Wolf’s Lair- gravel or mountain biking through the wild Abruzzo

A loop through some of Italy’s most unspoilt landscapes: the Wolf’s Lair takes you across Abruzzo, past remote mountain villages and wild valleys, and through several national parks.

We had around 390 kilometres and more than 8,000 metres of climbing ahead of us, mostly on gravel roads and quiet backroads. And somewhere out there, there were bears 🐻 and wolves 🐺, too.

We had originally planned to ride the loop in four days. Judging by the numbers, it seemed doable. But on a route like this, distance and elevation gain don’t tell the whole story. In the end, choosing to take five days was absolutely the right call.

image

Here you can find out how much hike-a-bike there really was and what the trails felt like beneath our tyres.

Route planning on My Maps
Elevation profiles and details: scroll down

The Wolf’s Lair in 5 days

Day 1 – 64 km / 1,770 m elevation gain: San Vittorino – Calascio
Day 2 – From the high plateau into the beech forests: Calascio – Caramanico Terme
Day 3 – coming soon
Day 4
Day 5
Route planning

Day 1: Climbing to Calascio on gravel – from Amiternum to the Rocca

64 km / 1,771 m elevation gain / approx. 6 hours moving time

First, our video from Day 1:

Our ride begins at the archaeological site of Amiternum, near San Vittorino, close to L’Aquila. The ancient city was once an important Sabine centre and later became a Roman city. Today, its theatre and amphitheatre are among the reminders of its past. National Museum of Abruzzo: Amiternum Archaeological Park

The night before, we stayed at B&B Grandangolo in Sassa Scalo. They let us leave the car there, which is handy because our final stage on Day 5 brings us back this way. The roughly five kilometres to the official starting point make for a good warm-up before the climbing begins in earnest.

We leave San Vittorino on gravel roads and are soon heading uphill. A spectacular series of hairpin bends takes us up to Piano del Monte at around 1,170 metres. After just the first few kilometres, I’m already glad I chose a mountain bike. The gravel makes itself felt as the landscape opens up and grows quieter with every metre of elevation. At this time of day, we don’t see another soul up here.

We pass through Collebrincioni and descend towards Camarda. Then another plateau awaits: wide and lonely, with long stretches where we don’t meet anyone for kilometres. It only gets busier as we approach Santo Stefano di Sessanio.

The medieval village sits at around 1,250 metres in the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park. Its narrow lanes, stone houses and passageways seem to belong to another age. As we ride through, it’s easy to imagine what everyday life here might have been like centuries ago. Today, we share the lanes with visitors strolling through the village and stopping every so often for a photo. Abruzzo Tourism: Santo Stefano di Sessanio

We take a short break for coffee and ice cream. But we don’t linger: before long, we’re back on our bikes and climbing again. The road leads out onto a stark, open plateau. At last, Rocca Calascio appears in the distance – first as a tiny outline on the horizon, then growing clearer above the mountain landscape.

The fortress stands at around 1,460 metres and is one of Italy’s highest fortifications. It is also famous as a film location: scenes for The Name of the Rose, among other films, were shot here. Nearby stands the small, octagonal church of Santa Maria della Pietà, built between the late 16th and 17th centuries. Abruzzo Tourism: Rocca Calascio

A steep, winding road takes us to Calascio. The village clings to the hillside just below the fortress, like an eagle’s nest. Our accommodation, Casa Arcem, is right in the centre and can only be reached via stone steps. We can leave our bikes outside the house. The room is cosy and has everything we need for a short stay. After such a long day, we hardly notice that it has no windows.

We don’t get to meet Federica, our host, in person, but she sends us all the information we need via WhatsApp. She also recommends Trattoria Da Clara. We end our first day on the bike with traditional dishes in a welcoming atmosphere. A few snacks and a cappuccino set us up for the next morning.