Colle dell’Orso – IS Horseback Riding into the wild

“There are many wonderful places in the world, but one of my favorite places is on the back of my horse”. (Rolf Kopfle)

Saddle up with I Viaggi dell’Origano on an unusual adventure in Molise! Your fellow travelers will take you to discover Colle dell’Orso – the Hill of the Bear- in Frosolone. Between Trigno and Biferno Valleys, Colle dell’orso is the most important crag in Molise which extends in the east on an high-hills area of Matese Mountains and lies on the south of Majella massif. From the rock walls, to the thick woods you will discover the most hidden and wildest corner of Molise, riding your horse and tasting local delicacies ready to be enjoyed in an unforgettable travel experience.

ITINERARY

DAY 1 Saturday

Arrival of participants on Saturday evening to the farmhouse and meeting with the guide.

Upon arrival the guests are provided with a welcome drink and accomodation rooms.

Dinner and overnight stay at the farmhouse.

DAY 2 Sunday

Free time for individual activities in the morning.

Before lunch the guests are invited to take part to the security briefing in which the guide will provide the guests with the trekking details and itinerary. The day is dedicated to the horseback riding lessons and regulations, such as grooming, saddle placement and a short demonstration of western riding.

After lunch we do a test-ride (3 hours) where you are matched to an horse and to enable to get acquainted with the horse you are going to ride during the trekking.

Dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 3 Monday

After breakfast, we are ready to start off out journey in Molise. We depart around 10 a.m. and we head to a dense wood, where the horses can gallop in freedom.

The morning ride lasts approximately 2 hours and we stop for a lunch in the shade of ancient oaks trees: a delicious pic nic is the best break in such an natural and wild scenario of Molise forests.

Afteer lunch, we continue our trekking down through the hills until we reach the holiday farm “Il Tratturo” in the village of (in the province of ), where the smell of home cooking awaits us for a special dinner.

Dinner and overnight stay at the holiday farm.

DAY 4 Tuesday After breakfast we are ready to reach , a tiny village of eight hundreds people. We reach our destination riding on the ancient tratturo “Castel di Sangro – Lucera”, crossed back in time by the shepherds who used to practice the transhumance. Lunch at a local restaurant.

After lunch we are back on our saddle to head to Colle dell’Orso, in Frosolone, riding on the trails with a drop of 600 meters. We slowly approach a beech forest, where a carpet of leaves will take you in an enchated world.

Arrival to the mountain lodge in the evening.

Dinner and overnight stay in the mountain lodge, sleeping bags are provided to the participants.

DAY 5 Wednsday Waking up in a such magical atmosphere has never been so good!

Sipping a cappuccino in the lodge overlooking the Valley will be a real dream: the surrrounding rocky walls, wild horses on the grasslands and vast meadows will be our riding set of the day which leads us to the so-called Magic Forest. It is completely sheltered by rocks and we will try to access from an adventurous way.

Leaving Magic Forest we return back to our mountain lodge where we enjoy the barbeque cooked over the campfire.

Dinner and overnight stay at the mountain lodge, spleeping bags are provided to the participants.

DAY 6 Thrusday After breakfast, we are ready to live our last day with our beloved horse and traveller companion. We reach la Morgia Quadra also known as the Magic Mountains and the shepherd shelter, in Colle dell’Orso.

At lunchtime, we enjoy a picnic in the garden of a rural church dating back to 1704. In the afternoon, the trail descends, leading us back to civilization. We will leave our horses in a stable and riding center in the nearby village of Civitanova del Sannio.

Transfer to Civitanova and check in at the hotel.

Dinner at a local restaurant with pizza menu and overnight stay at the hotel.

DAY 7 Friday After breakfast, we saddle up for our last day of riding. We ride along the Trigno River to Pescolanciano, climbing the hills that border on the forest of Collemelucio, protected by UNESCO. The area that encompasses two Molisan forests is called Collemeluccio-Montedimezzo Biosphere Reserve and hosts small spread villages which live on farming, breeding and traditional handicrafts. The last few miles on horseback take us over open heath land and dense oak-woods. We return to the farmhouse of in the afternoon, and unsaddle the horses for the last time… Farewell dinner and overnight stay at the farmhouse.

DAY 8 Saturday After lunch, departure.

End of our services.

N.B. The above itinerary may be subjected to changes due to weather conditions or any other conditions of operational nature.

Dates 2020: 23 - 30 May 04 – 11 July

What is included in the package

7 nights stay (2 night at the farmhouse/5 nights at the hotel)

All meals and beverages (breakfast, lunches, pic nics and dinner as mentioned)

5 ½ days of horseback riding (6-7 hours/day)

Expert local guide

Horse Riding Equipment

Baggage handling during the trekking

Trasnfer from/to the Train Station of Isernia on the day of arrival at 7.45 p.m. / day of departure 8.50 a.m.

What is NOT included in the package

All the drinks off the menu

Personal expenses

Number of participants:

Min. 5/ max. 8*

*in rare occasions the number of participant may reach 10 people