The fourth leg of the Southern Way bike route is one of the journey’s most arduous, with four climbs and almost 1,000 metres of cumulative ascent. It leads out of Lazio and into Umbria, from Rieti to Piediluco
Water sources
yes (Rieti, Cantalice, Poggio Bustone, Rivodutri, Labro, Piediluco)
The fourth leg of the Southern Way goes from Rieti to Piediluco, from Lazio into Umbria. It is one of the most arduous stretches of the journey from Rome to Assisi, with 4 ascents for a total climb of just under 1,000 metres, but it will also offer you some gorgeous scenery among the mountains of the Rieti Apennines. The trip starts from the centre of Rieti where, for a few kilometres, you’ll have to cope with city traffic.After three kilometres of flat riding, great for warming up the legs, you have the first of the climbs, an 8.6 km ascent to the La Foresta sanctuary. Soon after the downhill from it you have another 6.5 km to go uphill to the charming town of Cantalice at the feet of Mt Terminillo. After the descent from this one, and a few kilometres to get your breath back and give your legs a break, is the third climb of the day, the one that goes to Poggio Bustone.The itinerary does not go right into town, but if you feel like going up for another kilometre, you can visit it or rest up, even decide to call it a day if you don’t feel like continuing. If you do, from Poggio Bustone head towards Rivodutri over roads through verdant nature where cars are few and far between. It is after Rivodutri that you will face the toughest climb of the day, one that in 4 kilometres takes you all the way up to Morro Reatino. From there on the going is much easier and soon you will be at Piediluco, the first Umbrian town along the Southern Way, reached gliding downhill and over roads that are essentially flat along the shores of Piediluco lake, where you will be able to enjoy a very well-deserved rest..
