This 388 km (241 mile) mixed terrain route, with around 8,500 metres of climbing and 70% unpaved surface, is suitable for gravel bikes and best tackled over 4-6 days (5 probably being the sweet spot).
The idea behind the route was to create a bikepacking route that links the three National Parks and one regional park of Abruzzo, a predominantly mountainous region located in central Italy. Starting from the archaeological site of Amiternum, next to L’Aquila city, the route enters the Gran Sasso National Park and reaches the Campo Imperatore plateau along remote doubletrack roads.
Highlights to this ride include the never-ending gravel doubletracks, stunning landscape, delicious food and medieval villages in the wild and stunning area of Abruzzo.
When: May to September, but July and August can be too hot for many, and September might be too cool for some.
Wolf’s Lair video on Vimeo
In Roman mythology Romulus and Remus were suckled by a she-wolf, on the other hand, wolfs have always been a danger to the flocks. Hence the reason why the tour of the Abruzzo mountains has been called “the Wolf’s Lair”.
The Wolf's Lair - BIKEPACKING.com
Route type: Long Distance Circular