Stage 17 · Sulmona → Avezzano
- Distance
- 87 km
- Elevation gain
- 1,810 m D+
- Difficulty
- Challenging
- Surface
- 90% asphalt, 10% gravel · 8% on cycle routes
- Terrain
- Rocche plateau
- Hospitality
- Hotel
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 Sulmona → Avezzano: 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: 11.4 km at 5.8% (up to 1,173 m)
Other climb: 3.7 km at 12.2% (up to 829 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 demanding stage that climbs from Sulmona through the San Venanzio gorges and the Altopiano delle Rocche, before dropping to Avezzano and the Fucino plain, the great drained lake.
Notes from the road
From Sulmona the road climbs into the gorges, narrow between rock walls. The plateau then opens wide, short pasture grass and a wind that never stops. Celano appears below, its castle above the drained Fucino basin. The final descent gives a view that repays the long morning climb.
What to see
Peligna basin, San Venanzio gorges, Raiano and Goriano Sicoli, Altopiano delle Rocche (Ovindoli, Rovere), Piccolomini Castle of Celano, Fucino plain, Avezzano
Where to sleep
Avezzano: hotels (70-110€), B&Bs (60-90€), agriturismo (55-85€); Rocche refuges (45-70€)
Where to eat
Polenta with mutton ragù, pasta with mushrooms and truffle, mountain pecorino, Fucino IGP potatoes, chestnuts
Tips
A serious mountain stage (1,810m gain) with remote stretches and limited services. The plateau is windy and cool even in summer. The descent to Celano offers a magnificent view over the Fucino.
Water & supplies
A long climb out of Sulmona: fountains in Ovindoli and Rocca di Mezzo on the Altopiano delle Rocche; between villages, open stretches of 10-15 km above 1,200 metres, exposed to sun and wind. Some bars at altitude are seasonal; Avezzano has every service on arrival.
Places to stay on this stage
- Ostello Il Camoscio (Mountain & Bike)hostel
Rovere di Rocca di Mezzo (AQ), Altopiano delle Rocche — 1.400 m- Price:
- Mountain hostel rates
- Open:
- Year-round (check-in at Albergo Diffuso Robur Marsorum, Rovere; tel. 0862 917249)
- Facilities:
- En-suite family rooms, bar, common room, Wi-Fi, bike hire, ski/bike storage
- Source:
- https://www.parcosirentevelino.it/operatore.php?progressivooperatore=17085 · https://www.booking.com/hotel/it/ostello-il-camoscio.html
Bike-friendly hostel in the Sirente-Velino Park, on the Altopiano delle Rocche signposted on the Sulmona–Avezzano stage (climb from Celano/Ovindoli). A high-altitude alternative to the direct descent to Avezzano.
An amateur, non-profit project. The tracks are indicative: everyone rides independently, at their own risk.