In addition to the tour to Monte Altissimo, the tours to Monte Tremalzo and Monte Sivo are considered absolute classics. As tricky E-MTB uphills, the three royal tours are even more fun!
Click on the name of the tour to go straight to the tour description:
Please also read the Area report on the three Lake Garda classics and get to know the teamwho completed the three tours with the E-MTB.
>> To download the GPS data of the three Lake Garda classics from EMTB 04/2022 please click here! <<
The area report on the three Lake Garda classics
The trail below the Bocca Caset Pass has shrunk to the width of an iPhone and is riddled with slippery roots. The steep embankment on the left is not a death zone, but it would be painful if the worst came to the worst. My hands are gripping the handlebars too tightly, my eyes are fixed on the shimmering roots in front of me instead of the next bend, my head is not clear - downhill blockade. On top of that, the photo rucksack keeps sliding up, pushing my helmet into my face. So now I'm a few minutes ahead, so that I can quickly stop the group if I find a suitable photo spot. However, the two blaspheming companions behind me have lost their sense of when the fun stops. I stop, let Claus and Stefan pass and squeeze a tortured "Go ahead" out of the corner of my mouth.
In truth, I'm not really angry with them, but with myself, my poor fitness and, above all, the knot in my head. But inside I can console myself. Firstly, I have the heaviest rucksack. And secondly, I certainly suffered the most the day before.
"We have to try the old Lago tours from the 90s with the E-MTB", was Claus' original idea, who grinned as he held up his Moser guide from 1993 to the webcam during an evening chat in winter. Tour author Elmar Moser has left his mark on an entire generation of mountain bikers with his guides. Over the years, Claus has guarded Moser guide number 3 with 40 tours on Lake Garda like the Holy Grail. And of course it is exciting to see whether tour number 38 on Monte Stivo also appears as an "extreme, miserably long ascent over nasty stone tracks" from an e-MTB perspective. Or whether Moser's apocalyptic descriptions of the Altissimo tour ("It's hard to say how a normal person can actually endure this four-hour summit assault.") are not downright ridiculous in the age of motorised assistance.
On that winter evening, these and other speculations gave rise to the idea of testing out the three great Lake Garda classics Altissimo, Tremalzo and Monte Stivo on an e-MTB. All around 2000 metres high, the massifs border the northern part of Lake Garda in three directions. Towards the south, clearly visible from Monte Altissimo and Monte Stivo, the lake extends to its full length. Only the Tremalzo lies somewhat hidden in the second row to the west, but offers equally spectacular views.
The team for the three classic tours on Lake Garda
Day 1: Monte Altissimo
And so, six months later, we set off from Torbole in Moser's footsteps towards Monte Altissimo. We deliberately stick strictly to the description for the ascent. Once we've mastered the 1500 metre ascent from Torbole via the Strada del Monte Baldo in energy-saving mode and chatting happily, we get down to business after a short gravel section. "You won't be doing yourself any favours on this route with an e-MTB," warned Lake Garda specialist Uli Stanciu. And after just a few metres, we know what he meant. The trail resembles a stream bed in places and is interspersed with coarse gravel stones. Turbo mode, chain on, saddle down and hope you hit the right line.
I'm now happy to be able to draw on the full range of energy sources and not, as initially planned, get by with just one battery. But the heavy rucksack keeps pulling me backwards, making the front wheel wobble and throwing me off the ideal line. Claus does better and pedals past me. But his bike also throws him out of the saddle at the next stumbling block, as if it were a bucking donkey. Only our trial trickster Stefan will have ridden everything in the end, apart from a few unrideable metres. Thanks to his ability to balance in a standing position for as long as he likes, he can gather strength and get into position to attack the next steep section from a low crouched position like a cat of prey. A little later, over polenta and spritzers in the Rifugio Altissimo, we take stock and rate the ascent as recommendable. Either you are ambitious and tinker with the key sections, push yourself to the limit and enjoy every little success. Or you can take it easy and switch to push mode.
After 2000 metres of singletrack, our eyes light up and Claus says what everyone is thinking: "This is big mountain freeriding."
Today's downhill trail is anything but leisurely, but it is as epic as it gets: the steep ridge path along the southern flank of the Altissimo resembles a meadow furrow - so deep that you have to be careful not to get stuck with your pedals. The lake stretches almost 2000 metres below us with its steep cliffs on the west side. And the afternoon sun makes the spray of hundreds of kiters, windsurfers and wingfoilers glow. The exposed Sentiero di Ventrar leads us through the north face of Monte Baldo, later the forest swallows us up and an old cart track only spits us out again in Navene after countless hairpin bends.
Day 2: Monte Stivo
I'm flat the next day. My bones ache and my bum burns. The heavy rucksack that has been dragging me in the saddle all day has left its mark. The thick rocks on this steep, bumpy ascent to Santa Barbara stab me in the arse like a knife. The only time I'm not in pain is when I'm pedalling in the saddle. So, annoyed, I struggle up the cart track alongside two cheerful colleagues and receive one stupid comment after another. When I dismount and try to help a vineyard snail across the path, Claus says dryly: "You're just worried that it will overtake you." It's just not my day. Shortly after the Malga Stivo alpine pasture and just below the summit, the trail becomes ultra-steep, but the rear wheel finds traction on the earthy meadow trail. Leaning far over the handlebars, the front wheel often in the air, Claus and Stefan crawl towards the summit while I follow them with the drone. To be honest, I'd be happy if I could give in to the centrifugal forces and take the direct route back to Torbole.
And not just because of the pain: the weather has closed in and we can hear thunder rumbling from the north. But after a phone check with hotelier Fabio, we decide to carry on. "You still have two hours until the thunderstorm gets here." In for a penny, in for a pound. We traverse the western flank of the Stivo with two short climbing sections where we help each other to heave the bikes up. The rain turns the cart track towards the valley into a slide. We cancel the planned finale from Santa Barbara via the Naranch Trail. Instead
instead, we take the ascent route and go straight into après mode at the Hotel Santoni.
Day 3, a dream: the Tremalzo
The sun is shining again and my bum has healed surprisingly well. The starting point for today's stage up to the Tremalzo Pass is Limone. We took the ferry, not only because we had decided to do without a car for these three days - there's no better way to get round the Gardesana road with its many tunnels.
Then up to Passo Guil - a route that we are already familiar with. A few years ago, we had already tested the suitability of the steep paved path and the following trail for e-MTBs. The valley cut of the Valle del Signols is narrow and wooded, and yet the sun is beating down mercilessly today. The flagstone path runs vertically upwards before being replaced by a gravel path that winds its way boldly upwards. Every now and then the forest thins out and a small part of Limone peeps through the trees. Behind it is the azure blue lake. Of course, I lose the challenge of who can manage the climb in eco mode. Fortunately, I come up with the right excuses. The next trail is the end of eco mode for everyone. In addition to top riding technique, you need sufficient power here. And the ability to regenerate quickly after short maximum pulse phases.
Things only get relaxed again on the Tremalzo road, on which we quickly wind our way to the highest point of the tour. My fat neck for my colleagues is gone. The trail opens up and I open up the brakes. My head is clear, the trail rollercoaster that leads below the pass towards Ledro Valley is a delight: grippy forest floor, jumps and steep bends alternate with root carpets and steep ramps.
We sit together in the Alto Belvedere, the sun sends its last rays through the Ponale valley. The lake glistens deep below. My bum no longer hurts either and Stefan says that the after-ride beer now has a new meaning. Everyone laughs and we all agree: Elmar Moser was right. "Lago biking - a touch of paradise."
Lake Garda Tour 1: Monte Altissimo
2000 metres above the lake, the Monte Altissimo di Nago, highest mountain in the region. The almost unbelievable views are worth the effort of travelling up here. The descent via the Sentiero di Ventrar - a wild adventure.
Our route: Alpine bikers may not think 2078 metres is high, but that is relative given that Lake Garda is only 60 metres above sea level. First of all: the Altissimo is a monster. The most beautiful, but also the most difficult ascent starts from Torbole via the Strada del Monte Baldo. However, anyone who thinks they have almost cracked the mountain after 1500 metres of relaxed and panoramic asphalt ascent is mistaken. Because this is where a real ordeal begins: the last 500 metres up to the Rifugio Altissimo turn out to be an energy-sapping monster of scree, where you have to grit your teeth, half pushing, half riding rodeo-style. Unless your name is Stefan Schlie, who unpacks his old trial tricks here and balances up almost all the key sections.
The descent is no less challenging: first along old military roads and a narrow, exposed trial path to the Bocca di Navene pass, then after a short tarmac ascent along the exposed Sentiero del Ventrar path (be careful, risk of falling, be sure to dismount!). The route then descends along an ancient, forgotten cart track with countless hairpin bends down to Navene. From there, you cycle along the Gardesana for around ten kilometres back to Torbole.
The alternatives: The Altissimo feeling with its unique panoramic views is also easier to enjoy. However, the ascent is unspectacular on the back of the Altissimo massif (2519 metres in altitude, 40 km). Or you can take the gondola from Malcesine to Monte Baldo and save yourself many metres in altitude. There are also several downhill options, none of which are easy. We recommend the cart track from Bocca di Navene down to Navene.
Those who take this route with only one battery will have to provide a lot of power and will probably have to push the entire 500 metres in altitude. Because of course you can't afford turbo power for the key sections. Even with the variants, the Altissimo is definitely a two-battery tour.
Desire and reality: We planned all three routes in advance as a sporting challenge under the aspect of "how much can be ridden on an e-MTB". Later, we sat down together and decided how many of the particularly difficult uphill sections we would ride. As an e-MTB pro, Stefan naturally delivers here. Claus also certainly has above-average uphill skills. Markus represents the average sporty uphill rider, with the additional burden of the heavy photo backpack.
Info about Tour 1: Monte Altissimo
- Distance 47.4 km
- uphill 2343 hm
- downhill 2343 tm
- Journey time 4:30 h
- Riding technique: 50 % easy, 10 % medium, 40 % difficult
Lake Garda Tour 2: Monte Tremalzo
The spectacular military road from the First World War is to bikers as the Way of St James is to pilgrims: you have to ride it once in your life. We have reorganised the route and consider it to be One of the most exciting E-MTB tours at all.
Our route: The term Valle del Singol rings in the ears of old Lago bikers. This wildly romantic, narrow valley above Limone is the end of the great Val Pura and Dalco downhill trials. However, no-one would have thought of riding up this steep slab track. Not to mention turning right at some point onto the even steeper Sentiero 117, up to Passo Guil and on to Passo Nota at the foot of the Tremalzo road. To cut a long story short: The route is a technical riding puzzle along the physical limits, surrounded by fantastic nature - in other words, a perfect E-MTB playground. If you're less keen on uphill challenges, you're better off taking the downhill option. After the legendary Tremalzo Pass road, which definitely makes more sense uphill on an e-MTB than the other way round, a real downhill dream awaits on the way back into the Ledro Valley. At first
you balance on a towel-thin, wild trail through the woods below the Boca di Caset, then after a short ascent you reach a forest trail into which expert trail builders have even incorporated a few fun features - a wild forest rollercoaster unlike anything you're used to on Lake Garda. The trail ends at a steep concrete ramp that spits you out at Lake Ledro. From here, it's a leisurely roll along the old Ponale road back to Riva.
The alternatives: The steep trial ascent from Limone to Passo Guil is not everyone's cup of tea. No problem, the alternative also has its charm. Touring expert Uli Stanciu recommends the route via Vesio and Corna Vecchia up to Passo Nota. It gets really beautiful from Vesio onwards, as the old gravel track leads through many small tunnels carved into the rock.
The Gardesana to Limone is far too dangerous on a bike because of the many tunnels. Better and an additional experience: take the boat from Riva. This costs 5 euros per person and another 3.40 euros for the bike.
Battery management: Fit cyclists may be able to cope with one large battery, but it's more relaxed with two. Or you can take the charger with you and take a longer break at the Rifugio Passo Nota: you can recharge here.
Food: Espresso with a view before things get serious: La Milancesa. At the Rifugio Passo Nota, you can enjoy delicious pasta while your battery recharges. Also good: the Refugio Garda on the Tremalzo Pass. And then an aperitif at the Tonale Alto Belvedere, right on the old Tonale road.
Info about Tour 2: Monte Tremalzo
- Distance 70.7 km
- uphill 2411 hm
- downhill 2411 km
- Journey time 5:12 h
- Riding technique: 60 % easy, 30 % medium, 20 % difficult
Lake Garda Tour 3: Monte Stivo
Monte Stivo rises high above northern Lake Garda like a monument. The views over the entire lake and into the Adige Valley are legendary, as is the extremely steep trail towards the summit. Ideal on an e-MTB.
Our route: Even the old Moser described the tour to Monte Stivo as an "extreme, seemingly miserably long, ultimately nasty stone track". And he didn't even ride all the way to the summit back then, but "only" to the Malga Stivo Alm. Even on an e-MTB, the ascent is not a leisurely coffee break. Really
selective from the alpine pasture to the Rifugio Marchetti, just below the summit. On the steepest, most technical trail, you pull out all the technical stops here. There is only time for the magnificent view of the Adige Valley and Rovereto during the forced breaks to bring your heart rate back down.
The descent begins on the ascent route to Malga Stivo. From there, a good singletrail branches off, sometimes a little exposed, which crosses the western flank of Monte Stivo. Unfortunately, this trail also cuts through two rocky passages where you have to climb a little and it is best to balance the bikes with mutual assistance. Afterwards, a trial trail leads down to Malga Vallestre, at the lower section of which we discovered signs prohibiting riding in the opposite direction. We have marked a permitted alternative on the map. We have also added this alternative to the download GPS data. In any case, the route leads from Malga on typical Lake Garda cart tracks and later on gravel to Santa Barbara. We choose the ascent route back to Torbole.
The alternatives: The trails to and behind Malga Vallestre are nice, but not unique. If you want to shorten the tour, save yourself the round trip and take the signposted Naranch Trail, which has been developed for bikers. From Santa Barbara, a forest path leads towards Monte Creino to the Naranch trail entrance.
Battery management: You can twist and turn as you like, but one battery won't be enough on this tour. Unless you stop off in Santa Barbara or three kilometres further down in Ronzo and ask at the restaurant to be allowed to tap into the power socket.
Refreshment stop with the best views and delicious Trentino cuisine at Rifugio Marcchetti. From there, we recommend a detour to the summit. If it's not very busy, you can push over the terrace of the hut and ride the trail on the north side. Or you can park your bike at the hut and take the direct route on foot.
Info about Tour 3: Monte Stivo
- Distance 48.5 km
- uphill 2652 hm
- downhill 2652 km
- Journey time 4:17 h
- Riding technique: 30 % easy, 20 % medium, 50 % difficult
