30km The Avella Valley
Maiella orientale
Ride overview
A ride in the in-between lands; between the mountains and the sea, where woods meet fields, where pastures become hills. On this short and hilly route, you ride past massed orchids, olives and orioles whose two-noted fluted song cheers you along. Buzzards, the birds of the in-between lands quietly patrol the skies and throughout the mountains of the Maiella are carefully framed. At the top of the main climb the distant sea sparkles like jewels in a crown. It is a very lovely ride on narrow and very quiet back roads.
Ride Practicalities
START/FINISH: the junction of the Via Piano Aventino and Piano di Roma. There is a lay-by nearby for parking. DISTANCE: 31km. TOTAL ASCENT: 870m TERRAIN AND SURFACES: A mix of smooth and broken tarmac, often with loose gravel on corners FOOD: There are no cafes on the route. Short deviations to Pennapiedemonte and Casoli for coffee, or only Casoli if you need feeding. PUBLIC TRANSPORT: None MAINLINE TRAIN SERVICES: None LINKS TO OTHER RIDES: The Pasta Run
Ride notes
Having arrived at the start, where there is a lay-by to park your car, you instantly begin climbing up one of the many sharp hills that populate this rural route. You have too, the first views of the spectacular eastern flank of the Maiella. The ‘Mother Mountain’ as the Maiella is often referred to, has a dramatic history, both geological, as well as historical. It began life as a coral reef in a tropical sea, and the flank you see before you is the cliff of the reef around which pre-historic sharks swam. This side of the mountain has endured many tragedies too, from landslides to catastrophic earthquakes. More recently it formed the front known as the Gustav line which divided the allies and the German troops in WWII.
After only 2km, you slide downhill to the main road on which you ride for half a kilometre. There follows a glorious section on a good surface to the vineyards and olive fields of Tommaso Masciantonio, whose prize winning organic oils and wines are superb. In October when the oilves are pressed, the whole area smells of the rich, green-gold oil. It is intoxicating! After the mill, there’s a 25% climb up the cliff and when the road levels out, you ride through ancient olive groves growing in a bed of stones.
Continuing, you ride past Giacomo Santolieri’s azienda, another organic farm which wins awards for its barely and lentils. The route continues up hill towards the mountains, passing through tiny hamlets. Many of the long-since abandoned houses are being restored as second homes and its heartening to see people returning to this spectacular land.
Pennapiedemonte, perched on a cliff, has been a settlement for over 4,000 years. Its airy position was used by the Romans who built a watchtower overlooking the whole land all the way down to the sea, over 40km away. There’s swooping downhill to reward you for all the climbing as you ride through a mix of hamlets, farmland and woods. In spring there are a wide range of rare orchids beside the road, as well as the heavy sweet smells of genesta and the acacia trees. The final few kilometres have a couple of hills to imprint upon your legs a memory of this wild and harsh terrain.
Every route on this website has been carefully researched as well as ridden. However situations on the ground can change quickly. If you know of changes to this route, or cafes, pubs and the like which you think other cyclists need to know about, feel free to share your thoughts below.
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