In Italian, “Aspromonte” translates to “bitter” mountain, though “aspro” can also mean sour, tough, difficult, impregnable, acrid–all adjectives that aptly describe this rocky massif that approaches 2,000 meters, a succession of steep landscapes, gorges, and nearly impassable nooks and crannies.

We are at the southernmost tip of Calabria, the southernmost region of the Italian peninsula, the last outpost of the Bel Paese that has escaped mass tourism. Yet for me and anyone who has memories of the 1990s, Aspromonte is quite well-known, at least by name.