In Search of Singletrack in the Alps

[Per Löwdin]

I have just redesigned some www-pages about singletrack riding in the Alps,
http://www.lowdin.nu/MTB/singletrack2000/SingleTrack2000.htm nothing new
really, but they are a lot easier to navigate.

Per
http;//lowdin.nu

[TJ]

"Per Löwdin" > wrote in message
...
> I have just redesigned some www-pages about singletrack riding in the
Alps,
> http://www.lowdin.nu/MTB/singletrack2000/SingleTrack2000.htm nothing new
> really, but they are a lot easier to navigate.
>
> Per
> http;//lowdin.nu
>
I was in Cortina, IT for a week of riding. I found it really easy to find
the riding. We rode trail 409, Passo Forcella la rosa and some others that
was awesome. Check it out http://www.gvii.net/hundtoft/pagetwo.html

The info is dated from 1998 some things are sure to have changed.

TJ

[[email protected]]

"Per Löwdin" > wrote in message >...
> I have just redesigned some www-pages about singletrack riding in the Alps,
> http://www.lowdin.nu/MTB/singletrack2000/SingleTrack2000.htm nothing new
> really, but they are a lot easier to navigate.
>
> Per
> http;//lowdin.nu

Per, just wanted to know your website and pictures and stories are all
beautiful and very inspiring.

[Per Löwdin]

> > I have just redesigned some www-pages about singletrack riding in the
> Alps,
> > http://www.lowdin.nu/MTB/singletrack2000/SingleTrack2000.htm nothing new
> > really, but they are a lot easier to navigate.

> I was in Cortina, IT for a week of riding. I found it really easy to find
> the riding. We rode trail 409, Passo Forcella la rosa and some others
that
> was awesome. Check it out http://www.gvii.net/hundtoft/pagetwo.html

Glad you liked Cortina. We planned to do the 409 returning from Forz
Travenzes and Val Travenze doing a circuit of the Tofanas. However, when we
started to ascend Forz Travenzes we were met by nasty signs banning MTBs.

> The info is dated from 1998 some things are sure to have changed.

Maybe, as I wrote,
http://www.lowdin.nu/MTB/singletrack2000/It2000/Cortina.html, we did not
feel at ease at all in Cortina, so it will be a while before we go back. In
fact all other places we visited in Italy were far more friendly for MTB.

Per
http://lowdin.nu

[TJ]

"Per Löwdin" > wrote in message
...
> > > I have just redesigned some www-pages about singletrack riding in the
> > Alps,
> > > http://www.lowdin.nu/MTB/singletrack2000/SingleTrack2000.htm nothing
new
> > > really, but they are a lot easier to navigate.
>
> > I was in Cortina, IT for a week of riding. I found it really easy to
find
> > the riding. We rode trail 409, Passo Forcella la rosa and some others
> that
> > was awesome. Check it out http://www.gvii.net/hundtoft/pagetwo.html
>
> Glad you liked Cortina. We planned to do the 409 returning from Forz
> Travenzes and Val Travenze doing a circuit of the Tofanas. However, when
we
> started to ascend Forz Travenzes we were met by nasty signs banning MTBs

Was this recent. I.E. the last couple of years? The signs were probably
put there by a non official source.

>
> > The info is dated from 1998 some things are sure to have changed.
>
> Maybe, as I wrote,
> http://www.lowdin.nu/MTB/singletrack2000/It2000/Cortina.html, we did not
> feel at ease at all in Cortina, so it will be a while before we go back.
In
> fact all other places we visited in Italy were far more friendly for MTB.
>
> Per
> http://lowdin.nu
>
>
>

We stayed at a campground named "Dolomite". There was an american that
worked there. His name is John. He has lived there for the last 25 years.
He used to herd cattle up on the hills there. He is the one that gave us
the info on the trails. If you go again ask around for John the American.
Everyone knows him there. He will point you in the direction of the good
rides.

TJ

[Per Löwdin]

> Was this recent. I.E. the last couple of years? The signs were probably
> put there by a non official source.

It was in July and August 2000. The signs were highly official I am afraid.
There is in fact a law which banns cycling on any path that is more narrow
than 1 metre. In most places no one cares but in Cortina the local
authorities have put up signs in a lot of places. It was quite
disappointing.

> > > The info is dated from 1998 some things are sure to have changed.
> >
> > Maybe, as I wrote,
> > http://www.lowdin.nu/MTB/singletrack2000/It2000/Cortina.html, we did not
> > feel at ease at all in Cortina, so it will be a while before we go back.

> We stayed at a campground named "Dolomite". There was an american that
> worked there. His name is John. He has lived there for the last 25
years.
> He used to herd cattle up on the hills there. He is the one that gave us
> the info on the trails. If you go again ask around for John the American.
> Everyone knows him there. He will point you in the direction of the good
> rides.

We stayed at a place called Rocchetta, if I recall it correctly, down by the
river. Have camped there several times, as we have been climbing around
Cortina a couple of times. In August it was extremely overprized. The rides
we did were not bad. But there was not much singletrack. Considering the
cost and effort of going there it was not worth the money. There is much
better riding in Livigno or Lago di Garda.

Cortina is a peculiar place. It is a kind of playground for really rich
people of the most boring kind kind one can imagine. Don´t even have sense
to have some fun with their money. Among the self styled classic resorts,
Cortina, Chamonix, Zermatt, Kitzbuhl, St Anton, St Moritz and Davos, it is
certainly the one that it is least worthwhile to visit: lots of interdictive
signs about cycling, to climb you have to ride a car to the foot of the
climb, and there is rarely any snow and if there is the pistes are not even
half as good as in any of the other "classic" resorts.

Now, if you can find good rides around Cortina that is fine, but we will
certainly look elsewhere for good rides. Don´t like to feel like some kind
of felon when we go for a ride.

Per
http://lowdin.nu

[Tim McNamara]

The Rough Stuff Fellowship has information on singletrack riding in
the Alps, and I remember seeing another site that had hand-drawn maps
available of trails connecting Alpine roads (I remember one that ran
from Col de Sarenne, next to Alpe-d'Huez, to the Col de la Croix de
Fer, for example). Danged if I can remember that site, though, and my
book marks got hosed a couple weeks ago. :-( Jobst Brandt has told
stories of riding old Roman roads in the hinterlands of the Alps and
there's a few photos of such on the Palo Alto Cycles Web site.

[Per Löwdin]

> The Rough Stuff Fellowship has information on singletrack riding in
> the Alps, and I remember seeing another site that had hand-drawn maps
> available of trails connecting Alpine roads (I remember one that ran
> from Col de Sarenne, next to Alpe-d'Huez, to the Col de la Croix de
> Fer, for example).

Yes, there are appeared to be lots of places in France that were really
good. Unfortunately, we were running out of time, so we just passed most of
them. We found France cheaper, better food and more wine, for less money,
and the camp sites far better than in Italy. If we go back to bike in the
Alps France would be our first choice. In many places they seemed to really
bet on MTB.

> Jobst Brandt has told
> stories of riding old Roman roads in the hinterlands of the Alps and
> there's a few photos of such on the Palo Alto Cycles Web site.

We rode one coming down from Gebidum Pass above Brigg.
http://www.lowdin.nu/MTB/singletrack2000/CH2000/Zermatt.htm It was a really
ancient road, across the watershed to Italy close to the Simplon Pass. Most
of it had by lack of use turned into tight singletrack with some nice
switchbacks, great fun to ride.

Per

[[email protected]]

Per Lowdin writes:

>> The Rough Stuff Fellowship has information on singletrack riding in
>> the Alps, and I remember seeing another site that had hand-drawn
>> maps available of trails connecting Alpine roads (I remember one
>> that ran from Col de Sarenne, next to Alpe-d'Huez, to the Col de la
>> Croix de Fer, for example).

> Yes, there are appeared to be lots of places in France that were
> really good. Unfortunately, we were running out of time, so we just
> passed most of them. We found France cheaper, better food and more
> wine, for less money, and the camp sites far better than in
> Italy. If we go back to bike in the Alps France would be our first
> choice. In many places they seemed to really bet on MTB.

>> Jobst Brandt has told stories of riding old Roman roads in the
>> hinterlands of the Alps and there's a few photos of such on the
>> Palo Alto Cycles Web site.

> We rode one coming down from Gebidum Pass above Brigg.

http://www.lowdin.nu/MTB/singletrack2000/CH2000/Zermatt.htm

> It was a really ancient road, across the watershed to Italy close to
> the Simplon Pass. Most of it had by lack of use turned into tight
> singletrack with some nice switchbacks, great fun to ride.

I assume you mean Brig at the north side of the Simplon. I cannot
find a Gebidum Pass between Zermatt and Brig. Zermatt is surrounded
by 4000+m peaks and the lowest pass to the south, the 3317m (10882ft)
high Theodul pass that crosses a glacier on the south side.

http://www.ocd.org.uk/alps/rs/fred.htm

Both Brig lies east of Zermatt and both towns are on the north side of
the Alps between Italy and Switzerland. The Saastal to the east lies
between Zermatt and Brig and is surrounded by 3000m high glaciers on
the east side. Can you outline the course in a bit more detail so I
can find it on a hiking map?

Jobst Brandt

[Per Löwdin]

> > We rode one coming down from Gebidum Pass above Brigg.
>
> http://www.lowdin.nu/MTB/singletrack2000/CH2000/Zermatt.htm
>
> > It was a really ancient road, across the watershed to Italy close to
> > the Simplon Pass. Most of it had by lack of use turned into tight
> > singletrack with some nice switchbacks, great fun to ride.
>
> I assume you mean Brig at the north side of the Simplon. I cannot
> find a Gebidum Pass between Zermatt and Brig. Zermatt is surrounded
> by 4000+m peaks and the lowest pass to the south, the 3317m (10882ft)
> high Theodul pass that crosses a glacier on the south side.
>
> http://www.ocd.org.uk/alps/rs/fred.htm
>
> Both Brig lies east of Zermatt and both towns are on the north side of
> the Alps between Italy and Switzerland. The Saastal to the east lies
> between Zermatt and Brig and is surrounded by 3000m high glaciers on
> the east side. Can you outline the course in a bit more detail so I
> can find it on a hiking map?

Yes, we started in Zermatt, and rode down the valley, from Täsch there is
wonderful singletrack winding along the slopes losing altitude only
gradually to Stalden. In Stalden we took a cable car to Gspon and headed for
Gebidem Pass and descended into Nanz Tal, the ancient road goes along the
valley floor where one joins it. It is at the "elbow" after Gebidem Pass on
this map http://www.rhone.ch/biken/bike20.htm. Returned by the main road to
Zermatt the same day.

The mountains around Zermatt are as you point out high and steep, they are
real climbing mountains, so the best mountainbiking is really below Zermatt
although there are some nice trails near the village too. It would not be
possible to cycle to Italy, at least not in a meaningful way, across Theodol
Pass, some 3300 m, 4-6 km of glacier.

Per
http://lowdin.nu

[TJ]

"Per Löwdin" > wrote in message
...
> > Was this recent. I.E. the last couple of years? The signs were
probably
> > put there by a non official source.
>
> It was in July and August 2000. The signs were highly official I am
afraid.
> There is in fact a law which banns cycling on any path that is more
narrow
> than 1 metre. In most places no one cares but in Cortina the local
> authorities have put up signs in a lot of places. It was quite
> disappointing.
>
> > > > The info is dated from 1998 some things are sure to have changed.
> > >
> > > Maybe, as I wrote,
> > > http://www.lowdin.nu/MTB/singletrack2000/It2000/Cortina.html, we did
not
> > > feel at ease at all in Cortina, so it will be a while before we go
back.
>
> > We stayed at a campground named "Dolomite". There was an american that
> > worked there. His name is John. He has lived there for the last 25
> years.
> > He used to herd cattle up on the hills there. He is the one that gave
us
> > the info on the trails. If you go again ask around for John the
American.
> > Everyone knows him there. He will point you in the direction of the
good
> > rides.
>
> We stayed at a place called Rocchetta, if I recall it correctly, down by
the
> river. Have camped there several times, as we have been climbing around
> Cortina a couple of times. In August it was extremely overprized. The
rides
> we did were not bad. But there was not much singletrack. Considering the
> cost and effort of going there it was not worth the money. There is much
> better riding in Livigno or Lago di Garda.
>
> Cortina is a peculiar place. It is a kind of playground for really rich
> people of the most boring kind kind one can imagine. Don´t even have sense
> to have some fun with their money. Among the self styled classic resorts,
> Cortina, Chamonix, Zermatt, Kitzbuhl, St Anton, St Moritz and Davos, it is
> certainly the one that it is least worthwhile to visit: lots of
interdictive
> signs about cycling, to climb you have to ride a car to the foot of the
> climb, and there is rarely any snow and if there is the pistes are not
even
> half as good as in any of the other "classic" resorts.
>
> Now, if you can find good rides around Cortina that is fine, but we will
> certainly look elsewhere for good rides. Don´t like to feel like some kind
> of felon when we go for a ride.
>
> Per
> http://lowdin.nu
>
That is awful to hear. I really enjoyed my trip there. If I ever go again.
I will check out Livigno.

TJ

[[email protected]]

Per Lowdin writes:

>> We stayed at a campground named "Dolomite". There was an American
>> that worked there. His name is John. He has lived there for the
>> last 25 > years. He used to herd cattle up on the hills there. He
>> is the one that gave us the info on the trails. If you go again
>> ask around for John the American. Everyone knows him there. He
>> will point you in the direction of the good rides.

> We stayed at a place called Rocchetta, if I recall it correctly,
> down by the river. Have camped there several times, as we have been
> climbing around Cortina a couple of times. In August it was
> extremely overpriced. The rides we did were not bad. But there was
> not much single-track. Considering the cost and effort of going
> there it was not worth the money. There is much better riding in
> Livigno or Lago di Garda.

I don't know what you find "better riding" than around Cortina. I
find the Dolomites, and especially the mountains around Cortina, one of
the most scenically beautiful areas in the alps. Besides that, the
area is full of old military roads from the first and second world
wars. When I first visited there, many of the roads were not yet
paved and the military roads were an extension of the main routes.

> Cortina is a peculiar place. It is a kind of playground for really
> rich people of the most boring kind kind one can imagine. Don?t even
> have sense to have some fun with their money. Among the self styled
> classic resorts, Cortina, Chamonix, Zermatt, Kitzbuhl, St Anton, St
> Moritz and Davos, it is certainly the one that it is least
> worthwhile to visit: lots of interdictive signs about cycling, to
> climb you have to ride a car to the foot of the climb, and there is
> rarely any snow and if there is the pistes are not even half as good
> as in any of the other "classic" resorts.

I have not seen any of the restrictive signs you mention and have not
had a problem riding on some of these fascinating roads. You must
have gotten on trails reserved for hikers near town.

http://tinyurl.com/u5nq

See day 14.

I have found inexpensive lodging in some of the ski hotels in Cortina
that choose to remain open in summer. Cortina is a beautiful town,
with a wonderful pedestrian mall center and wonderful shops.
Unfortunately the train that Peter Sellers rode into town in the first
Pink Panther movie no longer runs, its southern terminus having been
destroyed by the dam disaster of Longarone:

http://tinyurl.com/adls

> Now, if you can find good rides around Cortina that is fine, but we
> will certainly look elsewhere for good rides. Don't like to feel
> like some kind of felon when we go for a ride.

I never miss visiting Cortina on my tours of the Alps for its breath
taking scenery and wonderful roads. Don't sell it short.

Jobst Brandt

[Per Löwdin]

> I don't know what you find "better riding" than around Cortina. I
> find the Dolomites, and especially the mountains around Cortina, one of
> the most scenically beautiful areas in the alps. Besides that, the
> area is full of old military roads from the first and second world
> wars. When I first visited there, many of the roads were not yet
> paved and the military roads were an extension of the main routes.

- yes, many roads in Europe were originally constructed for military
purposes. On the other hand, if it is not restricted in some respect a road
is a road. Most would not even know its history. There is also another type
of military "road" in the Dolomites, known as Via Ferrata (lit., iron road),
originally it was a military climbing path that could be hiked with heavy
loads. There are rails, ladders, and wires to clip into. There are plenty of
via ferratas around Cortina, on Tofana
http://www.lowdin.nu/Treks/Wallis90/Dolomites0876.JPG, Cristallo
http://www.lowdin.nu/Treks/Wallis90/Dolomites0881.JPG,
http://www.lowdin.nu/Treks/Wallis90/Dolomites0884.JPG, Croda Passaporto
http://www.lowdin.nu/Treks/Wallis90/Dolomites0871.JPG, Paternkofel
http://www.lowdin.nu/Treks/Wallis90/Dolomites0862.JPG

There are more climbing images from the Dolomites here
http://www.lowdin.nu/Treks/Wallis90/Dolomit90.html,
http://www.lowdin.nu/Treks/Wallis92/Climbing92.htm

> I have not seen any of the restrictive signs you mention and have not
> had a problem riding on some of these fascinating roads. You must
> have gotten on trails reserved for hikers near town.

We were searching for singletrack and we found that most of the trails we
would have like to ride were "reserved" for hikers, in fact we did not ride
any singletrack worth mentioning around Cortina. However, some of these
trails were far from town: e.g., by Tre Cime Lavaredo, Forcella Falzarego.

Now, with regard to road riding it is an alltogether different matter. The
main road along the floor of the valley is a bit busy, would not be too much
fun, but otherwise there are plenty of winding mountain roads, that can be
great fun. Though, if we had road bikes, and let us say a week only in the
Dolomites, I think we would chose Canazei: a place I like far more both for
climbing and mountainbiking. From what I understand there is some
outstanding road riding too: e.g., around the Sellas.

> Unfortunately the train that Peter Sellers rode into town in the first
> Pink Panther movie no longer runs, its southern terminus having been
> destroyed by the dam disaster of Longarone:

Is there a train at all? Most of the rail roads in the Dolomities seems to
have been scrapped. Every other town has an ancient railway station but no
trains, even the rails are gone, saw the same phenomena in the Colorado
Rockies this summer.


> > Now, if you can find good rides around Cortina that is fine, but we
> > will certainly look elsewhere for good rides. Don't like to feel
> > like some kind of felon when we go for a ride.
>
> I never miss visiting Cortina on my tours of the Alps for its breath
> taking scenery and wonderful roads. Don't sell it short.

Well, as I wrote: "Would we go back to Cortina? Yes, if we are
multi-millionaires when we are eighty four we might fit in. For mountain
biking there are many places that are far more friendly in Italy."

By the way, we spent a long time last night enjoying your gallery
http://www-math.science.unitn.it/Bike/Countries/Europe/Tour_Reports/Tour_of_the_Alps/Gallery/
Absolutely, splendid photos.

Per

[Sergio SERVADIO]

On Sat, 8 Nov 2003, TJ wrote:
> That is awful to hear. I really enjoyed my trip there. If I ever go again.
> I will check out Livigno.

Oh, my God!
I know of no other such ****ty place, like Livigno.

Sergio
Pisa

[Per Löwdin]

> > Oh, my God! I know of no other such ****ty place, like Livigno.

> Hold it! It's not Livigno but the roads and trails in that area that
> are worth riding. I for one think the Alpisella Pass is a beautiful
> route and exiting through the tunnel to the Ofen Pass gets into
> especially great territory.

I agree, there are some splendid rides, the Alpisella Pass had some
wonderful switchbacks, though they seemed to build a road destroying them
when we were there. There is still plenty to ride, on both sides of the
border.

Livigno has some frontier character, they have special tax priveledges etc.
A good thing about it is that better bikes are more affordable. There were
some bikeshops that were excellent, as good as in San Franscisco, both road
bikes and MTB, had the very latest Cannondales, plenty of Merlin frames in
stock, etc.

Per
http://www.lowdin.nu/MTB/MTB.html

[Sergio SERVADIO]

On Tue, 11 Nov 2003 wrote:
> Sergio Servadio writes:

> > Oh, my God! I know of no other such ****ty place, like Livigno.

> Hold it! It's not Livigno but the roads and trails in that area that
> are worth riding.

I second that.
Let me add that I usually try to avoid lodging in Livigno.

> To the east, in Fuldera, just above Santa Maria, there's a wonderful
> hotel run by an old bikie.

Is that, by any chance, on the left hand side, in the midst of that
beautiful spruce forest with signs pointing to very old trees in the area?
If so, please give me detailed directions, and set a date for us to meet.

See you

Sergio
Pisa

[Shaun Rimmer]

Wrap up warm sonny or you'll catch yer death of cold y'know.



Shaun aRe