Our Destinations

Why travelling with Randocheval ?

ITALY : TRAILS ON THE ABRUZZI REGION...

ITINERARY

STATIONARY STAY (detailled programme)

You will enjoy this stay in the heart of Abruzzo mountains, with rides every days around the farm of your guest and two days of trail in the mountains at the end of the week. Between mountains, plains and forest you will enjoy as much the riding and the countryside as the cuisine and the Dolce Vita ! Indeed, either the meal are taken at the farm or during the rides as pic nic, they are all prepared by Carmine, your italian guide. The perfect occasion to taste excellent italian food and beverages ! Everyone can participate to this stay, beginners or confident riders, western or classical riders, this stay has been created to make happy all of you ! Everyone progress at its own rythm with reliable horses. Quarters and Paints horses belonging to your guides are as quiet and docile that they can be energetic under the saddle of the more confident.

COLLE DELL'ORSO RIDE

Day 1 - Saturday
Arrival at Roma or Napoli airport.
Then, train to Isernia (approx 2 hours train from Roma Termini or Napoli train station - non included in the price).
Pick up in Isernia train station at 19h45 . Earlier transfer on the first day but from 4.30pm can be arranged with extra cost. Please check "Access" section below for further information.
Dinner and overnight at the farm.

Day 2 - Sunday
The morning is yours. You may sleep late, take your time over breakfast, do whatever you like.
After lunch there is a brief demonstration in western riding. Next we do a test-ride to enable you to get acquainted with the horse you are going to ride on the trail. Dinner and overnight are at the farm.

Day 3 - Monday
At about 10.00pm, we leave the house and ride through Alto Molise hills, meadows and woods. In the shade of mighty oaks we are having a picnic near the ruins of a Smanitic temple.
After lunch, we continue our way through the endless hills. At the end of the day we arrive at the "azienda agrituristica" where we'll have dinner, based on regional specialities and served near the fire-place on chilly evenings. Night at the azienda.

Day 4 - Tuesday
After breakfast we continue the trail, following the old Tratturo Casteldi Sangro-Lucera. The Tratturo is a centuries-ols track that is still used to move cattle from the far south where grass is scarce in summer. After the Tratturo we reach Pescolanciano with its old castle. Here we stop for lunch.
Next we go to the Colle dell'Orso. The trail gets steeper, climbing about 1,800 feet. The route leads us over narrow paths, through beech-woods with carpets of leaves.
In the evening we reach a simple mountain hut where we dine and spend the night.

Day 5 - Wednesday
Today is dedicated to the magnificient scenery of the plateau of Colle dell'Orso and the cowboys. During our ride we will enjoy the most splendid views of the Abruzzi and Maltese Mountain ranges, with peaks of appr. 6 500 feet. The most impressive scene of all is, however, the herds of cattle and wild horses in the plains. We will try to get near them and gallop with them.
After this very special experience it is time for lunch !
Then we return to "cowboy- land", over the hills and through the valleys we ride as far as the so-called Magic Forest. This piece of woodland is completely sheltered by rocks and there are but two possible ways of access, which makes the visit quite adventurous. Leaving the Magic Forest we go back to our mountain hut, which is by the way equipped with a shower. In the evening we make a camp-fire or light the fire in the fire-place.

Day 6 - Thursday
In the morning we enjoy the beauty of the Colle dell'Orso, called Magic Mountain by some, just one more time. Again, we pass trhough the enchanting forests until we reach the rockery Morgia Quadra. Then the road continues along a vertical mountain slope. From here you can see the plain of Pescolanciano. Somewhere on our way we stop to have a picnic.
In the afternoon the route descends, leading us back to civilization. In the evening we leave the horses in a stable nearby Civitanova where we eat and sleep at a hotel in the historical centre. Civitanova is a picturesque place located at the foot of the mountains near the Tratturo Celano-Foggia, in a valley nearby the river Trigno.

Day 7 - Friday
Today we take it easy. First we ride through Civitanova. Then we pass a valley where the river trigno has been dammed, creating a cistern. We follow the Trigno to Pescolanciano, climbing the hills that border on the forest Collemeluccio. This is one of the forest protected by UNESCO. The project is called Man and Biosphere (MAB). Worldwide UNESCO protects 254 forests. Four of them are located in Italy; two of which in Molise. The last few miles on horseback take us over open heatland and dense oakwood.
At 5.00 pm we arrive at Carmine and Astrid'a place and enjoy the farewell dinner !

Day 8 - Saturday
After breakfast drop off at Insernia station at 8.00 am. Make sure to book a flight leaving after 1.00pm from Rome or Napoli. Later drop off can be arranged with extra cost, latest departure at 10.30 am.
Please check "Access" section below for further information.

ABRUZZO NATIONAL PARK (detailled programme)

The national park of Abruzzo (Parco Nazionale d' Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise) is the most famous element of the region. Created in 1922, it is the first national park of Europe. It extends over 22 municipalities and 100 000 hectares. It's covered in 2/3 of forests, its highlight is on the ridge behind the Mount Marsicano (still having no name) and rises as height as 2253 metres, in the North of the park (Mount Marsicano is 2245 metres). Further to the success of this park with the tourists, the other numerous parks were opened to the debuts of the 1990s, what makes that Abruzzo is considered as the region the most protected of Italy (more than one third of the surface is considered as nature reserve!).   So, you will have can be the luck(chance) during your pony trek to meet the marsicain brown bear (emblem of the park), the wolf of the Apennines, the chamois of Abruzzes and the lynx which thanks to the preservation(conservation) of the park, were able to be saved from the extinction.

MAJELLA NATIONAL PARK (detailled programme)

A perfect ride for nature lovers who want to make the most of the Italian environment. With your horse as a guide, you'll discover these WWF recognized reserves. Enjoy the silence, the mountain, the fauna and the flora of this unspoilt part of Italy. Dolce Vita, excellent italian food and wine mixed with horse, nature, beautiful flora and fauna in an UNESCO protected National Park, these are the ingredient of these ride !

MONTE CAPRARO TRAIL - (detailled programme to come soon !)

What is the best way to discover this particular region of Italy ? An horse riding trail and nights under tents seem the more suitable ! Let the horse be your guide through abruzzian oakwood and mountains, on century old tracks, till remains of pre roman civilization and finally reach the peaks to have nice sight on the valleys.

CAUTION : Please note that a minimum of 5 riders is required to make the above detailled trails. So if the group is composed of less than 5 riders, a special stationary stay is shedulled, onwhich, who'll come back everyday to the farm for the night.

EXTEND YOUR TRIP

HORSES AND REQUIRED RIDING LEVEL

Horses Most of the horses are Quarter horses and Paints. The horses have been selected for their character and looks, they are also very well trained for outdoor rinding. All year long they live in paddocks around the house. This natural way of life makes them happy horses.

Tack The tack is exclusively western with comfortable saddles. Saddlebags are available. You should be confident at all paces, and fit enough to ride from 5 to 6 hours daily, for an average 25 to 40km per day. We will ask you to take care of your horse ; feel free to ask how if you need any help. As the trail wil follow mostly mountain tracks we have to adjust our pace. We will try to canter each time it's possible, but the main paces during these trails remains walk and trot. Riders should not exceed 90 kg and 2 meters high. Accompanied children are welcomed from 12 years old if they have compatible riding skills. Unaccompanied teens are accepted from 16 years old.

Required riding level
The trail rides' rhythm is quite intensive, from 5 to 7h each day in the saddle, but an experience with western ridind is not compulsory.
On all the trail it is necessary to be able to easily manage a horse at the 3 paces, to have certain endurance in the saddle, and to know how to look after your horse (grooming, saddling, and unsaddling).
Except on the beginners trail where you'll be taugh on how to take care of a horse, how to ride, etc.
Accompanied children are accepted from 12 y.o and 16 y.o if they are non accompanied.

Maximum weight : 90 kg // 198 lbs. (no exception)

YOUR GUIDES

You will be welcomed in Abruzzi by Carmine and Astrid.

Carmine has started riding in his 20-ies, and he's now a little bit over 50. After running one of the biggest riding centre in Italy named "Staffoli" he came to Abruzzi to offer and make discover its beautiful landscapes. He's also very involved, in FISE, the Italian Riding Sports Federation. Before being involved in horse riding world, Astrid was historian. She has worked in different riding centres, close to Amsterdam (she's Dutch) and then in Italy.

In most cases, trails are guided by Astrid and Carmine and they are well equiped for the trails: cellular phone, horse shoes and first aid kit.

ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation The farm (base camp) have a double room (with a double bed) and a dormitory for 6 people maximum. The base camp and the mountains refuges, have shared facilities. Any rider you specifically want a single room will be accommodate in and agriturismo located close to the farm (10 minuts driving) with an extra cost. Please contact us. Riders have to be prepare to share their room / tent. However, we won't charge anything if we finally don't find someone to share. When possible, the extra cost for single occupancy of a room has to be paid on site. The price is about 17 € per night. Thanks to precise your choice on booking. Below is described the accommodation on every trail: Stationnary trail 6 nights at the base camp + 1 night in a mountain refuge. Monte Capraro Trail ,Abruzzo and Majella National Park 3 nights at the base camp + 4 nights in a hotel. Colle dell' Orso trail 3 nights at the base camp + 2 nights in a mountain refuge + 1 night in a hotel + 1 night in a guest house / inn. Matese Trail 5 night in tent + 2 nights at the base camp Sleeping bag is provided but you have to bring your own tent and sleeping mat ! Sleeping bags, when necessary, and towels are provided on every trek but you have to bring your own tent and sleeping mat.

Catering
Breakfast and dinner are served at the hotel or (depending on accomodation) prepared by the service team. There will be a long stop for lunch at carefully selected places : viewpoints, shady pine forests, little bays... to give the riders and horses a little rest.

Depending on the trail you've chosen, you'll have lunch at the restaurant or when possible, we will grill local specialities (meat and fish). Water, juices and wine are included.

DATES AND RATES

Options (price per person)

Included:
- Night
- Breakfast

To add:
- Meals, drinks,
- All other personal expenses (visit, tips...)

- the trail ride as described, on full board basis,
- drinks during the meals (wines, beer, non alcoholic drinks),
- the transfers from and to the airport.
- the financial guarantee of deposits sent to Randocheval

- any other service
- tips and personnal expenses
- optionnal insurances : further information...

BOOKING - INFORMATION

Contact Claire, the specialist for this destination !

PRACTICAL INFORMATIONS

Abruzzi - Italy

From 6 to 8 riders.
If group size is only 4 or 5 riders, departure will be also guaranteed, but on a different itinerary.

Formalities
Contact your ambassy. For European people, the Identity card is enought.

Vaccination - health
No specific vaccinations. Don't forget your repatriation insurance.

We recommand to be update of usual vaccination, and especially tetanus..