PROPOSED BY THE GUIDE
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Rocca Calascio at sunset, from Santo Stefano di Sessanio

Santo Stefano di Sessanio, provincia dell'Aquila · Abruzzo•1 day•Hiking · 1,520 m
Experience
Day hikes
Difficulty ?
INTERMEDIATE
Where?
provincia dell'Aquila, Abruzzo
On your own?
No problem
Points
+14
Rocca Calascio at sunset, from Santo Stefano di Sessanio
Community photos
Overview
The experience
Difficulty
What's included
Itinerary
Carpooling
What to bring
Your guide
Reviews
Questions
WHY THIS HIKE

Abruzzo's most photographed castle, under a full moon

Rocca Calascio is one of those images you recognise at first glance: a stone fortress at 1,460 metres, alone on the ridge, with the Gran Sasso behind it. We walk there from Santo Stefano di Sessanio, crossing the lands of the old barony, and we arrive at the right hour: sunset, with the full moon rising on the other side.

Group chat a couple of days before
Come alone, leave with new friends

The experience

It is 10 kilometres and 400 metres of ascent on a hiking trail, between high pastures and stone. From the castle the view covers the endless spaces that made this plateau famous: the Gran Sasso massif, the Majella, Monte Sirente and the Morrone, and on clear days even the sea.

We visit the castle and its surroundings, stop for a packed dinner as the sun goes down, and walk back to Santo Stefano at night, with head torches and the moon to light the way.

This is an intermediate hike: 400 metres of ascent spread over ten kilometres, with no technical difficulty, but we walk until late evening. Bring boots, a head torch, a warm jacket and your packed dinner.

Come with the Guidders: book your place and let's walk up to the Rocca.

GOOD TO KNOW
Group chat
It opens a couple of days before: that's where the meeting point is confirmed and carpooling is arranged.
Free cancellation up to 1 days before
You pay nothing when you book.
Guiddy accident insurance
Included in the price.
+14 Guiddy points
Your points grow with every outing, level you up and unlock discounts, exclusive outings and goodies.
Guiddy Coordinator (runs the group, Telegram included)
Included in the price.
Not suitable for dogs
This time your dog stays at home.

How hard is it, really

Guiddy scale
INTERMEDIATE
F
F+
I
I+
D
D+
400 m D+ · 10 km · 6 h
Exposure and exposed sections
NONE
No exposed sections reported on the route.
VERTIGO RISK
WHAT YOU NEED BEFORE YOU GO
✓
BEFORE YOU GO
Go to bed early, have a good breakfast and drink before you set off: you've got 6 h and 400 m of ascent ahead, if you go to the mountains a couple of times a month, you're fit enough
✓
IN YOUR BACKPACK
Hiking shoes, 1.5 litres of water, a snack and a windproof jacket, plus poles. Always with you: a plaster, an antiseptic wipe and a small bag for rubbish

What's included in the price

✓INCLUDED
✓Guiddy accident insurance
✓Guiddy Coordinator (runs the group, Telegram included)
✓Certified Guide
✕NOT INCLUDED
✕Packed dinner
✕Travel to Santo Stefano di Sessanio
To get there, there's Guiddy carpooling, below.

Itinerary

One day, approximate times. The final details come in the group chat.

Elevation gain
400 m
Max altitude
1,520 m
Distance
10 km
Duration
6 h
Day
10 km · D+ 400 m · 6 h
Map
The stops · 10 km
Meeting point 15:30approximate
Punto di ritrovo, Santo Stefano di Sessanio, provincia dell'Aquila, Italia. The exact time is confirmed in the group chat. We meet a little earlier for a coffee, water and a toilet: after that, there are none until we get back.
HOW TO GET THERE
15:30MEETING
Meeting at Santo Stefano di Sessanio
We meet the Guidders at Locanda del Lago, in via del Lago in Santo Stefano di Sessanio (AQ). Introductions, a check on torches and jackets, then we set off. The time is indicative: the exact one is shared in the outing's Telegram group.
16:00HIKING TRAIL
Across the lands of the barony
We start along the hiking trail crossing the lands of the old barony, between high pastures and dry-stone walls. This is where the plateau shows itself for what it is: wide spaces, stone and silence, with the Gran Sasso growing behind us.
18:30HIKING TRAIL
Rocca Calascio and the sunset
After about five kilometres we reach the fortress. We visit the castle and its surroundings, then settle in for a packed dinner waiting for sunset: from here the view runs over the Gran Sasso, the Majella, Sirente and Morrone, while the full moon rises on the other side of the sky.
22:30RETURN
Back to Santo Stefano
We walk back to the car park in Santo Stefano di Sessanio along the same trail, head torches on and the moon lighting the plateau. At the cars we take the time to say goodbye before heading off.

How do you get to Santo Stefano di Sessanio? By carpooling.

You say so when booking, then you get organised in the Telegram group. Contacts and costs are agreed between you: a seat isn't guaranteed.

WHO'S ALREADY GOING
Offering a seat Looking for a seat
Cars are added in the last few days, once the group is confirmed.

What to bring

A list made for this hike. No technical gear: just good shoes and a well-packed backpack.

Windproof
REQUIRED
Cap
REQUIRED
Packed dinner
REQUIRED
Warm gloves
REQUIRED
Waterproof shell
REQUIRED
Water supply
REQUIRED
Trekking boots
REQUIRED
Layered clothing
REQUIRED
Change of clothes
REQUIRED
Backpack
REQUIRED
Trekking poles
RECOMMENDED

Your guide

Guerrino C.
Guerrino C.
· 5 outings
We'll email you when they have a new outing on the calendar.

Hi Guidders! 🧡 I'm Guerrino, an environmental hiking guide and a lifelong lover of nature. I started going to the mountains as a teenager. Then came canyoning and caving, to get to know this splendid world better and better — from inside and underneath it too, not just from the trails. What I want to pass on are the strong feelings you get crossing all the colours of our land: the endless shades of green and blue among mountains, waterfalls and centuries-old trees that always greet you kindly. And I hope that with the wonder and the falling in love with nature will come, all by themselves, respect and the wish to teach new generations about sustainable development, protecting the fine balance between nature and art, history and the best of this beautiful country. 🌿 See you in the mountains, Guidders!

Italiano
Guida Ambientale Escursionistica

Reviews

Only from people who completed the outing.
—
no reviews yet
Itinerary—
Organisation—
Overall experience—
Ibex
The first reviews come after the outing
We only ask for feedback from people who were really there.

After your outing, you can share your story too.

Questions?

I've only done easy trails, can I come?
⌄
Flat or slightly inclined sections with short stretches on steep slopes and rocks, not tiring or demanding. You need to be fit enough to walk for 6 h with 400 m of ascent. If in doubt, message Ibex on WhatsApp.
Can I join on my own?
⌄
How does carpooling work?
⌄
What happens if the weather is bad?
⌄
What if the group doesn't reach the minimum?
⌄
Until when can I cancel?
⌄
Book now, pay only if it goes ahead
MOST POPULAR
✓No charge now: the amount is only held on your card
✓Free cancellation up to 1 days before
✓You're only charged once the group is confirmed, at 7 pm the evening before departure
✓Minimum not reached? No charge, nothing to do
Or pay straight away by card, PayPal, Satispay or Revolut. With Klarna you can also pay in interest-free instalments.
Ibex
Still have questions? Message Ibex
Ibex is Guiddy's virtual ibex: it answers everything, 24/7. In two messages it tells you whether this outing is for you, how to get there and what to pack.
Message Ibex on WhatsApp
No commitment: we're happy to answer even just for advice.
Rocca Calascio at sunset, from Santo Stefano di Sessanio

Rocca Calascio at sunset, from Santo Stefano di Sessanio

Santo Stefano di Sessanio, provincia dell'Aquila (AQ) · Abruzzo
1 day · Hiking · 1,520 m
Elevation gain
400 m
Max altitude
1,520 m
Distance
10 km
Exposed sections
None
Duration
6 h
Guiddy points
+14
5 photos
+1 photos
WHY THIS HIKE

Abruzzo's most photographed castle, under a full moon

Rocca Calascio is one of those images you recognise at first glance: a stone fortress at 1,460 metres, alone on the ridge, with the Gran Sasso behind it. We walk there from Santo Stefano di Sessanio, crossing the lands of the old barony, and we arrive at the right hour: sunset, with the full moon rising on the other side.

Come alone, leave with new friends

The experience

It is 10 kilometres and 400 metres of ascent on a hiking trail, between high pastures and stone. From the castle the view covers the endless spaces that made this plateau famous: the Gran Sasso massif, the Majella, Monte Sirente and the Morrone, and on clear days even the sea.

We visit the castle and its surroundings, stop for a packed dinner as the sun goes down, and walk back to Santo Stefano at night, with head torches and the moon to light the way.

This is an intermediate hike: 400 metres of ascent spread over ten kilometres, with no technical difficulty, but we walk until late evening. Bring boots, a head torch, a warm jacket and your packed dinner.

Come with the Guidders: book your place and let's walk up to the Rocca.

How hard is it

Guiddy scale
INTERMEDIATE
F
F+
I
I+
D
D+
400 m D+ · 10 km · 6 h
WHAT YOU NEED BEFORE YOU GO
✓
BEFORE YOU GO
Go to bed early, have a good breakfast and drink before you set off: you've got 6 h and 400 m of ascent ahead, if you go to the mountains a couple of times a month, you're fit enough
✓
IN YOUR BACKPACK
Hiking shoes, 1.5 litres of water, a snack and a windproof jacket, plus poles. Always with you: a plaster, an antiseptic wipe and a small bag for rubbish

What's included

INCLUDED
✓Guiddy accident insurance
✓Guiddy Coordinator (runs the group, Telegram included)
✓Certified Guide
NOT INCLUDED
✕Packed dinner
✕Travel to Santo Stefano di Sessanio

Itinerary

Day · approximate times
Map
Stops · 10 km
Meeting point 15:30Punto di ritrovo
We meet a little earlier for a coffee, water and a toilet: after that, there are none until we get back.
15:30MEETING
Meeting at Santo Stefano di Sessanio
We meet the Guidders at Locanda del Lago, in via del Lago in Santo Stefano di Sessanio (AQ). Introductions, a check on torches and jackets, then we set off. The time is indicative: the exact one is shared in the outing's Telegram group.
16:00HIKING TRAIL
Across the lands of the barony
We start along the hiking trail crossing the lands of the old barony, between high pastures and dry-stone walls. This is where the plateau shows itself for what it is: wide spaces, stone and silence, with the Gran Sasso growing behind us.
18:30HIKING TRAIL
Rocca Calascio and the sunset
After about five kilometres we reach the fortress. We visit the castle and its surroundings, then settle in for a packed dinner waiting for sunset: from here the view runs over the Gran Sasso, the Majella, Sirente and Morrone, while the full moon rises on the other side of the sky.
22:30RETURN
Back to Santo Stefano
We walk back to the car park in Santo Stefano di Sessanio along the same trail, head torches on and the moon lighting the plateau. At the cars we take the time to say goodbye before heading off.

How do you get to Santo Stefano di Sessanio? By carpooling.

You say so when booking, then you get organised in the Telegram group.

WHO'S ALREADY GOING
Offering a seat Looking for a seat
Cars are added in the last few days, once the group is confirmed.

What to bring

A list made for this hike.
Windproof
REQUIRED
Cap
REQUIRED
Packed dinner
REQUIRED
Warm gloves
REQUIRED
Waterproof shell
REQUIRED
Water supply
REQUIRED
Trekking boots
REQUIRED
Layered clothing
REQUIRED
Change of clothes
REQUIRED
Backpack
REQUIRED
Trekking poles
RECOMMENDED

Your guide

Guerrino C.
Guerrino C.
5 outings with Guiddy
Guida Ambientale Escursionistica

Hi Guidders! 🧡 I'm Guerrino, an environmental hiking guide and a lifelong lover of nature. I started going to the mountains as a teenager. Then came canyoning and caving, to get to know this splendid world better and better — from inside and underneath it too, not just from the trails. What I want to pass on are the strong feelings you get crossing all the colours of our land: the endless shades of green and blue among mountains, waterfalls and centuries-old trees that always greet you kindly. And I hope that with the wonder and the falling in love with nature will come, all by themselves, respect and the wish to teach new generations about sustainable development, protecting the fine balance between nature and art, history and the best of this beautiful country. 🌿 See you in the mountains, Guidders!

We'll email you when they have a new outing on the calendar.

Reviews

— · none yet
Ibex
The first reviews come after the outing
Only from people who were really there.

After your outing, you can share your story too.

Questions?

I've only done easy trails, can I come?
⌄
Flat or slightly inclined sections with short stretches on steep slopes and rocks, not tiring or demanding. You need to be fit enough to walk for 6 h with 400 m of ascent. If in doubt, message Ibex on WhatsApp.
Can I join on my own?
⌄
How does carpooling work?
⌄
What happens if the weather is bad?
⌄
What if the group doesn't reach the minimum?
⌄
Until when can I cancel?
⌄
Ibex
Still unsure? Message Ibex on WhatsApp →
No date
€20
per person
Book now →
Pay only if confirmed