Into The Wild Gran Sasso

Arrival in L’Aquila independently. Dinner and overnight stay.

Stage immersed in nature at the foot of Monte San Franco and in the Vasto valley. We will explore the Gran Sasso Park through dirt paths that will take us to visit Arischia. The continuously ascending route will allow us to admire the Gran Sasso mountain range, featuring the stunning Monte San Franco and the peaks of Campo Imperatore. We will arrive at San Pietro della Ienca, at the sanctuary of San Giovanni II, before heading towards Assergi. We will traverse Piano di Fugno, with a visit to the small temple of Sant'Eusanio, and then descend the slopes of Monte Cardesco until we reach the Chiusola refuge, with Santo Stefano visible in the distance, where we will find our camp set up and ready to welcome us by the lake. Dinner and overnight stay in tents.

This stage will take us to visit the highest medieval castle in Europe, Rocca Calascio, from where we will enjoy breathtaking views of the Gran Sasso and the surrounding valleys. We will pedal our mountain bikes towards the valleys in the direction of Campo Imperatore, reaching the Valianara canyon, a filming location for several successful movies. We’ll ride along a gravel path until we reach the beginning of the Voltigno and Valle D'Angri reserve, just below the Capo la Serra pass. Here, we will admire a different landscape amidst beech forests and other tree species. Our arrival will be at the Voltigno refuge, where we will cross the plain and stop at our camp set up in nature. Dinner and overnight stay in tents.

We leave the Gran Sasso National Park to reach the Tirino Valley along a scenic mule track that takes us from the town of Carpineto della Nora towards the valley via the Torre di Forca di Penne. The route offers stunning views before descending to the Tirino River and the Abbey of San Pietro ad Oratorium, where we can admire an inscribed stone known as the "magic square," placed upside down, featuring five words: ROTAS OPERA TENET AREPO SATOR. These words can be read in any direction—left to right, right to left, top to bottom, and bottom to top. We are about 6 km from Capestrano, heading towards Lake Capodacqua, which we will reach before continuing to the Piana di Navelli, climbing from Collepietro. Next, we’ll enjoy a lovely ride across the prairie until we reach our camp set up at the foot of the village of Navelli. Dinner and overnight stay in tents.

From the Piana di Navelli, famous for its saffron and various legume crops, we will reach Bominaco to visit the castle of the same name and the "Sistine Chapel of Abruzzo," known as the Oratory of San Pellegrino. From Bominaco, a series of dirt paths will lead us to Tussio, Castello Camponeschi, and then Ripa. We will reach the beautiful Lake Sinizzo, where we will connect with the ancient tratturo Magno as we approach L'Aquila, our final stop. We’ll cycle along this long stretch of the ancient tratturo until we reach the Necropolis of Fossa. Once we arrive in Monticchio, we will be on the outskirts of the city, entering through the stunning Piazza del Duomo, which marks the theoretical end of this tour. We just need to cycle a bit further to reach our starting hotel, where a lovely dinner and a shower in our rooms await.

After breakfast, end of services and departure to respective destinations.