Stage 14 · Ascoli Piceno → L'Aquila
- Distance
- 104 km
- Elevation gain
- 1,510 m D+
- Difficulty
- Challenging
- Surface
- 100% asphalt, 0% gravel · 24% on cycle routes
- Terrain
- Gran Sasso, Navelli plateau
- Hospitality
- Hotels
GPX 1.1 file with the track, elevation and the abbeys as waypoints. Tracks are calculated on real roads and cycle routes (OpenStreetMap): check them on the ground before you set off.
Stage map
Map of the stage Ascoli Piceno → L'Aquila: track, start, finish, places to stay and abbeys
Hover the profile to see the spot on the map
Tracks calculated on real roads and cycle paths (OpenStreetMap); elevations from SRTM data — to be checked on the ground
Main climb: 5.6 km at 3.8% (up to 997 m)
This stage on Komoot
The same track is on the project's Komoot profile: save it in the app and ride it with voice navigation.
Overview
A great mountain stage that leaves the Marche and climbs into Abruzzo along the Tronto valley, at the foot of the Gran Sasso, to L'Aquila, a city of art reborn after the 2009 earthquake.
Notes from the road
The Salaria climbs slowly along the Tronto, through towns that still bear the marks of the earthquake. Construction traffic alternates with long empty stretches. Better to ask in town about the old road, before joining the new main road. Lake Campotosto looks cold even in summer, the wind never stops.
What to see
Ascoli Piceno, gorges and valley of the Tronto, Acquasanta Terme, villages of the Laga, views of the Gran Sasso (Corno Grande 2,912m), L'Aquila with the Basilica of Collemaggio and the Fountain of the 99 Spouts
Where to sleep
Hotels in L'Aquila (70-120€); B&Bs in the centre (60-95€); agriturismo of the Aquila basin (55-85€)
Where to eat
Arrosticini lamb skewers, maccheroni alla chitarra, L'Aquila DOP saffron, Abruzzo pecorino cheeses, soft Aquila torrone
Tips
A true mountain stage (104 km, 1,500m gain): a long, steady climb along the Tronto, then windswept plateaux. Weather is changeable even in summer. L'Aquila's rebuilt centre is splendid again: give it your evening.
Water & supplies
A demanding leg: the last reliable food shops are in Acquasanta Terme; between Arquata del Tronto and Montereale there are 20-25 km gaps, through earthquake country with only partly rebuilt villages. Fountains along the Salaria; wind and altitude on the Aquila highlands, mobile coverage absent in places. Windproof always in the bag. No confirmation of a formal ban on bikes in the SS4 Salaria tunnels between Ascoli and Arquata. The stretch does however have active building sites and heavy traffic. Where possible, better to favour the Salaria Vecchia, the BI9 cycle route.
Places to stay on this stage
- Agricampeggio Carditocampsite
Capitignano (AQ), Via del Lago 8 — sella tra Lago di Campotosto e Alta Valle dell'Aterno, 1.420 m- Price:
- Camper and tent pitches, farm-campsite rates
- Open:
- Seasonal (spring–autumn), check on 347 0046838
- Facilities:
- Tent pitches, refreshments/kitchen, viewpoint over the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga
- Source:
- https://www.parks.it/cam/cardito/ · https://www.gransassolagapark.it/operatore.php?id=92
Farm campsite recognised by the Gran Sasso-Laga Park on the pass crossed by the Ascoli–L'Aquila stage, between Lake Campotosto and Capitignano. The only high-altitude stopover on this section.
An amateur, non-profit project. The tracks are indicative: everyone rides independently, at their own risk.