340km The Winter Line
Mid - winter in the Gargliano valley
The Winter Line stretches across Italy linking two ports, Gaeta on the Tyrrhenian Sea to Ortona, on the Adriatic coast. The Winter Line was one of three defensive lines set by the occupying German forces across Italy, to prevent the Allied advance up the peninsula and it derives its name from the fact that it took nine months from October 1943 to June 1944 to break through it. The most important part of the Winter Line was the Gustav Line, which stretched from the River Garigliano in the West to the Sangro in the East. The line was a formidable obstacle, since General Kesselring used the Apennine Mountain chain to his advantage. He always had the height on which to fire at the advancing Allies crossing the river valleys.
Today, the Line is more than a historical centre-piece, it is a superb cycle route linking Italy’s west and east coasts. On the route are numerous hot springs and spas, castles, mountain passes, and small mountain villages to enjoy. This is a wild and rugged part of Italy, little frequented and all the better for that. It is a spectacular land of deep woods, mountain peaks rarely conquered, and an isolation and peace that are hard to find on this busy continent.
The route can of course be tackled at any time of year, but it is in winter when it is most stark. With climate change, the roads are very rarely snowbound, in fact I rode this route in the first week of February in daytime temperatures of over 20 degrees. Whilst acommodation and supplies are harder to come by in mid-winter, the roads are almost completely empty. All that is required for a successful trip is a little forward planning. However, don’t underestimate the challenge of the route. The metres climbed, combined with limited daylight hours, winter conditions and infrequent re-fuel/accommodation stops makes the route harder than its distance might suggest.
The route mixes gravel and earthen tracks with quiet country roads. The scenery is incredibly diverse, ranging from the beaches of the Adriatic coast to the spectacular Apennine mountains. The landscapes are coloured by winter; chalk, lapis, saffron, heron greys and cinnamon predominate on a canvas rarely seen unless you habitually tour in the ‘closed’ winter months. It’s not just the landscapes which give pleasure, as you can expect delicious food, generous hospitality, and of course with this tracing of a war front, there are moments of great poignancy even sadness. To stop under a warm winter sun amidst the ‘row upon row’ of headstones in the Commonwealth Cemeteries makes you, if nothing else, determined that you’ll play your part in maintaining this European Peace, now eighty years old. If it does not, the price of war lies before you - thousands upon thousands of young men buried in ‘some foreign field’.
Ride practicalities
The route described and ridden is a ‘winter route’, created in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the “Winter Line”. Of course, the route can be ridden at any time of year, when there is far greater choice in terms of acommodation and re-fuelling.
START/FINISH: Gaeta/Ortona DISTANCE: 340km TOTAL ASCENT: 5424m TERRAIN AND SURFACES: mixed surfaces ranging from earthen farm tracks, to gravel and country roads with over 30km of dedicated cycle track ACCOMMODATION/RESTAURANTS; Be aware that these are limited in winter. Use the various on-line Apps to suit your budget. Each stage below has its own recommendations MAINLINE TRAIN SERVICES: Gaeta on the line to Rome, Cassino and Ortona with links to Pescara and onto Rome LINKS TO OTHER RIDES:
Gaeta to Ortona on the Gustav Line