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It is the most beautiful ride you can find along Lake Garda: where else can you find 2000m downhill from Monte Baldo?
A hard route suitable for all mountain or enduro bikes, 27 km long with 700m uphill and 2000m downhill. It presents a variety of different terrain, from technical rock gardens to fast single trail and it’s considered a must for every advanced mtb rider.
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Details
Technical characteristics
Starting point
Tratto Spino
Endpoint
Malcesine
Route
Tratto Spino – Bocca di Navene – Bocca del Creer – Monte Altissimo – Prati di Nago – Dosso dei Roveri – Dos Spirano – Navene – Malcesine
Starting height
1760m
Highest point
2079m
Altitude – ascent/descent
725m/2310m
Distance
27km
Duration
5 hrs
Difficulty
Difficulty
difficult
Technical difficulty (1 to 5)
5
Physical training (1 to 5)
5
Scenic appeal
Experience (1 to 5)
5
Landscape (1 to 5)
5
Type of route
Round tour
Summit tour
Cable car ascent/descent
Insider tip
Panoramic route
Best time of year
From may to november
without snow
Partner
Points of interest along this bike trail
This is a very complete tour with demanding ascents and long descents leading you from the 2079m of Monte Altissimo to the shores of Lake Garda. Once you reach the top of Altissimo, take a pause at Damiano Chiesa Refuge and visit the First World War trenches, never forgetting the amazing views which will accompany you along the whole route.
Monte Alissimo bike tour description
Starting from top station of the cable car, turn left following the signs for Monte Altissimo along trail 651 which runs over an easy gravel road to Bocca Navene where the tarmac road starts for the next “not too steep” 3 km leading you to Graziani Refuge (Bocca del Creer).
From now things become a bit more difficult. Follow the dirt path that starts behind the Refuge and take a left at the first crossroads, following the road that goes up to Monte Altissimo on trail 633. You can pedal all the time but sometimes it’s not that easy due to irregularity of the road surface. Going can be fairly strenuous and technical!
Get rested and prepared for the descent. Starting right in front of the Refuge and turning left passing below the little church, trail 601 is waiting for you.
Steep and very challenging it requires a superb technique on dislodged rocks with some very difficult moves. It sometimes flattens out to give you a little rest (but doesn’t stay that way for long!).
Approaching Monte Varagna a small crossroad appears letting you choose either going down on a fairly easy gravel road or keep pushing your limits on trail 601 (which cuts across the gravel road many times) ’til you reach a small parking lot.
Keep going downhill using every shortcut of trail 601 until Prati di Nago has been reached.
Follow the tarmac road for a little time and, next to a small church, another crossroad awaits you and from there you can take the road on the left side, following the indications for Dosso dei Roveri (trail number 6).
After some short up’n’down you will find a barrier to step over: then keep going to a big crossroad where you have to go left and start a nice single track in the wood, always on trail 6, to Dosso dei Roveri. Here it becomes rougher with some panoramic but exposed points. So be careful!
Follow the trail until you reach a nice downhill white road, full of turns, that will lead you to the small hamlet of Navene. From there you can reach Malcesine by simply heading south, pedalling along the cycle path.
The last stretch is located in the Riserva Naturale Integrale Gardesana Orientale which means you are not allowed to ride in it, you could get fined by the forrest police.
You will arrive home tired but happy!
Variations
For those who don’t want to try this variation, you can go down to Torbole from 601.
The variation starts from Prati di Nago:
From the Prati di Nago stay for a short stretch on tarmac road, up to a small church where a very technical and steep short trail starts on the left.
Go on downhill following the cuts and crossing the road in multiple points.
At the hairpin on the left after the Baita degli Alpini take the trail 601 until you find yourself skirting the popular Nago crag. Slow down a bit and pay attention because there are always people along the trail.
After the crag you will find yourself riding over some tarmac countryside roads. At the shrine turn left and then take the first road on the right. Turn left again and finally go down over the old road on the right, which ends at the Parco delle Busatte. From the park keep descending towards Torbole along the tarmac road. Once you arrive in Torbole you can choose to go back to Malcesine by ferry boat or pedal along the busy Via Gardesana.
Our suggestions
Always bring some water to drink. There is no way to find some once you leave Damiano Chiesa Refuge, at the beginning of the descent
Once you reach Monte Altissimo, first to stop at Damiano Chiesa Refuge, and follow the path on left side which goes behind the Refuge. You will have a beautiful view of Garda Lake from the highest point from 2079m
Try to catch the first two cable cars in the morning as they are less crowded
The ascent is exposed to the sun all the time, so it is better doing it in the morning. Even if it is 1500m high during summer it gets very hot anyway
Always bring a jacket with you as the weather can change very rapidly
Try one of the tasty and typical grappas served in Damiano Chiesa Refuge. There are plenty of them and they will help you release the brakes during your downhill 🙂 But just one!
The tour during the winter
You can’t take bicycles to the top as the service stops during winter.
Shelters, huts or bivouacs along the trail
SkyWalk Lounge Bar Monte BaldoAt the cable car station on Monte Baldo
At the top station of the cable car Malcesine Monte Baldo.
The trips from San Michele (the half way station of the cable car) up to Monte Baldo start in Spring to coincide with the opening of Road no.8 up Baldo, and this all depends on when the snow melts. Here to see rates, timetables and opening times. Tel. +39 045 7400206
