of 330 metres. This pass is a major logistical and hiking junction for the entire area: the provincial roads to Levanto, Monterosso and the Val di Vara meet here, and the saddle is an ideal connection point for the Alta Via delle Cinque Terre (trail 591) and the trails descending towards the coast or the Sanctuary of Soviore.

The trail follows mixed surfaces: a stone mule track in the first section and an unpaved path with embedded stones higher up. It has no technical difficulties, exposed passages or equipped sections. Take care in damp conditions and when leaves cover the wooded stretch before the pass, as the ground and stones can become slippery, especially in autumn and winter. Trekking shoes with good grip are recommended.