Winter Hiking and Wolf Tracking in Italy

Meet your host at Rome Airport, hop in the van and drive through rural Italy to the town of Pescasseroli – your base for the weekend. Check into your guesthouse and meet up with your guide, who will give you the lowdown on the rewilding efforts in the area and brief you on the adventure to come. Head out for an easy afternoon hike to get your first taste of Abruzzo National Park and catch the sunset, before tucking into an Italian feast for dinner.

Wake for a sunrise hike along the southern slope of the mountain, through an area frequented by wolves. Whilst you cross your fingers for sightings, your guide will talk you through the history of the wolves in the area and the role they play within the rewilding of ecosystems as a keystone species. Wolves have been making a steady comeback in this part of Italy, thanks in part to the creation and ongoing management of the Central Apennines Rewilding Area. After lunch, you'll take a short drive to Civitella Alfedena to visit the Apennine Wolf Museum, before some afternoon downtime at the guesthouse. Later, you'll head out for a torchlight hike and listen for the unmistakable howling of wolves.

After breakfast you'll head off to explore the magnificent mountain chain of Mainarde – one of the least frequented and wildest areas of the Abruzzo National Park. The landscape here is stunning, especially in winter, with woody slopes giving way to snow-covered rocky hills. Keep your eyes peeled for endemic Apennine chamois and golden eagles soaring overhead. Hike along ridges and valleys overlooking the main mountain ranges of the Apennines – on clear days you can see all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. Head out for dinner this evening to a cosy, local pizzeria in the village.

Begin the day at dawn again, as you set out into the beautiful scenery of Pianoro Le Forme at the foot of Mount Meta – eyes and ears open for deer, chamois, and hopefully wolves, if you're lucky. Hike on through beech forest and mountain pastures to Passo dei Monaci. Warm up with a cup of rich Italian hot chocolate (the best kind) and a final taste of local delicacies, before bidding farewell to the Abruzzos and heading back to Rome.