W
NW
N
N
NE
W
the Degree Confluence Project
E
SW
S
S
SE
E

Italy : Piemonte

5.6 km (3.5 miles) WNW of Cortazzone, Asti, Piemonte, Italy
Approx. altitude: 237 m (777 ft)
([?] maps: Google MapQuest OpenStreetMap ConfluenceNavigator)
Antipode: 45°S 172°W

Accuracy: 4 m (13 ft)
Quality: good

Click on any of the images for the full-sized picture.

#2: GPS Reading #3: Ground Zero #4: The Confluence Hunter #5: The Confluence Mushroom #6: Confluence Point from the Top at a Distance of 250 m #7: View to the South #8: View to the West #9: View to the North #10: View to the East #11: Via Cerra and Chapel in 350 m Distance

  { Main | Search | Countries | Information | Member Page | Random }

  45°N 8°E (visit #3)  

#1: The Confluence from 30 m

(visited by Rainer Mautz)

10-Oct-2010 -- This report is the last out of a series of four confluences that I visited during an October weekend on a tour from Zurich (Switzerland) to the Region Rhône-Alpes in France and Piermonte in Italy. The story starts from 46°N 6°E. The previous confluence visit was 45°N 7°E.

After typing in the coordinates in my car-navigation device, all I had to do was to follow the instructions given by the routing algorithm. The last couple hundred meters I followed a small single-lane county road named Via Cecca until I came as close as 240 m to the confluence point. However, the final approach seemed to be rather difficult since there was a steep incline ahead with dense and thorny vegetation. Due to some experience made at previous confluence approaches, I searched for a trail first before entering the jungle directly. And indeed, I found a track that lead directly down to the confluence point, but abruptly ended 30 m before reaching the exact location.

These last 30 m turned out to be rather difficult due to dense blackberry bushes (no blackberries but therefore a large amount of thorns). Nevertheless I carried out the “confluence dance” until I yielded the coordinate-zeros. The dense vegetation consisting of bushes, oak trees covered with ivy and small ash trees doesn’t allow good views for taking images at the confluence or even within the 100 m zone around it. A little compensation for this offered a beautiful mushroom that grew near the confluence point.

On my walk back I discovered some chestnut trees with lots of ripe chestnuts on the ground. After returning to my car, I had a long drive back to my home in Zurich that I reached at 11 p.m.

CP visit details:

  • Beeline distance from car parking: 240 m
  • Walking time (incl. return): 7 min
  • Time at the CP: 2:25 pm
  • Measured height: 233 m
  • Position accuracy at the CP: 4 m
  • Minimal distance to the CP: 0 m
  • Vegetation: blackberry bushes (posing a difficulty to walk through), oak trees that have trunks covered with ivy. Different types of bushes and small broadleaf trees.
  • Distance to a road: 240 m (Via Cecca)
  • Distance to a track: 30 m
  • Distance to a house: 250 m
  • Topography: on a slope, generally hilly area.
  • Weather: sunny, 20° C (felt temperature)
  • Description of the CP: In the province Asti that is part of the Region Piedmont in northern Italy. Generally populated area, but confluence is right in the center of a forest.
  • Given Name: The Nasty Blackberry Confluence

Story finishes here.


 All pictures
#1: The Confluence from 30 m
#2: GPS Reading
#3: Ground Zero
#4: The Confluence Hunter
#5: The Confluence Mushroom
#6: Confluence Point from the Top at a Distance of 250 m
#7: View to the South
#8: View to the West
#9: View to the North
#10: View to the East
#11: Via Cerra and Chapel in 350 m Distance
ALL: All pictures on one page